1. Planting Seeds

    What If

    Maven invited us to reimagine how communities thrive when we are intentional about creating a robust ecosystem of support for talented QTPOC social impact leaders in the areas of civic engagement, economic independence, health equity, access to the arts and public education. It incorporates and begins planning how to become an effective community resource.

  2. New Beginnings

    Redefining Leadership

    Maven invites its first group of extraordinary social impact leaders to form a learning community in South Florida after gaining its tax-exempt status as a nonprofit organization. Our team organized impactful workshops, arts & culture events, community dialogues, and well-being activities at no cost to participants–a practice that continues today for all initiatives.

  3. Growth

    Thinking More Expansively

    As word spread about Maven’s impact in providing operational skills, deeper professional connections, and wellness activities, additional opportunities to build community arise. We launched our first cohort in Central Florida, provided organizational support in Boulder, Colorado, and convened change agents who are building more just communities in Miami for our first Maven Rising.

  4. Impact

    Elevating Equitable Impact

    Recognizing a need to support Mavens who are scaling their community initiatives, we launched our first advanced learning lab. Maven also elevated stories of alumni success in our first annual Impact Report.

  5. Rest

    Centering Greater Ease

    Building on the momentum of a growing community well-being initiative, Maven increases access by building a digital platform and institutes Maven Camp, a gathering where leaders unplug, share big ideas, and focus on individual care and collective healing.

  6. Milestone

    Celebrating 5 Years

    Our anniversary year was special in that we were joined by our first multi-city professional development cohort and traveled internationally; produced creative digital content to influence the equity narrative and increase access to learning beyond the classroom; and expanded our ecosystem of support to include extraordinary leaders in North Carolina.

  7. New Chapter

    Maven enters a new era of reimagining what is possible in building more just communities when leading with experimentation and values-aligned collaborations.

    Maven expanded access to our signature leadership initiative, Maven Leadership Cohort and conducted a single regional cohort for change agents in Florida and North Carolina.

2016
INCORPORATED
8
INITIATIVES
1500+
PARTICIPANTS

MISSION

Maven Leadership Collective is an ideas lab that creates the conditions for talented queer and trans social impact leaders of color and allies to build ecosystems of support for more just communities with greater ease, agency, and belonging.

What We Do

What if we focus on people at the center of the work? Increased the agency of the communities most impacted by policies they had little opportunity to influence, but must live with the consequences?

Our Process

We invite talented leaders to start with a great idea, implement it with a sense of ease and agency, then nourish it's growth beyond expectation while taking care of themselves.

capacity-builders

creative team

Doris Parent (She | Her)

Board Chair

Corey Davis (He | They)

Founder & Creative Director

Bio

I have the privilege of listening to and learning from community leaders who are doing extraordinary work that allows all of us to live more vibrant, just, and abundant lives. My focus is sharing what I learn with change agents from across sectors and issue areas who are committed to building more equitable and sustainable endeavors.


As founder of Maven Leadership Collective, I have mobilized more than $2M in resources and technical assistance in support of queer and trans social impact leaders of color and allies who are reimagining how to build more just communities with greater ease, agency, and belonging.


It is deeply affirming when leaders from our most trusted institutions–grassroots and global alike–embrace the values-centered approach that I offer to capacity building, the art and science of learning to do what we do better. They place their faith and confidence in my unique style of coaching, strategy sessions, and content development. I am particularly interested in exploring failure, intuition, and well-being when building ecosystems of support.


Integrating a practice of well-being and a belief that we deserve ease in our existence, that is informed by extensive training in various global healing traditions and modalities that align mind and body is a throughline that enhances my ability to create memorable immersive learning experiences.


It is an honor to leverage my 25 years of professional experience in service to impactful organizations that are dedicated to increasing access and interrogating common perceptions. I am a Nyah Project advisory board member and treasurer of the Pioneer Winter Collective board of directors.

Adam Ropizar (He | They)

Research & Logistics Lead

Bio

Adam Joseph Ropizar (he/they) is an oral historian and human rights researcher. With Maven, Adam serves as their Research & Logistics Lead. He is also the Founder of Evolve Campus.


They are a member of the Council of Foreign Relations Young Professionals Program, a Senior Fellow with Humanity in Action, and they have completed a Master Class & Cohort Fellowship with Maven in 2020 & 2019 respectively. Adam is also a member of the Global Peace and Development Collective.


Adam’s research focuses on the ethics of international human rights regimes & the impacts of communal collective memory, with a specific focus on queer oral histories. They’ve published research looking into the memories of LGBTQ+ survivors of the holocaust in Poland and Germany in partnership with Humanity in Action and funded by Foundation EVZ and the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF), and work in Haiti surrounding the oral histories of community members.

Jazmyn Beauchan (She | Her)

Publications Project Lead

Andres Acosta (He | Him)

MIPA Advocate

Nzingah Oniwosan (She | Her)

Well-being Instructor

Arsimmer McCoy (She | Her)

Poet & Creative

Brienne “BC” Colston (they | she)

Curriculum Specialist