Marina LeGree

Founder & Executive Director

Marina LeGree is the founding director of Ascend. Since 2014 her efforts have led to the creation of a global organization helping girls learn and practice leadership through sports. With an educational background in international affairs and public policy, she has spent over two decades living and working in her specialty areas, Central Asia and the Caucasus region.

After working with international aid agencies such as the International Organization for Migration, German International Services (GIZ), and the US Agency for International Development, Marina launched Ascend as an independent nonprofit venture in 2015.

She is an outdoor enthusiast and lifelong lover of sports. Growing up as a multisport athlete, she knows the power of teamwork, discipline and athletic competition to give girls strength and confidence. She is now focused on getting girls to the mountains whenever possible to help them find their own strength.

Marina holds an MPA from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and an MA from the George Washington University. She was awarded Harvard Kennedy School's Alumni Public Service Award in 2022.

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