Markus earned a degree in molecular biology from MIT and devoted eight years to health care, both as a management consultant living in New York and London, and as a product manager for a San Francisco Bay Area biotechnology company.  He continues to share his medical knowledge as a trained Emergency Medical Technician.

Markus’ curious mind and thirst for adventure led to an exploration of nearly 60 countries.  He regenerated rainforest in New Zealand, meditated in an ashram in Bali, and taught yoga to prison inmates in California.

Together with Laura, Markus lived in Costa Rica, volunteering to protect leatherback turtles and helping with a local recycling initiative.  They also traveled throughout Ethiopia and Tanzania, with a highlight of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Volunteerism has been a focus for Laura since she attended the Sidwell Friends High School in Washington DC, where community service was a requirement.  After graduating from Stanford, she developed a volunteer program for Oracle Corporation involving more than 1000 employees in community service, from serving food in soup kitchens to mentoring at-risk youth.

In addition, she has provided strategic consulting for corporate giving and corporate social responsibility initiatives and worked at the White House.  Laura received a Masters in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University.