Marisa Murillo

Sure. Thanks, Scott. I'm thrilled to be on the podcast with you. I've been practicing law for just shy of 25 years. I'm a debt finance lawyer, and I work a lot with private equity firms and credit funds and financing different transactions.

Sure. Thanks, Scott. I'm thrilled to be on the podcast with you. I've been practicing law for just shy of 25 years. I'm a debt finance lawyer, and I work a lot with private equity firms and credit funds and financing different transactions.

My work on boards has been a lot in the nonprofit space, especially as it relates to large-scale art institutions and emerging institutions that are trying to fundraise in the seven-figure range. And so it's been really great the way that I've learned about executive functioning and the soft skills of how to make people want to be on a board and achieve things on a board.

My work on boards has been a lot in the nonprofit space, especially as it relates to large-scale art institutions and emerging institutions that are trying to fundraise in the seven-figure range. And so it's been really great the way that I've learned about executive functioning and the soft skills of how to make people want to be on a board and achieve things on a board.

And that's been apart from a lot of the work that I've done professionally. So I wouldn't trade it for anything.

And that's been apart from a lot of the work that I've done professionally. So I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Yeah, I'm definitely still seeing that clients of mine that are public companies are interested still in having women on boards, women of color and people of color on boards. Some of that is because even though there were measures put in place, Scott, as you know, to push some diversity initiatives forward, you know, there were the NASDAQ rules and other things. Those were...

Yeah, I'm definitely still seeing that clients of mine that are public companies are interested still in having women on boards, women of color and people of color on boards. Some of that is because even though there were measures put in place, Scott, as you know, to push some diversity initiatives forward, you know, there were the NASDAQ rules and other things. Those were...

those were like put into place, but there were also the realities that some companies really needed the knowledge and expertise that might be coming from women in a way that it's not coming from men or might be coming from women of color, people of color in a way that it's not coming from people representative of other groups.

those were like put into place, but there were also the realities that some companies really needed the knowledge and expertise that might be coming from women in a way that it's not coming from men or might be coming from women of color, people of color in a way that it's not coming from people representative of other groups.

So for the people that I've spoken to anecdotally, even with the change in administration and even with some of the changes on the legal front, they're still very much interested in having that kind of representation on the board.

So for the people that I've spoken to anecdotally, even with the change in administration and even with some of the changes on the legal front, they're still very much interested in having that kind of representation on the board.

Think for example, of an organization that is consumer facing and maybe in a household, the woman or the wife or the mother or the female members of the household are the ones deciding how to spend that income. That kind of knowledge, is not something that they're going to get, a company is going to get from a consultant's report.

Think for example, of an organization that is consumer facing and maybe in a household, the woman or the wife or the mother or the female members of the household are the ones deciding how to spend that income. That kind of knowledge, is not something that they're going to get, a company is going to get from a consultant's report.

They really want someone on the board who sees things that maybe other board members won't see. So I'm still hearing that companies are passionate about it. They're just not vocal about it because they're not sure what it means to be vocal about it right now.

They really want someone on the board who sees things that maybe other board members won't see. So I'm still hearing that companies are passionate about it. They're just not vocal about it because they're not sure what it means to be vocal about it right now.

I think there's the idea that you could start on a nonprofit board and then expand what you're doing with those nonprofit boards. It's a great way to learn how to analyze different financial statements that are coming forward, how to handle different issues that might face a large organization with a larger budget. I think it's super important for people to network

I think there's the idea that you could start on a nonprofit board and then expand what you're doing with those nonprofit boards. It's a great way to learn how to analyze different financial statements that are coming forward, how to handle different issues that might face a large organization with a larger budget. I think it's super important for people to network

obviously when you're on a board, your network grows exponentially, but the idea that you need to get there, it's about, to me, it's about networking. And so it's true that, you know, these policies definitely help things, but nothing has changed about the idea that you've really got to know people and you've really got to get up and get out there to make these different things happen.

obviously when you're on a board, your network grows exponentially, but the idea that you need to get there, it's about, to me, it's about networking. And so it's true that, you know, these policies definitely help things, but nothing has changed about the idea that you've really got to know people and you've really got to get up and get out there to make these different things happen.