Mary Martin

Co-Founder/Co-President
MADWORKSHOP

Mary Klaus Martin was appointed by Mayor Richard Riordan to the Cultural Heritage Commission for the City of Los Angeles in 2000. She served seven years and three mayors, half of those as president. In 2008, The American Institute of Architects presented her with the “Good Government Award”, honoring her commitment to preserve and protect the city’s cultural and historic landmarks. Under her Commission’s watch, the city’s historic core underwent a major revitalization.

Mary attended school in Switzerland and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Education and French at the University of Southern California (USC). A two-time All-American triathlete, Mary qualified for Team USA, representing the United States, and placed third at the inaugural ITU Triathlon World Championship in Avignon, France.

After serving as a docent for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Mary became a charter founder of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), and she was elected as trustee to its board in 2015. She has worked in support of the Music Center, the Public Library, the Kennedy Center, and the Colleagues.

Mary founded the Los Angeles apparel company, Mary Martin for Rainbow of California, and was named “Outstanding Woman of the Year.”

In 2015, Mary and her husband, David, established MADWORKSHOP, a foundation that endows the next generation of inventors with the opportunity to freely explore their ideas from inspiration to reality.