Marisa L. Richards is a mother, wife, business leader, and IUPAT union member with over 10 years of experience in the construction trade industry. She currently serves as a program director for PDC 30, a union labor organization in Aurora, Illinois. Marisa studied writing and copy editing at the University of Illinois and received a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and rhetoric with a minor in gender & women studies. She is an avid lover of books, grammar, learning, family, and female empowerment, and believes girls can do anything. Marisa enjoys drawing inspiration from her core interests and beliefs and is excited to begin her journey as a children’s book author. She currently lives in Sugar Grove, Illinois with her husband Jake and their two young daughters.