Marielena Octavio

Marielena Octavio has over six years of experience focused on the intersection of environmental and social issues and the development of creative policies and actions that shift capital towards a more sustainable, equitable, and just world. Currently, she is a student at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business (Class of 2024), focusing on sustainable and equitable finance, and part-time consultant for Meridian Institute and Croatan Institute. She is also Co-Manager of the Fuqua Sustainable Impact Student Investment Fund, a student-run fund with $300,000 AUM investing in long-held public equities with an ESG lens.

Prior to school, Marielena worked as a program manager at Meridian Institute leading and supporting projects on sustainable fisheries, ocean policy, deforestation, climate action, water resources, and agriculture. Notably, she supported the Initiative for Mexico’s Oceans and Coasts, an effort working with state governments and coastal communities in Mexico to implement activities that protect and restore oceans and coasts in ways that balance social, environmental, and economic needs. She also supported the World Bank in documenting their extensive work on transboundary water issues and launching an initiative in the Middle East for transboundary water cooperation. She has assisted in cutting-edge research on food security and nutrition in Latin America for Georgetown University’s Center for Latin American Studies.

She has a B.S. in International Relations from Georgetown University and is trained as a facilitator. Originally from Venezuela, Marielena now lives in Durham, NC with her three-legged dog.