Marie-Louise Nkashama is a Congolese-American filmmaker and climber for The North Face. In 2021 she received her BFA in Film/Television Production at NYU Tisch School of the Arts in New York City. Based in Colorado, she was born in Texas and raised by Congolese parents. She has always been intrigued by identity. Her projects tend to explore questions regarding identity and the pursuit of individuality.

As she pursued filmmaking at NYU, she pursued climbing in NYC. She found work as a Cinematographer, Editor, Photographer, Production Assistant, Front Desk Staff, and Climbing Instructor. Her first outdoor climbing experience was in Central Park, her second was in Fontainebleau, France. Having been raised in a multicultural household, she finds ease in traveling to far places. Some of her favorite places to climb are Lander WY, Joshua Tree, and Rocky Mountain National Park. In May 2021, Marie-Louise Nkashama became the first black female athlete sponsored by The North Face. And she hopes that she is not the last.

She prides herself on her versatility. She wouldn’t be who she was without the culmination of her multiple passions.“ I truly believe I can achieve anything I set my mind to,” She says, “I have to believe it.