Marisa Renee Lee
Associate at Brown Brothers Harriman
Founder of The Pink Agenda

BA, Government and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Harvard College 2005

You’re a banker by day and the head of a nonprofit by night. How’s that?
It is mostly borderline insane. I probably work a little bit too much, but both of my jobs have helped me to cope with the loss of my mother, and even though it is a stretch at times, I refuse to give up The Pink Agenda in order to focus more on making money. My company is not only understanding with regard to my responsibilities to The Pink Agenda, but also incredibly supportive. A majority of the funds raised—and support The Pink Agenda has been fortunate enough to secure—have come via my “real” job.

What do you do in a given day?
I have only recently learned the structure that works best for me at work and what allows me to combine both jobs without totally losing my mind. I need to start my day with the gym and some writing (I love to write) and then the real job has to come first because otherwise the non-profit would take up my entire day. I try to schedule calls for things related to the non-profit toward the end of my day whenever possible because once I shift focus, I tend to stay stuck for a while.

How about an unusual day?
I had a lot of unusual days after my mother passed away. Lots of wonderful things were happening at once for The Pink Agenda, and I was also busy at the office and beyond sad without my mom and even though I was there, I kept forgetting that she died. Those are still the most unusual days.

What kind of impact have you been able to make so far—any good success stories?
I hope we are demonstrating that fun and philanthropy are not mutually exclusive by hosting parties filled with fun, enthusiastic, and generous young professionals across the country. Last year, our first full fiscal year and the year that my mom passed away, we were able to raise enough money to fund the salary of a research assistant, which means we effectively financed another person who is actively engaged in the fight against breast cancer. Even in the midst of the recession, we are poised to do the same in 2009.

Do you see yourself narrowing in on one thing in the future?
Absolutely not. I honestly do not know how to do just one thing at a time unless it is really physically intensive. I was pretty focused surfing in Maui, but even then I was concerned about not getting a concussion (would have been number 4) or knocking out my two front teeth (they are still loose from concussion number 3). I think I started multi-tasking in second grade when I started a classroom newspaper because I was bored and thought it would be good for people to know what the weather would be like the next day and the happenings on the playground. Feel free to ask my friends and family—I’m not always good at it, but it is just what I do.

How does your job help you pick up someone at a bar?
Ummm…that is an excellent question. I have only been on one real date in the past year, so I’m not sure either job is really helping me out in that department. Although, I must say most people who attend our fundraisers do not go home alone.

Is there a must-read industry website?
Probably, but I honestly couldn’t tell you what it is. My head is typically about to spin off my neck, so reading is a luxury and when I do find time to read it is typically not related to either one of my jobs.

What skills, talents or connections does this field require?
I think the most important thing is to have sincere intentions and passion about whatever it is that you want to pursue and to surround yourself with good people. The world of finance can be tough, but fundraising is probably at least ten times harder and more cutthroat. Trying to raise money in NYC is one of the most challenging things I think I have ever done. For every “yes” we receive at The Pink Agenda, you probably receive on average 7-10 people who are just not interested in giving whatever it is that we may have asked for. It can be incredibly disheartening, especially when you are working on something that you care about, and you just have to care enough and surround yourself with people who care as much as you do so that you don’t get discouraged.

What advice would you give a college student interested in a job like yours?
You mean someone who wants to have two jobs? I would probably say, “Find a good therapist because you are totally insane.”

Honestly, I am still trying to figure out how I wound up in this position and how to keep up with everything, so I guess my real answer is, to think critically about what you want to do and why you want to do it and if you care enough, you will find a way to make it work.

Are you makin’ mama proud?
Absolutely.

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Photo: Antwan Duncan, www.ithinkyoureswell.com