Managing Director
Zebras Unite
Mara Zepeda is a co-founder of Zebras Unite and the Managing Director of the Zebras Unite Cooperative. She was co-founder and CEO of Switchboard, a system design and technology firm serving institutions in transition, including higher education, media, capital markets, and civic engagement that recently merged with Hearken, a sister firm. Mara was previously an investigative economic reporter, working with outlets like National Public Radio, Planet Money, Marketplace, and The Boston Globe. Mara is a founding board chair of the XXcelerate Fund, a revolving loan fund and educational program created for and by women entrepreneurs in Oregon. She is also a founding board chair of Business for a Better Portland, the city’s fastest growing business organization, which boasts over 400 values-aligned members, including both international brands like Nike as well as local bicycle retailers. Mara holds degrees from Reed College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.