CASE i3 Fellow
Marie-Lena Olma is a purpose-driven leader committed to advancing social impact through the strategic use of business, capital, and cross-sector collaboration. She has been a driving force in the arts, performing internationally, organizing concert tours and cultural events around the globe, leading cultural exchange initiatives, and founding the Guitar Orchestra of Málaga, which continues to thrive today.
Before joining the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, Marie-Lena was head of membership services at Deutsche Chorjugend, Germany’s largest youth choral organization. There, she led national initiatives focused on civic engagement, inclusion, and youth empowerment, managing a €1 million annual budget and securing multi-year public funding. She also led strategic projects as an independent consultant for cultural institutions, including the establishment of a Music Career Center for a major conservatory that now supports over 800 students annually.
Balancing her professional journey with being a mom of twin toddlers, she has cultivated mindful discipline, strong time management, and resilience—skills she brings into every setting. At Fuqua, she aims to integrate her passion for impact with advanced business acumen, focusing on innovative business strategies.
As a CASE i3 Fellow, she looks forward to exploring how capital can be mobilized to drive inclusive, long-term social and environmental change. Through her work, she aims not only to contribute to systemic transformation but also to help build the structures that make it possible.