Marie O’Grady

University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business

“Part-time foodie, full-time student.”

Hometown: Honolulu, HI

Fun Fact About Yourself: My grandparents in Japan own and operate a small family orchard that grows plums and apples!

Undergraduate School and Major: Whitman College, Environmental Studies – Biology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Interim Executive Director, Blue Planet Foundation

What makes Los Angeles such a great place to earn an MBA? Los Angeles offers a vibrant, diverse, and innovative business environment for earning an MBA, and USC’s Marshall MBA program provides unparalleled access to this rich ecosystem. As a global hub for industries such as entertainment, technology, healthcare, and finance, the city offers a wealth of opportunities to engage with leading companies and entrepreneurs. Beyond professional opportunities, I’ve loved exploring LA’s dynamic culture, climate, and lifestyle.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of USC Marshall’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? What impressed me most about USC Marshall is its strong emphasis on experiential learning, particularly through the PRIME Program. This program integrates classroom lessons with real-world applications on a global scale. Moreover, this experience is enriched by the diverse perspectives of the student body, which includes individuals from various cultural and professional backgrounds. The opportunity to learn alongside peers from around the globe is invaluable.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at USC Marshall? As someone who has been actively involved with NGOs, I am especially excited about getting involved with Marshall Gives Back. It seems like an amazing opportunity to leverage the Marshall network to make a positive impact in our LA community.

Looking at your recruitment, what was the moment when you realized that USC Marshall was the right program for you? Why? Prior to accepting my offer from USC, I was visiting LA and found myself chatting with a young couple (with an exceptionally cute dog) in a small coffee shop in Santa Monica. I quickly discovered that one of them was a Marshall graduate! What struck me wasn’t just the coincidence but the warmth and sense of community that emanated from that brief interaction. He spoke about his experiences at Marshall with such genuine enthusiasm and pride that it reinforced everything I had already heard about the school. It’s the power of the Trojan Network!

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My professional journey has been deeply rooted in Hawaiʻi’s climate and clean energy ecosystem through two NGOs. Most recently, I served as the Executive Director of a small nonprofit working to address climate challenges by leveraging the power of policy and community programs. There, I had the privilege of working alongside a team of passionate, creative, and dedicated individuals, striving to make a tangible impact in the community.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience successful? A successful MBA experience for me would involve significant personal and professional growth. I hope to leverage the Marshall experience to refine my leadership, strategic thinking, and analytical skills, while building strong, lasting relationships with my peers, professors, and alumni.

DON’T MISS: MEET USC MARSHALL’S MBA CLASS OF 2026