Founder & CEO

I’m May, an impact strategist with a talent for reframing—helping mission-driven visionaries gain clarity and confidence to realize their vision. With a career shaped by cross-sector experience and a global perspective, I’ve built a capacity-building agency dedicated to empowering changemakers to lead with purpose and sustainability.

As the foreign-born daughter of an immigrant mother and a U.S. veteran, I grew up witnessing the many ways communities survive or thrive—across small towns, major cities, and international landscapes. I saw firsthand that success isn’t one-size-fits-all, but rather a function of key principles, strategy, and adaptability. That realization ignited my passion for placemaking and collective prosperity.

A natural systems thinker and quick study, I turned my curiosity into a competitive edge. My unconventional career path—spanning nearly 15 years predominantly in the nonprofit sector—equipped me with a deep understanding of investments, relationship management, and capacity-building strategies. I’ve mastered the art of adaptation, built high-performing teams, and developed a reputation for driving results.

In that time, I climbed the nonprofit leadership ladder to become an Executive Director—an enriching yet demanding role that expanded my expertise. But my entrepreneurial spirit pushed me to ask bigger questions: Am I deploying my skills in the most meaningful way? How can I amplify my impact? The answer was to build something of my own.

Now, I help leaders turn their vision into action—without burnout or overextension. My mission is clear: to cultivate shared power and prosperity through transformative strategies. Let’s create lasting impact, together.

• “Above Expectations” annual performance evaluation as Executive Director

• Multi-entity leadership experience including 501c3, 501c4, and PAC

• Fundraised 6- and 7-figure contributions from donors, grants, and sponsors

• Coalition building experience with local grassroots and national alliances

• Supervised diverse and hybrid teams ranging up to 30 direct reports

• Recognized regionally for effective coaching that drives key business metrics

• Master of Science in Real Estate, Florida International University

• Master of Business Administration in Project Management, Fayetteville State University

• Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Fayetteville State University

• Leadership Miami, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce

• Leadership Development Program, United Way of Cumberland County

• Institute for Community Leadership, City of Fayetteville

• Citizens Academy, City of Fayetteville

Carrying a 14-year career, Maybelyn is an impact strategist, business scholar, and community advocate with a trans-disciplinary background rooted in radically reimagining pathways for shared prosperity and progressive power. A champion for racial and economic justice, she is deeply committed to advocating agency, dignity, equity, and sustainability through collective impact. This advocacy is infused with visionary passion to build an inclusive democracy and solidarity economy. In April 2024 she founded MRL Strategies LLC after serving as an executive director of a nonprofit community development coalition for nearly three years. Her expertise in capacity building and resource mobilization across market sectors focuses on facilitating practitioners, institutions, and investors to support place-based initiatives through community building, development, engagement, and organizing.

Maybelyn also engages with numerous civic, social, and political boards and alliances at grassroots and national levels. She most recently served on the Board of Directors for Community Opportunity Alliance (formerly NACEDA), a national nonprofit building the community development field, and is a former publicly appointed Human Relations Commissioner. Additionally, she is proud to be a two-time HBCU graduate and an emerging public scholar-practitioner exploring the praxis of movement and community investment. She holds a Bachelor of Art degree in Communications and Master of Business Administration degree concentrated in Project Management from Fayetteville State University (an HBCU) in addition to a Master of Science degree in Real Estate from Florida International University.