Marie Groark

Marie Groark leads grantmaking at the Foundation, with a focus on creating opportunity, accessible to all. The foundation's work aims to strengthen navigation strategies, tools and systems for youth and young adults, including veterans and young people experiencing homelessness. Prior to joining the Foundation, Marie was at Paramount for nearly a decade, where she founded and led Get Schooled, a nonprofit organization that supports young people as they navigate education, the job market, or both. Guided by Marie’s leadership, Get Schooled was named a Most Innovative Company by Fast Company for its use of gamification to drive youth engagement and improve student outcomes. Marie was previously a Senior Program Officer with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and also advised public, non-profit, and private sector clients as a management consultant with PwC Consulting. She began her career as a social studies teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in the Bronx. Marie holds a BA from New York University, an MA from Teacher’s College at Columbia University, and an MPP from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She lives in Seattle with her husband, three children, and Australian Shepherd, Teddy.