Originally from Chicago, Marion Cunningham is the managing director for the MIT Morningside Academy for Design. Part of the leadership team, she oversees MAD's finances, human resources, and operations. Prior to joining MAD, she was the director of administration and finance for MIT’s Art, Culture, and Technology program and managing director for MIT’s Center for Real Estate.

Marion has worked as an urban planner for the City of Baltimore, was a consultant with the American City Corporation, and was a commercial real estate lender with the Bank of New York. She has a B.A. from Cornell University, a Master in City Planning degree from MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning with a focus on environmental design, an M.B.A. in real estate and finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Education degree with a concentration in technology, innovation, and education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.