A citizen of the Muscogee Nation, Marissa supports Tribal energy program development and project management, including site selection, feasibility studies, request for proposal (RFP) development, grant applications and management, environmental planning, and community engagement. With expertise in policy research, science communication, and stakeholder engagement, she is committed to bridging the Tribal energy gap and advancing Tribal goals of energy independence through a holistic approach that prioritizes Tribal leadership, transparency, and culturally grounded solutions.

Marissa holds a Master of Environmental Science and Management from the Bren School at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), where she specialized in energy and climate with a focus on environmental innovation and entrepreneurship. During her studies, she co-founded Sunstone Energy, leading a team in developing solar and battery microgrids for Tribal communities. She has worked as a senior manager of Tribal energy systems at Sovereign Energy, developing Tribe-led energy strategies, and as an Indigenous microgrid developer intern at GC Green, where she contributed to securing $100 million in Tribal microgrid funding.

From 2023 to 2024, Marissa was a Tribal Energy Innovators Fellow at GRID Alternatives, securing $25,000 to research Tribal energy inequities while participating in federal networking and microgrid training opportunities. In 2024, she completed the Arizona State University Laboratory for Energy And Power Solutions (LEAPS) Microgrid Boot Camp, an intensive 20-hour training in microgrid feasibility analysis, electrical design, and hands-on system operations. Marissa has presented at multiple conferences, including UCSB's Environmental Justice Symposium, and was a semi-finalist for MIT SOLVE's 2023 Indigenous Communities Fellowship. Her work has been featured in Santa Barbara Bluedot Living and CNET Zero, highlighting her contributions to Indigenous energy sovereignty.

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