Marlena was born in Queens, and grew up in Piscataway NJ. She spent her early career as an educator and youth mentor working with some of the hardest to reach young people facing hardships such as poverty and homelessness as well as working with young people with learning differences and autism. She also founded a wellness and healing studio Zenbarn Studio, founded and ran her own nature-based childcare center before joining forces with her husband Noah to launch Zenbarn Farms, a cannabis brand and retail store. She is co-owner at Zenbarn Farms and continues her work toward environmental and social justice where she has launched The Cannabis Generation, a not-for-profit initiative to support BIPOC people to get job training and skills to enter the cannabis industry. Marlena is also a mother of two, an avid dancer and amateur karaoke singer.