Marissa Garcia

Marissa Garcia is the Director of Responsible Business at Next Level Apparel, a producer of premium blank apparel. She oversees the strategic direction of Next Level’s ESG and sustainability, including on human rights and environmental sustainability in the supply chain. Prior to her work at Next Level, Marissa worked in-house for other apparel and accessory brands, in the labor rights non-profit space, in impact investing, and for the UN. She brings these diverse experiences into her everyday work for a balanced approach to sustainable supply chains.

Marissa’s expertise within responsible business focuses on the unique human perspectives of workers in the supply chain and helping fellow small and medium businesses under USD 500 million build more worker-centric responsible business programs. She is known for her transparency, practical approaches, and asking the questions few are brave enough to ask. A true third-culture kid, Marissa spent some of her most impressionable years in Bangkok, where she saw income inequality none of the adults in her life could adequately explain. Driven by this childhood experience, she pursued a career in responsible business to be close to hearing workers’ stories and taking direct, tangible actions to improve working conditions.

She holds a Bachelor’s in international relations and human geography from Boston University and a Master’s in standardization and sustainability from the University of Geneva. Marissa sits on multiple working groups and committees in the apparel space, and mentors students attending Colorado State University’s Impact MBA program.