Maranie Brown is a dedicated volunteer and civic leader focused on creating equity-minded leaders and promoting technical skills in underrepresented communities. Maranie is the 2023 Program Co-Chair for LEAD Atlanta and President of Outstanding Atlanta, in addition to serving with several other organizations and programs, including the Hands On Atlanta 2023 Civic Leadership Program. In this spotlight, Maranie shares her passion for service and the importance of being a student of the community.

"I established a partnership with Spelman College’s Department of Computer Science and my previous company, SapientRazorfish, and developed a course on experience design and technology," Brown said. "For two years, I led the team that exposed young women to in-demand skills and provided mentorship opportunities for continued advancement and growth in our industry."

Brown also shares her passion for STEM by working with over 2,000 girls every year at the STEM Expo through organizations like Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. "The girls leave with heightened confidence as they extract DNA from a strawberry or program a robot to make music," Brown said. "That boost of confidence influences the courses they take in school, the majors they consider, the career they choose, and so much more."

Through her work with the National Coalition of 100 Black Women – MECCA Chapter's Apple partnership, Brown trained middle and high school students on the Swift coding language. "By the end of the program, these students of color put their new technical skills to use by developing an app for the national organization to leverage for member retention," Brown said. "When I invest in them, I’m investing in the generations yet to come. I'm focused on developing the next generation of equity-minded leaders and growing the city's pipeline of skilled talent at the intersection of business and technology."

Brown's love for volunteering stems from her passion for learning about issues and their origin. "I rely on the data to inform focus areas and to help prioritize," Brown said. "These organizations provide a space to act and innovate based on that education in a very thoughtful and intentional manner. It's about the impact."

She believes that volunteering has not only had a personal impact on her life but has also positively impacted her professional career. "There are a variety of transferable skills that I have acquired while planning a fundraiser, managing volunteers, coordinating a service project, writing a strategic plan, etc. that I applied in my profession," Brown said. "It's made me a better leader that can set a vision and develop a plan to execute on that vision."

Brown's advice for those interested in volunteering is to be an active and engaged volunteer, but also to look to understand the root cause or origin of the issue and how it connects to others. "Strive to be a student of the community," Brown said. "I strongly believe that an informed leader is a more impactful leader."

As for why she loves Atlanta, Brown says, "I’m just a girl from Southwest Atlanta. This city is home. My roots are here. It’s my foundation. It’s everything to me."

For those looking to volunteer in April, Brown suggests checking out Hands On Atlanta's website for upcoming volunteer opportunities. "There are always opportunities to give back and make a positive impact in our communities," Brown said. "I encourage everyone to find a cause they're passionate about and get involved."

Feeling inspired by Maranie’s amazing volunteer work?

You can help others like her continue to make a positive impact in our community by making a donation to Hands On Atlanta, where every $1 donated turns into $6 of economic impact. Click here to donate now.