May 20, 2022
Dr. AnnMaria De Mars was a 15-year-old runaway from a foster home who earned her Bachelor's degree by age 19 and her MBA by age 21. Her incredible story takes her from winning a World Judo Championship to earning her Ph.D. to serving as a university professor to running a software company.
Dr. De Mars has been on the Forbes 40 Women to Watch over 40, a Next Gen Leader of the International Game Developers Association Foundation, and an AARP Purpose Prize Winner. She's achieved all of this while raising four children as a single mother, including her daughter, UFC legend Ronda Rousey. AnnMaria is a member of the International Sports Hall of Fame along with Ronda, making them the only mother-daughter tandem in the Hall.
Her current passion is for her business venture, 7generationgames.com, where she is developing a focus on serving the specific needs of students from Native American, Latino, and underserved or rural communities.