IN TEACHING PEOPLE TO MAKE THINGS THAT MATTER, Clarissa reveals her clients' innate potential not only to the world, but more importantly, to themselves. Since 1998, Clarissa has helped people harness their creativity to create value in the world, express themselves with power and eloquence, and find their passions and use them to help others. This transformation could occur through launching a business or charity based on what they love with international impact, patenting products they invented themselves, learning the principles of eloquence to effect change, and doing things that scare them, whether it's speaking at TEDx (eight of her students have thus far been invited to grace this stage), filmmaking, or jumping off buildings because they've learned Hollywood stunts. Her students win national and international awards, launch multi-national companies, work at Google and Facebook, become artists and surgeons, and find their stories published in major newspapers and magazines (her students have been published over 480 times in the Los Angeles Times thus far). As they grow up, they become change-makers for the industries that honored them as children. Few of her students come to her on fire; in fact, it is the ones who turn from directionless and disillusioned kids to impassioned and empowered leaders that are some of the most satisfying experiences, for it means what she taught them changed their paths.  

Clarissa says the best thing about her job is watching her students grow and change. Sometimes, it is not their successes that are the most moving, but the moment she knows they have developed into the kind of people who, after falling on their faces, can get up and dream again.

Because Clarissa grew up in a family that celebrated kindness, curiosity, and creativity, she learned how to give with meaning and distinction, and through her diverse creative background, she developed a proprietary system that has proven itself over the past 20 years with a worldwide clientele. Clarissa imbues children, adults, and companies with passion and wisdom so they attain levels of success they otherwise would not dare dream. How? She teaches them to write stories and conceive missions that help them value themselves and unleash their imaginations so they learn empathy, how to create value in the world, and give to others in a way that is personal and heartfelt to each client.

Clarissa has a diverse background. She is an alumna of Harvard University, where she graduated cum laude with a degree in English and American Literature and Language. During high school, she trained with the Joffrey Ballet in New York, won a full scholarship to NASA Space Camp from the Society of Women Engineers, and was first runner-up to Miss Teen California. After spending her college summers marketing for GUESS? in Singapore, doing pro bono legal work, dancing in operas, recruiting for a top New York law firm, and being one of two Harvard students chosen by Canon’s Chairman to consult his business in Japan, Clarissa founded Magic Pen Ink. She also tried her hand at acting, and has appeared in Rush Hour II, ABC’s The Practice, many independent films, and commercials for Heineken, Volvo, and Air France. She enjoys singing Broadway musicals, scouring New York for the best hot dog, and defying gravity through flying wirework like Zhang Ziyi in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.  

Clarissa's dream is to revolutionize education by bringing her method to the world so even more people can create lives of purpose and passion. In an age where 53% of college grads 25 years and younger are unemployed and 50% of jobs will be automated in 30 years, teaching our kids to innovate so they can solve problems has never been more vital.

She invites you to become part of our story.