MaraÌýRose

  • Career Advisor
  • Lecturer

MaraÌýhasÌýspent nearly 30 yearsÌýworking acrossÌýnonprofit organizations, government agencies, higher education, and for-profitÌýsocial ventures. Throughout her career,Ìýshe hasÌýmoved betweenÌýsectorsÌýin management and consulting roles, balancing hands-on experience in buildingÌýsocial-impact venturesÌýwith mentoring andÌýsupportingÌýstudentsÌýand entrepreneursÌýnavigating the complexitiesÌýof mission-driven work.

She hasÌýfounded and led twoÌýsocial-impact companiesÌýandÌýserved asÌýthe executive director of two nonprofit organizations—one in Colorado and one in New York City. In addition,Ìýshe hasÌýplayed a key role in funding, educating, and advising impact-driven entrepreneursÌýasÌýthe Director ofÌýSocial Entrepreneurship at the NYUÌýSternÌýSchool of Business, a Program Officer at the LouisÌýCalder Foundation, and a mentor with Watson Institute and Entrepreneurship for All. AsÌýa consultant and coach,Ìýshe hasÌýprovided growthÌýstrategy, businessÌýplanning, and marketingÌýsupport to values-aligned businessesÌýand nonprofits.

Mara’sÌýwork hasÌýalwaysÌýbeen deeply rooted inÌýsocial and environmental impact, with a focusÌýon education,Ìýsustainability,Ìýsocial entrepreneurship, and community resilience.ÌýShe holdsÌýan MBA from Columbia Business School, an MA in Education from Columbia University’sÌýTeachersÌýCollege, and a BA in ReligiousÌýStudiesÌýfrom Macalester College.

Mara's Coaching PhilosophyÌý

Since 2020, I’ve had the privilege of working with MENV students as an instructor, capstone partner, capstone advisor, and career coach. What I love most about coaching is meeting students exactly where they are—helping them connect their values to professional opportunities and, ultimately, to meaningful career paths.

Because so many MENV students pursue work in emerging fields, you must be creative, tenacious, and proactive. My approach starts with understanding your motivations, background, and goals. From there, we refine materials, shape a compelling personal narrative, clarify the skills you have and the ones you want to develop, and design strategies to test your hypotheses, prototype opportunities, and build connections.