A native Yooper, Marina Dupler hails from Stephenson where she met her now-husband Nick VanCourt in the fourth grade.  Together they attended Northern Michigan University where Marina earned a degree in communications in 2003.  After a two-year stint doing healthcare public relations, they moved to Madison, Wis., where she worked at a lobbying firm.  There she served as a Wisconsin Women in Government board member, was active in her local neighborhood council and was a humane society volunteer.

After a seven-year hiatus as Wisconsinites, they returned to the U.P. when a head brewer position and ownership opportunity became available with Ore Dock Brewing Company.  Marina was lucky to land the the Assistant Alumni Relations Director position at Northern Michigan University, and works to maintain a connection between alumni and the institution.

Married for nearly three years, they are parents to daughter Ruby (11 months) who is their world.

She is active in 40 Below, serving as the chairperson for the 40 Below Candidate Forum Committee and a member of the Annual Conference Committee.  Marina is a 2013 graduate of the Lake Superior Leadership Academy and serves as a mentor with NMU’s Student Leader Fellowship Program.  Additionally, she and fellow 40 Below-er Jess Jones started North Coast Collective, which seeks to find and foster good style in the U.P. and beyond.  As part of this initiative, they held an up-cycled furniture contest to benefit Habitat for Humanity in June, raising over $1,700 for the cause.  Marina is an amateur re-upholsterer, loves all trolling DIY and design blogs, cooking, going out to eat, good cheese and craft beer (though not as much as her husband).