Marissa Heyl

Marissa Heyl is a pioneering social entrepreneur who has dedicated her career to transforming the intersection of art, design and social impact. Named a Top Creative Entrepreneur in Dallas-Fort Worth, she has spent the past 15 years working with underrepresented artisan partners through sustainable fashion and design ventures.

Heyl serves as the Program Manager of the Creative and Social Impact Lab at SMU, which empowers students, alumni and faculty to start businesses that prioritize people and planet. As a neurodesigner and founder of Inclusive Wellness Design, Heyl creates innovative "flourishing zones" that encourage brain-healthy habits and build environments of belonging and representation.

With a dual degree in Journalism and Anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a certification in Design Thinking from IDEO, Heyl has founded groundbreaking initiatives like Symbology, a fair-trade fashion label, and Etico, the first women-owned sustainable collective in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. For over a decade, she has been a passionate mentor to university students, fostering creative entrepreneurship through unique programs that bridge traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. Her approach seamlessly combines social entrepreneurship, design innovation and community empowerment to support and elevate underrepresented artists and makers.