Hi, I’m Gaia.

I am a collaborator and a mother.

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Grace Lee Boggs once said, “Love isn't about what we did yesterday; it's about what we do today and tomorrow and the day after.”

Services

Gaia is a Michigan-based consultant who partners with communities in the social impact space.

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  • You are aware of the size and the scope of the challenge, but don’t know where to start.

    You might be asking questions like:

    • What is the data that tells me the story about the shape, depth, and breadth of this challenge in my community?

    • Who else is doing good work in this space?

    • What the unique strengths I can bring to the table to address this issue?

    • What do best practices for addressing this issue look like?

    Let’s begin to lay the groundwork together. This may look like: focus groups, informational interviews, facilitating community conversations, landscape assessments, and research.

  • You have all the data, and you’ve talked to all the people, but you’re still weighing your options for how to make your next move.

    You might be asking questions like:

    • How do I operationalize this approach?

    • What role can I play?

    • What strengths do I bring to the table that can help move the needle on this issue?

    • How might we intentionally incorporate lived experience into our design?

    Let’s begin to make meaning together. This may look like: using the data-informed groundwork to generate recommendations, facilitated decision-making, logic models, implementation planning, stakeholder engagement, and project management.

    Gaia has an active membership with the Project Management Institute (PMI), uses Liberating Structures, and Human Centered Design (HCD) principles in her approach.

  • The plan is perfect and the stars are aligned, but you’d like a little extra nudge to get this thing off the ground.

    You might be asking questions like:

    • ‍How do I formalize this partnership?

    • What are our roles and responsibilities?

    • How do we prioritize what comes first: the chicken or the egg?

    Let’s do the “thing” together. This may look like: MOU drafting, RACI/MOCHA facilitation, decision mapping, or presentation design and support.

About Gaia.

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Education

  • MA: International Development Management, University of Bradford, UK

  • BA: Theater, Peace & Conflict Studies, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

Fellowships

Certifications

Hey, I’m Gaia.

I help brilliant people work together to solve complex problems.

I am at my best when navigating ambiguity, building partnerships, and translating complex concepts into clear plans that help people make positive ripples that resonate in their communities - especially in the places and spaces people hold closest to their hearts. I’ve found a niche in the world behind the scenes - designing and leading thoughtful meetings, conversations, and initiatives in partnership with change-makers.

My background spans consulting, program development, grant writing, community engagement, professional cat wrangling, and meaning-making. I've worked across local, state, national, and international contexts, giving me a deep appreciation for local expertise and lived experience.

I have a strong passion for supporting rural communities and believe lasting change happens through relationships.

My greatest inspiration in this world is my grandmother, who grew up in a one-bedroom home in the rural Upper Peninsula of Michigan and went on to become a stellar public-school educator and Principal.

My Mom is also an educator, a writer, and a change-maker who shaped me into who I am today. Her work centers deeply on the role that place plays in all of our lives.

I have two kids and one amazing husband who believes in me more than I do.

Let’s create something beautiful together.

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Featured Projects

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Lifelong Learning Account Cohort

Spearheaded a national cohort that partnered with local communities to design and launch innovative financing initiatives for workforce development and training as a part of a $1 million philanthropic investment.

Learn more
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$8.5 Million Program Redesign

Partnered with the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI) to design a statewide program that provides underserved students with critical wrap-around services and financial aid.

Learn more