Meet Maya & Fearless

Learn the story behind the frameworks transforming how leaders create change

The opposite of hate is not love - it's connection.

The opposite of despair is not hope - it's creation.

The job of 21st century social impact leaders?

To take responsibility for connecting across differences and co-creating a better world.

This means letting go of reactive problem-solving. It wastes valuable time and energy. And it harms more than it helps.

21st century social impact leaders are strategic changemakers. It's only by building the conditions for a better world today that we can achieve a truly just and prosperous world tomorrow.

We believe the world's most pressing challenges require leaders who can think systemically, act strategically, and lead with unwavering values.

OUR VISION

Fearless transforms values-driven leaders from being reactive problem-solvers to strategic changemakers who sustain and scale their impact.

OUR MISSION

We promise you'll never have to figure this out alone—you'll have the strategies, support, and confidence to lead the change you want to see.

OUR PROMISE

Today, I help rising social impact leaders like you stop spinning your wheels and start leading with clarity.

Using the POWER method for partnership transformation, the VALUES compass for authentic leadership, and the THRIVE roadmap for sustainable impact, you'll learn how to transform your biggest challenges into catalysts for real change.

Because you don't have to choose between being ethical and being effective.

You can be both. And when you are? That's when the magic happens.

Here's What That Means for You

So I did what any stubborn changemaker would do—I started digging.

I dove into evidence-based frameworks from community organizing, behavioral science, and intercultural communication. I tested everything. I learned from the leaders who were actually making it work.

And then it hit me:

The most inspiring and influential leaders aren't just ethical—they're also the most effective.

They weren't choosing between values and results. They were integrating both. And that integration? That's what made them unstoppable.

The Discovery That Shifted Everything

Here's the truth: I didn't plan to become a coach for social impact leaders.

I stumbled into it because I kept hitting the same wall—and I knew I wasn't alone.

You know that moment when you're trying to do the right thing, but everything feels like an uphill battle? When you're exhausted from being reactive instead of strategic? When traditional leadership advice just... doesn't fit the messy reality of changemaking?

That was me. And the choice I kept facing felt impossible:

Be ethical OR be effective.

Pick your values or pick results. Choose your integrity or choose impact.

I refused to believe those were my only options.

The Choice That Felt Impossible

🌅 Our Story

Ready to see similar results in your leadership?

leaders trained across international NGOs, civil society, UN agencies, government agencies, universities, and social impact organizations

countries where leaders are using our frameworks

of leaders say they are highly satisfied or satisfied with our programs

leaders in our partner Shifting Power Community of Practice globally

350 98%

100+

2,000+

🎯 Our Impact & Proven Results

Why Fearless?

In early 2020, while reading Amy Edmondson's "The Fearless Organization" during unprecedented global challenges, I realized the social impact sector needed leaders willing to embrace discomfort and lead effectively with both heart and strategy.

I chose "Fearless" because it was deeply personal—I didn't just want to help others embrace fearless leadership, I wanted to become fearless myself. Because being fearless doesn't mean being without fear—it's making a conscious decision to fear less, or feeling the fear of change and moving forward anyway.

Now as we face worsening climate crisis and rising authoritarianism, we're no longer aspiring to fearless leadership—we're fully embodying it. Because that's what this moment requires: leaders who feel the fear of change and transform it into our opportunity for justice-centered impact.

Fearless doesn't mean "no fear". It's about feeling the fear and moving forward anyway.

Shifting Power Accelerator was one of the most meaningful investments I've made in my career. Maya prepared an intensive program that shows how shifting power and advocacy for broader social change starts with the work we do in our non-profit organizations. I left with not only practical ideas but inspiration to apply them. I highly recommend!

Sanjukta Moorthy
The Bloom, The SMC Group

It was the most meaningful investment of my career!

Sanjukta Moorthy
The Bloom, The SMC Group

Trauma-Informed

We acknowledge systemic harm while building resilience. We nurture a culture of care and courage.

We share practical tools for change, not just talk. We learn by doing and make progress by taking action.

Action-Oriented

Our work is grounded in research with measurable outcomes, not just theory or good intentions.

Evidence-Based

We create accessible and inclusive experiences that serve leaders across cultures, capacities, and contexts.

Culturally Responsive

We believe the best solutions come from communities themselves - leaders don't dictate, they facilitate.

Community Wisdom First

We help leaders build power-sharing and trust-building approaches that create true lasting change.

Transformative Justice

💫 Our Approach: 6 Key Principles

Want to explore how these frameworks could work for you?

Book a free 30-minute strategy session with Maya to discuss your leadership challenges.

Community Organizing

Understanding power dynamics and how collective action really works—building authentic relationships that shift power to communities and creating lasting change from the ground up.

Behavioral Science

Research on how individuals and groups actually respond to change, make decisions, and form habits—including neuroscience insights that explain why traditional leadership approaches often fail.

Cross-Cultural Communication

Evidence-based approaches for building authentic relationships across cultures—essential for global social impact leaders working in diverse, multicultural contexts.

Our frameworks aren't just theory—they're built on decades of research across three science-backed disciplines rooted in movement-building:

📚 Our Evidence Base

👋 Meet Our Founder

Hi, I'm Maya, founder of Fearless.

As a leadership coach, trainer and adviser, I have over two decades of experience leading and strengthening civil society across 15+ countries—from grassroots organizing in post-9/11 America to management consulting with USAID, UN agencies, international NGOs and CSOs.

As the child of South Asian refugees and immigrants, speaking 10+ languages, and lived experience across 5 continents, I bring deep multicultural understanding to civil society leadership development with a focus on women and non-binary people of color with roots in the Global South.

Recent highlights include developing curriculum for the Global Executive Leadership Initiative hosted by LSE and Harvard, serving as senior adviser to USAID's Partnership Incubator, and being an award-winning community builder for 30,000+ professionals across 100 countries.

Education: MA in International Economics and International Relations from Johns Hopkins University SAIS

Maya helped me break out of feeling professionally stagnant and pigeonholed. She helped me find the most important first step for my career exploration and shared dozens of resources.

The result? I'm now gaining new professional experiences that are more creative and aligned with my ambitions—work that nourishes my soul.

Many of the seeds Maya helped me plant continue to flourish, and I'm seeing broader opportunities for my future. Maya has a special gift to spark excitement and connect new ideas. If you're feeling stuck, I highly recommend Maya!

Alexis Cooley
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Maya planted seeds that continue to flourish!

Alexis Cooley
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

🌴 When I'm not working...

You'll find me cuddling with my puppy Bowie Jaan (my service dog in training), hablando mal español (or brushing up on any of the other 10 languages I speak), sharing chai and stories with family and friends (ask me about my Partition family history project), walking along the beach at sunset, and studying sci-fi and fantasy world-building.

I believe the best leaders build psychological safety and liberatory spaces by bringing their whole selves to their work—especially as we navigate our complex, multicultural world.