Maya Townsend

About Maya Townsend

I run Partnering Resources: a management consulting company that brings together diverse groups to collectively tackle complex, system challenges. I am currently one of the handful of Deep Democracy certified trainers in the United States. Favorite projects include- Transforming an international division into a truly global organization through network weaving and collaboration- Engaging a diverse group of stakeholders in system analysis in order to uncover hidden opportunities to improve the nonprofit talent ecosystem in the Boston area- Leading a cross-functional, multi-age coalition to collectively assess and identify how to improve healthcare services for adolescents in Austin - Measuring and improving a women\'s growth network within a large pharmaceutical company- Leading a collective action initiative among organizations interested in human services aimed to address the chronic talent shortage in the field- Leading a process to develop an anti-racism, inclusion, and equity culture within a city divisionA few more highlights: I teach conflict resolution and negotiation at Tufts University. I\'m co-editor of Handbook for Strategic HR (AMACOM). I wrote the first article describing the human-centered organization model with Professor Georges Romme (Humanistic Management Journal, 2024). My writing also has appeared in strategy+business, Nonprofit Quarterly, People + Strategy, CIO, Talent Management, OD Practitioner, and other publications. I speak nationally and locally on human-centered organizations, conflict- positive cultures, and collaboration. I\'ve been a main stage speaker at the Inc. 500 | conference and I\'ve keynoted at Gartner. My online home is http://PartneringResources.com. My Deep Democracy work can be found at

Experience

1. Founder Lead Consultant

   Partnering Resources

   Jan 2005 — Present · Cambridge, MA, US

   In 2005, I founded Partnering Resources to help individuals, teams, and organizations come together to tackle complex systemic challenges. These days, I\'m heavily involved in- Working with tension and conflict in groups and systems- Helping groups find counter-intuitive solutions to complex problems- Understanding opportunities and setting direction in volatile environments- Developing human-centered organizational cultures; and - Building collaboration across department, division, and organizational lines.I\'m proud to be one of three certified Deep Democracy trainers in the US.Partnering Resources specializes in human services, academia, and technology. We also work in biopharma, nonprofit, and government sectors. Clients include Austin Healthy Adolescent Initiative, BAMSI, Bayer, Biogen Idec, Commongood Careers, eCopy, eTeck, Fidelity Investments, Hanover Insurance Group, Intel, Merrimack Pharmaceutical, MIT, the National Braille Press, NW Chocolate Festival, Open Sky Community Services, and Thomson Reuters.

Education

• School for International Training

  NA

  1992 — 1992

• American University

  MS, Organization Development

  1999 — 2001

• Oberlin College

  AB, Community Studies

  1990 — 1994

• Antioch University

  Master of Arts - MA, Leadership & Change

• Antioch University

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Leadership & Change

  2020

• Georgetown University

  Certificate, Organization Development

  1996 — 1996

Skills

• Talent Management
• Innovation Consulting
• Organizational Effectiveness
• Project Planning
• Leadership Development
• Facilitators
• Social Innovation
• Nonprofits
• Organizational Learning
• Strategic Planning
• Analysis
• Public Speaking
• Employee Engagement
• Team Building
• Management
• Workshop Facilitation
• Circuit Analysis
• Project Management
• Program Management
• Coaching
• Leadership
• Management Consulting
• Change Management
• Process Improvement
• Executive Coaching
• Social Networking
• Management Development
• Performance Management
• Culture Change
• Simplifying the Complex
• Organizational Design
• Staff Development
• Strategy
• Training
• Consulting
• Organizational Needs Analysis
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Social Capital
• Business Alignment
• Network Analysis