A native of Austin, Texas, Marina left a law career to pursue her passion for educational equality. A product of Round Rock ISD and Austin ISD public schools, Marina earned her bachelor’s degree in political science at Yale University and her law degree at Columbia Law School.
Marina worked in London as a corporate lawyer at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP before deciding her heart was in ensuring that all children get equal access to the opportunities that a great education creates. She completed a master’s degree in education, policy and society at King’s College London and joined The Future Leaders Trust, a non-profit leadership development organization that trained principals and CEOs to lead disadvantaged schools across the UK. As director of strategy and impact, Marina led new business and program development as well as strategy, impact and career progression work. Most recently, she led the merger of The Trust with another leadership charity to create Ambition School Leadership.
In 2013, Marina was selected as one of 50 women around the world to join the Banco Santander W50 program at UCLA’s Anderson Business School.
She returned to her hometown to join The Holdsworth Center as managing director of programs.
Marina is conversant in Mandarin and enjoys playing bluegrass and gypsy jazz fiddle. She is also a classical pianist and played a Mozart piano concerto with the Austin Symphony when she was 12 years old.