Mari has a wealth of intersectional experience in environmental and housing justice that she uses to advocate for an equitable transition to a clean energy economy. Mari is driven by the principle of co-creation, making space for people to collectively create solutions to housing and energy inequities and ensuring everyone has a voice at the decision-making table. Mari believes that advocating at the policy-making level is crucial because it strikes at the root of structural inequities, a mindset that earned her a spot on the 2022 Black Millennials for Flint Young, Gifted, and Green 40 Under 40 List–an award dedicated to celebrating Black and Brown excellence in environmental justice. Mari is from the Twin Cities and holds a degree in Environmental Studies from Hamline University. She is currently pursuing her juris doctorate at Mitchell Hamline School of Law to complement and strengthen her current advocacy work. Mari credits her growing passion for energy efficiency in buildings and affordable housing issues to her AmeriCorps service, through Minnesota GreenCorps and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHFH), respectively, project management experience at TCHFH, and serving on the Environmental Justice Advisory Group at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, where she strengthened both her community connections and her dedication to climate justice.