Collab Spotlight: Michelle Ma '20

Michelle Ma is originally from McLean, Virginia, a suburb in the Greater Washington D.C. Metro Area. As a sophomore in high school, inspired by all that the activities of public speaking and debate had to offer, she founded "The Speak Up Initiative," a national 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to spreading free public speaking education to schools across the U.S. Starting "The Speak Up Initiative" was Michelle's first taste of social entrepreneurship, and she has been enticed by the field ever since. Michelle has always been a staunch feminist, so she knows that it is her duty to do what she can to make gender equality a reality moving forward. She genuinely believes that as a society, we will be one step closer to that reality with the launch of Collab.