Speaking + Workshops
"The energy in the room was incredible. everyone was hanging on every word you said and a year later, people are still using the tips and advice."
let's get started!!
My name is Maya Sharfi.
I’m a creative changemaker, a designer, a teacher and a speaker—and just a little bit of a firebrand. I’ve been helping women be all they can be for as long as I can remember, and I help their companies build a culture that women want to stay in.
“Maya's passion for what she was teaching us was contagious.”
Women—and men—walk into my talks and programs knowing they want to change something in their career. They walk in facing self doubt and fear, bias against women, perfectionism and uncertainties about how to move forward.
They walk out fired up, armed with actionable strategies for pushing themselves to have the ambitious careers they want.
Men, and company leadership also walk out with new language and grounded and practical strategies they can use to better support the women in their lives and workplaces.
“I immediately realized why people gravitate towards you. You’re an excellent speaker with so much charisma and an inspiration to both men and women.”
-Jason Takeuchi American Institute of Architects Honolulu
Topics
I have spoken to groups of various ages, various sizes, and in various venues I’ve spoken to in-house womens’ groups at large firms on how to succeed in your career, and at large conferences on strategies to make our workplaces more equitable. I work hard to make sure I understand your goals and the background of the audience.
Addressing Bias, Leadership Session & Industry Workshop, AIA Houston
Setting Ambitious Goals, Payette
Setting Ambitious & Creative Goals, Columbia Graduate School of Architecture Planning, and Preservation
- Setting Ambitious and Creative Goals, Shawmut Design & Construction
- “Design for Equity” The Association for Community Design Conference, Dallas, TX
- “Build Yourself by Building Others” Stantec, Boston MA
- “Equity in Architecture: Transforming our Practices + Transforming Communities” Design for Equity Summit
- An Introduction to Negotiation Women in Design, Boston Society of Architects
- Women in Design: We Are Not Missing National Endowment of the Arts Webinar
I am experienced and available to speak on the following topics:
- Designing Against Bias:* Practical Tools for Building Equitable Companies
(leadership retreat and industry workshop) - Take Back Your Time: How to take back control over your time and communicate boundaries
- Mentorship as You Grow in Your Career: How to initiate and strengthen the mentorship relationships that will lead you forward wherever you find yourself in your career
- How to be a Creative Agent of Change: Learn three powerful rules of thumb to make sure that your intentions make a difference and actually come to fruition
I also partner with a limited number of companies to deliver cohort-based group coaching programs that transform your rising women into confident, powerful forces in your company.
Interested in learning more?
I present each topic in a highly relatable, immediately practical way that gives listeners practices they can use right now in their lives and careers.
I build a lively, community-centered experience for the audience,and all of my talks can be given as interactive workshops, and can address your priorities as an organization.
Ensuring people leave excited, connected to each other, and with a next step in mind is my top priority. References are available upon request.
“I’m not sure if you’ve seen this, but your webinar from last week is one of this year’s top-attended ASLA webinars!”
Alison Kelley American Society of Landscape Architecture Women’s Professional Practice Network
Cost/Availability
My mission is to engaging people and companies to support women’s ambition, and each other. Unfortunately, I can’t accept all requests, but it can never hurt to ask, no matter your group’s size.
