Professional and Education Experience:
Haydée Cuza, EdD (pronounced I-day, she/her) is a race and class conscious strategy consultant with a focus on collaborative coaching, practical resources, and thought partnership, specializing in organizational structures and restructures, budget planning, and implementation strategies for nonprofit, philanthropic, and government entities.
She brings deep expertise across leadership, research, and operations, shaped by roles as an executive director, program leader, policy specialist, and more.
Consulting services include transition coaching, assessing finances and operations, fundraising strategies, and providing training and technical assistance for budget and organizational structure planning.
She’s had the honor to contribute to national publications on youth perspective and recommendations on transitions in foster care; healing-centered practices for young people in foster care; and senior-centered workforce development programs. She also advised Japan’s Children and Family Agency on best practices for youth engagement and transitioning from primarily institutional to family placement practices.
Her approach emphasizes equity, addressing each client's unique needs while reflecting on the connections and contradictions within social impact frameworks and entrenched inequitable systems.
Formal Education: Associate of Arts, a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and African American Studies, and a Doctorate in Education Leadership with a Critical Race Theory focus.
A bit more personal:
My spirit is expressed through my name, Haydée Adelita, shared with historic figures centered in liberation. The fundamental worthiness of all of us to be fed, housed, clothed, loved, and live with an abundance of joy guide my consulting approach.
My identities and roles being Cuban-American, mixed race, fem queer womyn, child of revolutionaries, mommy, lita, wife, daughter, sister, tia, titi, cousin, scholar, friend, experience being homeless and in foster care, as well as being one of a bazillion grains of sand in our ocean of life, are fully present in how I walk in the world, including with clients.
I am deeply grateful to partnerships and collaborations that are committed to learning through the transformative power of co-creation, stumbling blocks, and celebrations.
What People Are Saying
“Haydée has been one of the most incredible collaborative partners I have worked with. She brings not just knowledge and expertise, but an incredible passion and empathy for those she is working with as well as those she is working for. In the years that I worked with her, she provided valuable and intentional insight into how projects could be developed, implemented, and managed long term to provide sustainability and impact. She believes wholly in the empowerment of those most impacted by systems and decisions and was instrumental in discussions regarding how entities and agencies could better partner together even when their perspectives were not in alignment or when power dynamics were at play. I would recommend Haydée as a colleague, a thought partner, a collaborator, and a leader. She is a wonderful asset to any team.” - State Funder
“I feel comforted knowing that there are people like you in the world who hold space with love, care, fierce intelligence, and an unwavering commitment to pursue a world that we can feel proud that we are leaving to future generations.” - Consultant, Finance and Executive Coaching
“Thank you for always bringing your authentic self and making our work better through your on the ground experience as an NPO leader” - VP, Community Engagement
“Haydée is a wonderful facilitator and guide. I recently worked with her on fiscal trainings for our staff and board. She was responsive and took the time to get to know our team and our needs. She helped us design clear and efficient internal budgeting processes that we launched with great results. Her insights at our board training have inspired action and a renewed enthusiasm for fundraising. I look forward to working with her more in the future.” - Development Director
“The perspective and experience you bring is a gift to us all and I feel privileged to have worked along side you” - Director, Client Services
