Marcus J. Brooks hails from New York City where he uniquely combines his formal business skill set in leadership, organizational development, and entrepreneurship with his deep passion for human development and experiential learning. Marcus has held finance positions in insurance, debt and equity real estate finance, as well as investment banking. His career has also expanded into leadership roles in the outdoor industry where he has been an accomplished outdoor adventure guide, leading expeditions to the Canadian Rockies (9,000+ ft.), Peruvian Andes (15,000+ ft.) and Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft.).
Currently, Marcus serves as a Senior Facilitator with Cornell’s Team & Leadership Center, Senior Management Consultant and Trainer with Cornell’s Department of Organizational Development & Effectiveness. He is also the Chair of the Men of Color Colleague Network Group as well as the Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) Representative on Cornell University’s Employee Assembly. He is also the Head Nerd in Charge of Let’s Brainstorm, a strategy, leadership, and finance consulting company. His speeches and workshop topics of expertise include crisis management, introductory to advanced negotiations, and emotional intelligence, to name a few.
He has facilitated programming for all aspects of higher education and private industry. Further, he has served as a strategy consultant to women entrepreneurs with a focus on leadership, communication, and finance.
Marcus’ certifications span from being a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) and Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM), to being a certified Emotional Intelligence (EQ-i 2.0) assessment administrator and certified Executive Coach. He earned both his Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science & Pre-Med, as well as his Masters in Business Administration in Strategy & Finance, both from Columbia University. Marcus currently resides in Syracuse, NY with his wife of 21 years, his 13-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son.