In 1998, Marisa co-founded Madison Recruitment with business partner, Wynnis Armour. It was acquired in 2013 by a publicly listed company in a multi million dollar deal that set a precedent in the NZ recruitment industry. Since then, Marisa has gone on to establish 3 other companies across a number of different industries including skincare, consulting and manufacturing.

Marisa has created her own investment portfolio including a number of startups, both directly and via Flying Kiwi Angels. Her investments span across many sectors: Telco, HRTech, Manufacturing, Biotech and Fintech. She believes in supporting NZ Inc and in particular, female founders.

Marisa speaks about: how positive culture & values help drive business growth; the advantage of being an outsider in business; and building the foundations for a successful business exit.

For the last 10 years, Marisa has coached and mentored women, formally and informally. It gives her great joy to see lightbulb moments for her mentees. Marisa believes we all have the answers within us if we’re asked the right questions.

Currently, Marisa is Chair for Simplicity Foundation, and a Board Advisor for a privately held company. She is also Company Director for a number of companies she owns or is invested in.