Professional and Education Experience:
Haydée Adelita Cuza, EdD (she/her) ) is a strategy consultant and coach who takes an empathetic approach in her collaborations with executive leaders and non-hierarchical collectives. She offers coaching and collaborative thought partnership, emphasizing individual-led goals, race and class-aware organizational evaluations, organizational structures and restructures, budget planning, and implementation strategies for nonprofit, philanthropic, and government entities.
As a consultant and coach, I leverage my diverse experience as an executive director, associate director, program director, social scientist, bookkeeper, and policy specialist.
My consulting work includes coaching individuals who are prioritizing equity initiatives and their own well-being, conducting assessments and analyses of budgets and operations, and offering training and technical assistance with budget and org structure planning.
It’s also been an 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 institutional to family placement practices.
My approach centers equity and addresses client needs while critically reflecting on the connections and contradictions between social impact frameworks and the realities of 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. It’s within the intersections of my experiences and identities where my social analysis and strategy consulting are guided; the fundamental worthiness of all of us to be fed, housed, clothed, loved, and live with an abundance of joy.
My identities and roles being Cuban-American, mixed race, fem queer womyn, child of revolutionaries, mommy, lita, wife, daughter, sister, tia, titi, cousin, doctora., 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 my journey, including when I consult and write.
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
“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
“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
“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