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Marsai Martin just added a new title to her name. The 21-year-old actress, producer, and now philanthropist has launched her own foundation: Marsai’s Way Foundation. Marsai aims to empower underserved youth through scholarship, mentorship, education, and leadership opportunities.
According to the website, it is “rooted in family legacy, transforming love into leadership, grief into purpose, and remembrance.” The foundation is inspired by her late cousin, Marsai Chari Murray, whom she was named after. In a minute-and-five-second video on Instagram, Martin showcased her journey and purpose in her own words:
“There was a woman whose name became my own. A woman whose way became mine. I learned that none of us arrive here alone. We are carried by prayers we didn’t pray, and dreams we didn’t dream first. We are proof of the possible. If a way was made for me, then I have the responsibility to make one for someone else, to create, to lead, to own what we build. Because legacy isn’t what we leave behind, it’s what we pour into others while we’re here. Because every girl deserves the freedom to imagine more, to see more, become more. I carry her name. I carry her way. And now, we’re building one together.”
Marsai’s Way Foundation has already reached milestones, including 10,000 students, 64 projects, 36 worldwide partners, and $200,000 in scholarships. With support from Procter & Gamble and American Credit Union, Martin provided scholarships to 10 students.
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Currently, the foundation is collaborating with Seeds of Fortune Inc. and FICO for its FICO Financial Empowerment Fellowship. The fellowship will support ten selected college students with financial education and a $1,500 scholarship, while encouraging fellows to promote healthy financial choices through campus activation. The selected students will also attend the Marsai Martin Resolution Brunch, along with Marsai and other guests in Atlanta during MLK weekend.
The fellowship is open to students enrolled at a two-year or four-year college or university, or an accredited trade or vocational program in the U.S.
Applications close Sep. 21, 2026.
