Who is Ava?
Ava Larson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but her family soon after relocated to Marquette. After graduating from Marquette Senior High School in 2020, she decided to keep calling the Upper Peninsula home and went on to study at Northern Michigan University.
She graduated in December 2024 with a degree in Social Media Design Management. During her time at NMU, Ava discovered a passion for design, marketing, and branding while taking a packaging design class, interests that now contribute to her role at Innovate.
Road To Innovate
Ava originally connected with Innovate Marquette in May 2024 when she joined the Invent@NMU program as a Content Creator, a role she continued in until graduation. When her time at NMU came to an end, she was contracted by Innovate to continue working as a service provider, using the skills she gained through the Invent program to support day-to-day marketing operations while also contributing to larger projects such as the 2025 U.P. Outdoor Summit. Because of her valuable efforts as a service provider, she was a natural choice when a full-time position on the Outreach & Engagement team became available.
Out Of The Office
When she’s not in the office, Ava enjoys being active and spending time with friends and family. After being a member of NMU’s Dance Team throughout college, dance remains one of her favorite hobbies.
Ava loves animals, especially her two cats, whom she adopted in college, and her horses, Jester and Ginger. Having grown up with horses, she prioritizes riding multiple times a week, often competes in shows, and attends various horse events.
While the Upper Peninsula holds a special place in her heart, Ava is also passionate about traveling to new places. She even took a gap year in Kauai, Hawaii, where she worked for a tour boat company. More recently, she has explored Colorado, specifically Boulder and Fort Collins, and visited friends in San Francisco, California.
Ava spends much of her free time with her partner, Danny, as well as her parents, Tina and Scott, and two younger siblings, Camden and Tatum. Together, they enjoy spending time at their family camp on the water.
Looking Ahead
We are so excited to have Ava join Innovate Marquette full-time and know that she will continue to be a vital member of the Outreach & Engagement team! We’re proud to have her help tell our clients’ stories, elevate small businesses, and strengthen Marquette’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.