Artist bio

Marisa Vicere founded and became president of Jana Marie Foundation in 2012 following the loss of her sister Jana to suicide in 2011. That experience catalyzed her commitment to helping young people navigate through their teen years and to educating parents and community members about mental health and suicide prevention.

Marisa’s background in marketing and childhood sports development has helped her lead the Foundation in designing and implementing numerous programs and initiatives, including Candid Conversations video series for parents and caregivers; Embrace! and Ignite! wellness programs for teens; Mokita® Dialogue sessions that address important but often-ignored issues faced by the community; and the Stompers Project®–a major community initiative that uses art to bring people together and open discussions around mental wellness. In 2019 and 2021, the Foundation was named a top 100 organization by Pennsylvania Business Central.

In addition to her work with the Foundation, Marisa serves as chair of the Centre County Suicide Prevention Taskforce and is a board member of Prevent Suicide PA. She is an alum of Leadership Centre County Class of 2016 and volunteers with the Tides Program.

Marisa is a certified instructor for Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid, QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention for Gatekeepers, AFSP More than Sad, and AFSP Talk Saves Lives.

Marisa holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Susquehanna University and an MBA from the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

Marisa was named to Pennsylvania Business Central’s Foremost Under 40 List (2018) and to Pennsylvania Business Central’s Top 100 People List (2019).