Marissa is Métis and has been a guest and visitor in Tkaronto since 2010. Marissa is rooted in rematriation and a reclamation of ancestral ways of knowing and being, and everything she does flows from here. Marissa is dedicated to transforming the systems and infrastructure that shape our holistic wellbeing using approaches that are rooted in community, equity, inclusion, love, dignity, and respect. 

Marissa is deeply committed to creating affirming spaces where people can thrive as their authentic self, and has extensive experience in program, project, and operations management. Most recently, she managed an innovation lab – the Indigenous Innovation Initiative hosted by Grand Challenges Canada –  that supports First Nations, Inuit, and Métis women, Two Spirit, queer, trans, non-binary, and gender diverse people to bring their solutions to life, and was the community engagement and co-creation lead. Marissa joined Health Commons in October 2022 as the Director of Operations and Strategy, while also supporting the organization to create space for exploring innovation within the context of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. 

Outside of Health Commons, Marissa is dedicated to advancing transformation and decolonization in the fields of Indigenous evaluation, impact measurement, storytelling, and data sovereignty. This includes leading a project with the Common Approach to Impact Measurement to co-create a shared approach to impact measurement for Indigenous social purpose organizations; supporting inclusion and transformed practice within the British Columbia chapter of the Canadian Evaluation Society; being a member of the inaugural City of Toronto First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Data and Technology Advisory Circle; and co-founding a global Indigenous Data Sovereignty Collective.

Marissa completed her Honours Specialization in Kinesiology at the University of Western Ontario and her MSc Global Challenges at the University of Edinburgh, where she graduated as the top performer in her program. She has a background in quality improvement and is a certified Project Management Professional who is continuously exploring what it looks like to decolonize her practice.