Fitzgerald Bio

Keynote Speaker, Saturday Lunch General Session

 

 

Marilyn has followed her passion, being deeply involved in both domestic and international humanitarian work.  She has traveled the world as a consultant in project evaluation and skilled volunteer with Rotary International. Driven by a never-ending curiosity and creative imagination seeking to better understand and contribute to answers to the ever-present questions of “what-if?”  What if all humans really had an equal opportunity to prosper?

 

Dr. Marilyn’s experiences have led to the singular, overriding question of:

What would it require of each of us to live in a peaceful and equitable world? To answer this question, Marilyn has focused on understanding the true impact of our charitable giving and the unanticipated consequences She has come to appreciate that substituting opportunity for charity will enhance human dignity, give voice and choice to the unheard and unseen, and it is more likely to have a sustainable impact. A hand-up rather than a handout will activate the age- old quote, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life”! She believes that Microfinance and Social Business systems hold some of the key solutions to eliminate poverty while empowering others by providing opportunity.

 

Marilyn has utilized her listening skills as a clinical psychologist and combined with techniques learned while earning her MBA to better integrate business concepts to the world of humanitarian aid.