Marina has over 25 years of experience in conservation, community-based development, philanthropy, and impact investment in Central and South America, with special focus on the Brazilian Amazon. Currently she is the founder and the Executive Director of Conexsus – US and works as a global liaison between funders, investors and community-led enterprises in Brazil. Before joining Conexsus, she has worked for about 10 years in the philanthropic sector with the Gordon and Betty Moore foundations and the Rainforest Foundation-US on issues related to protected areas, indigenous peoples, and conservation finance. Moreover, she has worked as a policy maker, professor, and researcher while living in the Amazon for 11 years. She received a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in biology from University of São Paulo and a Ph.D. from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies with a joint degree with the New York Botanical Garden.