Marisa Sharkey is an entrepreneur and retail executive and Co-Founder and President of Birdies, the company that created a new category of footwear with stylish flats that are secretly slippers. With a passion for building brands and retail experiences, she has over 20 years of experience working with leading brands across the world. Marisa has led corporate strategy at Ross Stores and was a manager at Bain and Company where she focused on growth strategy and performance improvement for Fortune 500 retailers and leading private equity firms. She holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and received her undergraduate degree at Cornell University. Marisa currently lives in Sacramento, California with her husband and two daughters.

Active in supporting women's organizations in both her personal and professional life, Marisa currently advises early stage entrepreneurs pursuing their own passions and serves on the Board of Directors of Women’s Empowerment, an organization that supports homeless women in building skills for employment.