Meet Aja (Co-Founder)
Aja (she/her/ella) is a consultant and facilitator; she is also an experienced executive leader who has worked in both programs and operations. When working on projects and with colleagues, she loves moving between big picture thinking and operational details with an ethic of courage and excellence. After growing up in Maine, Aja has since called New York City and Austin home, with short stints living in Western Massachusetts, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.
Aja has spent over 20 years working with survivors of abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and with those who use violence, with extensive work at the intersection of those experiences. Recognized for her transformative management, coaching, and team building skills, she loves assessing and improving organizational structures and systems. A decade playing internationally competitive roller derby and leading teams in that environment, as well as her social movement upbringing in queer and abolitionist spaces, informs her approach. Aja grounds herself in values of justice and connection, especially when facing uncertainty and difficult decisions. She is a Human Resources Professional (PHR, HRCI), Trust-Based Relational Intervention™ Practitioner, and Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator, and she is currently working toward her Professional Certified Coaching certificate (PCC, ICF).
Aja has her MFA in Forensic Psychology from the CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and a Bachelor’s of Liberal Arts from Hampshire College. Aja’s approach is heavily informed by the thoughts, actions, and writing of: Angela Davis, bell hooks, Karyn Purvis, Mariame Kaba, adrienne maree brown, Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Brené Brown, and Tema Okun. The quote that most centers her in this work is by Angela Davis: “Radical simply means grasping things at the root.”
M&L was co-founded by Aja Gair & Ashleigh Gore.
M&L’s work is enhanced by collaboration with many project partners, including:
Meet Juliana (Project Partner)
Juliana Gonzales (she/they) is a seasoned nonprofit executive who brings more than 20 years of leadership experience, with a focus on organizational strategy and operations. Juliana’s career started in reproductive and sexual healthcare, and they have since led organizations across intersecting issue areas, including affordable housing, legal advocacy, food insecurity, sexual violence, women’s sports, and community health. They are a Senior Human Resources Professional (SPHR, HRCI).
Juliana specializes in revenue development and social entrepreneurship, and thrives most when creating adaptive, high-impact systems that amplify organizations and drive lasting change. Juliana is often called to serve in “crucible moments,” when an organization is wobbly in recovering from internal setbacks, is attempting to strategically respond to external challenges or attacks, or is radically expanding or innovating programs or operations in a sustainable way. Juliana’s superpower is sparking transformation by asking for realness, riding contradictions, seeing people’s magic, and being a bit uncomfortably gutsy.
Juliana is moving through 2025 inspired by the idea that in this era of transformation, those who can ground themselves during extreme conflict or stress have the competitive advantage. Their inspirations during this time include the work of Prentis Hemphill, the poetry of Nikita Gill, and the energy of the Chariot card which recognizes the importance of holding together contradictory forces and charging toward goals.
HOW WE COLLABORATE
HOW WE COLLABORATE
M&L always approaches projects with a commitment to the pursuit of equity–particularly racial justice–and liberated workplace cultures. We know that in order to deliver on your goals with energy, innovation, and excellence, team members need to be and feel seen, heard, truly valued as whole people (this includes well-compensated, recognized, and supported in career development), safe, and understood.
Occasionally, we will also invite additional partners from our network to join us on projects in order to fill out expertise area needs and/or to enhance the connection with our clients. Operating within a network of experienced nonprofit consultants, M&L has the ability to bring in additional experts in group dynamics, human resources, legal needs, management best practices, and transformative accountability practices. We provide an emphasis on infusing leadership and teamwork with race equity, cultural responsiveness, and respectful communication.
We thrive when co-creating with individuals and teams to enhance collaboration and culture, develop leadership skills, repair past harms, and to intentionally hold spaces of authenticity and belonging with those in need of support. Within our network of consultants, we have conducted numerous transformational trainings and workshops, supported nonprofits of all sizes and in many issue areas, and led change management efforts. We utilize breakout sessions in affinity groups that center staff members who belong to historically marginalized or oppressed groups.