Maya Paley is a consultant, advocate, researcher, and evaluator who co-owns Cities & People Advisors, a boutique consulting firm that conducts research, evaluation, and analysis to support building public-sector decision-making power for Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, and low-income people in communities throughout the country. She also helps build organizational community and growth by supporting philanthropic foundations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations with facilitation, strategic visioning and planning, coalition-building, and leadership coaching.

Maya has served as a thoughtful, strategic, and effective advocate, focusing on gender, racial, and economic justice and equity. Maya is also a speaker, panelist, and trainer on gender equity, economic justice, and equity in the workplace. Maya recently served as the Senior Director and Co-Founder of Change the Talk for the National Council of Jewish Women, Los Angeles (NCJW|LA), a sexual violence prevention program for and by teens. Maya also served as NCJW|LA’s Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement for many years and was responsible for the organization’s advocacy and policy agenda, communications, and community organizing. Maya has also worked internationally conducting research and advocacy for refugee and sex worker rights. Maya received the Outstanding Woman Leader Award from the City of Santa Monica in 2018 and the Women in Leadership Award from the City of West Hollywood in 2019. She was a featured "hero" in artist Taiji Terasaki's Heroes at Borders exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum in 2020. Maya currently serves on the Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters California as the Chair of the Development Committee and as a member of the DEI Committee.

When not doing all this, Maya loves to write, read, think, eat chocolate, rest, study languages, and spend time with her kids, family, and friends.