Speaking Up for Insights and Inclusivity

A business and psychology double major at Brandeis, Mar Manolioudaki ’26 (Greece, UWC Atlantic) was recently featured in the book Mikres Epikyndines, “Little Dangerous Ones,” which spotlights 100 Greek women who are driving change and who express themselves with bravery and authenticity. She is driven by a belief that integrating psychological insights into business practices in positive ways can lead to “a future where success is measured not just by profits,” she writes, “but by the positive impact businesses have on individuals, communities, and society as a whole.” 

A teaching assistant and undergraduate representative for the Brandeis Business Department, Mar was part of a team that won the 2023 Asper Center Pitch Summit, hosted by the university’s International Business School. Each team was challenged to develop, within three hours, and pitch an idea for a more sustainable fashion industry. Mar’s group proposed a second-hand clothing store with a membership-based business model. 

“The idea was inspired by a diverse group of people originating from Greece, Nicaragua, Italy, and China,” she notes. “The diversity of thought enabled us to develop a unique and well-rounded proposal.”

Passionate about learning and committed to inclusivity, Mar created the Disability Aware Youth Project with support from a Brandeis leadership and fellowship program. The project brings interactive workshops on disability awareness into middle schools, and she has partnered with a community disability-advocacy group to expand its reach into high schools and colleges.

“When students learned about their peers’ disabilities for the first time,” she recalls, “it opened up meaningful discussions about the needs of those peers and how others could support them. These experiences have reinforced my belief in the power of education and dialogue to drive social change.”

This profile is part of the “Undergraduates in Action” series from the 2025 Annual Report.