Coda, Maven's Impact Report

Written by: Maven Leadership Collective
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  • Summary

  • Coda signals a departure from a familiar refrain in anticipation of the conclusion. This feels fitting as we transition to a pivotal year filled with final movements and milestones, departing once again from the familiar. We know the early adopters will get it and embrace the work ahead with enthusiasm. We hope you are one of them. And even if you don’t totally get it, we hope that our body of work and impact are sufficient to garner your trust.

    "You must find your mixtape people.”

    Quite simply, this is some of the best advice we’ve ever gotten. The truth is that as an ideas lab, some people don’t get what we do or why. Others simply refuse to embrace it. They are perplexed by why we center queer and trans people of color in our work and why we prioritize process and culture in reimagining relationships reliant on trust. And that is ok, if not exhausting. The problem was that, as a Black-led, emerging nonprofit, we were devoting considerable energy and resources to those people—to the detriment of our voice, our ability to interrupt the existing ways we talk about power, and ultimately, our effectiveness. They were not our people then, nor are they now. You are.

    This report honors the folx who responded by leaning forward with a knowing, silent nod and said, “Tell me more,” “How can I help?” or “I’ve been waiting for you” when first learning of us. This is for the anti-hoop jumpers—the ones who sent money instead of surveys when we were fighting for survival during the pandemic. And, for the collaborators that didn’t question, “Why fix what’s not broken?” when, after learning valuable lessons, we at Maven turned our reimagining lens inward to interrogate what worked best in our own long-term initiatives. Coda is for those who gave us the grace and space to experiment with how we provide professional development, well-being resources, consulting services, and creative content when we embarked on the current leg of this journey, which has led us on new adventures in Florida, North Carolina, New York, and beyond.

    We have invited Mavens Arsimmer McCoy, Laurah Merisier, and Kunya Rowley, along with beloved collaborator, Diego Melgar, to create with us on this soundtrack for change. It is our hope that it amplifies strategies for developing a thriving social impact practice and other issues important to the Maven learning community for us to share this year.

    Maven Leadership Collective 2025
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Episodes
  • Perpetual Sabbatical

    Perpetual Sabbatical
    Jan 30 2025

    Corey Davis (he|they), Founder & Creative Director, Maven Leadership Collective

    Alexandra Martinez, (she|her) Producer

    How do we embrace a new way of being when so many of the old and unsustainable ways continue to be incentivized? Corey shares the story of a serendipitous encounter with a powerful life lesson that took a decade to unlock. Perpetual Sabbatical provides insight for interrogating your current social impact practice and fundamentally shifting the way you and your institution can exist.
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    15 mins
  • Over My Head

    Over My Head
    Jan 30 2025

    Maven Laurah Merisier (she|they), Vocalist

    Jasmine Willliams (she|her), Vocalist

    Miriam King (she|her), Vocalist

    Chauncey Riley (he|him), Drums

    Muzelle, (she|her), Violin

    Joshua Walton (he|him), Bass

    J'von Brown (he|him), Vocalist & Vocal Director

    Kendall “King” Friday (he|him), Keyboard & Music Director

    Maven Kunya Rowley (he|him), Artistic Director, Hued Songs

    Corey Davis (he|they), Executive Producer

    Over My Head is a call to action. Inspired by the powerful anthems of the Black Church in America, it reimagines how joy and power-building can fuel today’s social justice movements. Rooted in spirituals and sacred music, the work was developed over three days in a collaborative, experimental workshop led by Hued Songs, a Maven-led nonprofit dedicated to amplifying Black culture, and guided by a prompt from Maven Leadership Collective. While we hoped for a cohesive result, the focus was always on the process, not the outcome. What you hear is pure experimentation—an honest reflection of what happens when artists have the freedom to explore without the pressure of perfection.

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    7 mins
  • The Company We Keep Pt. 1

    The Company We Keep Pt. 1
    Jan 30 2025

    Maven Pioneer Winter, (he|they) Executive Artistic Director, Pioneer Winter Collective

    Alyssa Nitchun, (she|her) Executive Director, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art

    J. Soto, (he|him) Director of Engagement & Operations, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art

    Maven Iliana Santillan, (she|her) Executive Director, El Pueblo

    Maven Gaby Garcia-Vera, (all pronouns) Founder, Flamboyan Consulting

    Alexandra Martinez, (she|her) Narrator & Producer

    Corey Davis (he|they), Executive Producer

    What does it mean to be “in community”? From board leadership to loved ones, let’s discuss the meaningful relationships that propel us to become more impactful leaders. Hear from Mavens and collaborators in the arts, organizing, and consulting as they share the reasons they invest in values-based relationships and the criteria and practices they use to elevate them beyond the transactional. Contributors share insight on how relationships influence board culture, staff engagement, organizational change, professional development, and entrepreneurship opportunities.
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    9 mins

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