“When the sun rises, it rises for everyone”
-Cuban Proverb
a neurodesigner on a mission.
Marissa Heyl is a neurodesigner and founder of Inclusive Wellness Design, specializing in the science of how environmental design shapes brain health, well-being, and performance. Recognized as a Top Creative Entrepreneur in DFW by Dallas Innovates, she partners with organizations to design spaces that unlock innovation, strengthen collaboration, and support healthier, more resilient communities. A TEDx speaker, Marissa has presented for organizations including Delta Airlines, the Center for Brain Health, and the HR Southwest Conference. She holds a certification in Design Thinking from IDEO and a degree in Journalism and Anthropology from the University of North Carolina.
impact entrepreneur snapshot.
Prior to founding Inclusive Wellness Design, Heyl built a 13-year career at the intersection of ethical commerce, cultural anthropology, and human-centered design. In 2011, she founded Symbology, a sustainable fashion label merging handcrafted textiles from artisan communities in India, the West Bank, Mexico, and the Philippines with contemporary design. Rooted in her anthropological training, the brand celebrated the cultural symbolism embedded in each textile as a vehicle for cross-cultural connection — a philosophy that continues to inform her approach to environmental design today.
Heyl's commitment to ethical sourcing and global artisanship grew from her research as a Mahatma Gandhi Fellow and her work as a 2007 Duke Enterprising Leadership Fellow with Ten Thousand Villages. In 2019, she extended this vision by founding Etico, DFW's first women-owned sustainable retail collective, curating a majority BIPOC-owned brand portfolio and creating an inclusive platform for local makers and global artisans alike.