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Maia is the Deputy Director of the UCLA Bedari Kindness Institute, which is dedicated to the research and practice of kindness, and the Staff Director of the UCLA Dialogue Across Difference Initiative, which is dedicated to building a culture of dialogue on UCLA’s campus. The UCLA Initiative to Study Hate is also housed within the Bedari Kindness Institute.
Maia also founded Bridges Intergroup Relations Consulting, which supports organizations and communities to build vibrant spaces of belonging – spaces celebrating our complex identities, proactively exploring our differences, and building resilient relationships between groups. She has developed numerous interfaith programs, trained government and nonprofit groups in cultural competency, and facilitated conversations across differences about policing, homelessness, Israel-Palestine, and more. She has worked with and consulted for agencies and organizations including the California State Water Boards, the City of Los Angeles, Pepperdine University, the Western Justice Center, Sister Cities of Los Angeles, Resetting the Table, the Museum of Tolerance, Abrahamic House, and NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change.
Maia was formerly the Assistant Director of the UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy, a center dedicated to elevating the role of historical analysis in policy making, and the executive producer of its bi-weekly podcast Then & Now. She also previously staffed The City of Los Angeles Human Relations Commission, a mayor-appointed advisory board tasked with fighting discrimination and promoting positive intergroup relations in Los Angeles. She was also trained as a mediator with the City Attorney’s Dispute Resolution Program. She holds a B.A. in Global Studies and an M.A. in Latin American Studies from UCLA.
Updated September 2025
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