From MAYA to VIDA: An Evolution of Our Work

A Note from VIDA Collaborative’s CEO, Kassi Longoria

Today, I am excited to share that MAYA Consulting is becoming VIDA Collaborative. While a name change can seem simple from the outside, this one reflects years of personal and collective growth, learning, clarity, and commitment. Long before we decided to change the name, we had already evolved as a company, and we needed a name that better reflects where we’ve been, who we are today, and where we are headed. VIDA Collaborative captures this story, and I’m excited to share it with you.

Where We’ve Been

Since 2017, our team has supported many initiatives aimed at improving outcomes at the local, regional, state, and national levels in education, housing, early childhood, child welfare, and health. We have helped nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and philanthropy strengthen strategy, improve the quality of and access to programs and services, build partnerships, engage communities, use data more effectively, and navigate complex systems change efforts. Our evolution to VIDA Collaborative builds on this work and expands how we approach it. Over time, we have come to understand that the biggest and most sustainable change happens when sectors are connected, and when leaders are bold, collaborative, and clear about what they are working toward.

What’s Behind the Name Change

VIDA means “life” in Spanish and also stands for voice, imagine, design, and activate. Collaborative reflects how we are structured as a team, and how we work in partnership with communities. Together, these words reflect the process we use to help people move from ideas to action, and our belief in the power of communities to ensure all people have the opportunity to live a vibrant, fulfilling life. 

But this name change reflects more than our professional journey or the future we are striving to build. It is also deeply personal. One thing I have always appreciated about our team is the lived experience we bring to this work and the firsthand understanding many of us have of the very systems we strive to strengthen and transform. Across our team, there are lived experiences with navigating poverty, being first- or second-generation, balancing caregiving responsibilities, experiencing housing instability, working through public systems, and finding ways to create opportunity in the face of barriers. There are also experiences of strong families, cultural connection, entrepreneurship, creativity, and community leadership. For us, we carry these experiences into our work every day. They shape how we see the world, how we show up in partnership, and our commitment to creating systems that work for people, not just on paper.

VIDA Collaborative reflects the possibility that exists at the intersection of the work we do, who we are as people, and the kind of world we want to help build. We have seen firsthand that people and communities are most able to thrive when they have strong health, financial stability, and a deep sense of connection and belonging.

We also know that articulating desired results is not enough. It is equally important to understand and build the conditions necessary to achieve them. VIDA Collaborative is grounded in our ARCH framework: adaptive leadership, clear results, strong community, and sustaining hope, which reflects the conditions we believe are necessary for meaningful progress.

What this Means for Our Work

So what does this mean for the future of our work? While our name is changing, the core of who we are is not. The same team, values, relationships, and commitment to meaningful impact will continue to guide our work moving forward. VIDA Collaborative gives us a clearer and fuller way to talk about who we are, how we work, and the kind of future we want to help build alongside others. 

Moving forward, this means building on what we’ve always done, but going further:

• We still support leaders and organizations across education, housing, early childhood, child welfare, health, and philanthropy. What’s different now is a sharper focus on the bigger picture—helping partners move beyond individual programs or sectors and toward the conditions communities need to thrive.
• Before, much of the work focused on strengthening individual efforts. Now, we’re more intentionally helping partners connect across systems, align around shared goals, and use both data and community voice to guide decisions and shape strategy.
• We’ve always supported planning, but we’re increasingly working alongside partners as they navigate complexity in real time—adapting as conditions change and building the relationships needed to sustain momentum.
• And while collaboration has always been core to our work, we’re pushing further toward shared ownership—where schools, nonprofits, funders, public agencies, higher education institutions, and community members see themselves as part of the same effort and responsibility.
• Ultimately, we’re working toward change that lasts—efforts that are coordinated, grounded in community, and strong enough to improve health, wealth, and community for generations.

We know that the conditions organizations create internally shape what they are able to achieve externally. As we look ahead, we are striving to rethink what it means to be a small business in this field. We want to continue shaping a company that is values-driven, people-centered, and sustainable over the long term. That means creating a workplace where people can grow, lead, bring their full selves, and do meaningful work without sacrificing their well-being. It also means thinking differently about partnership, shared leadership, flexibility, and how we invest in our team and the communities we serve. We believe small businesses can be innovative, deeply relational, and powerful drivers of change, and we want VIDA Collaborative to reflect that in the way we operate as much as in the work we do.

Moving Forward Together
We are incredibly proud of what MAYA Consulting has been and deeply excited about what VIDA Collaborative can become. This next chapter gives us the opportunity to be even more intentional about the work we do, the partnerships we build, and the future we want to help create. We are grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey so far, and we look forward to continuing this work alongside clients, communities, and partners who believe that bold ideas, strong relationships, and shared action can help create healthier, more connected, and more prosperous communities for all.

If this vision resonates with you, I would love to connect. Reach out, schedule a virtual or in-person coffee, or simply share what this new chapter brings up for you. We are excited to continue learning, building, and imagining what is possible alongside others in service of stronger health, wealth, and community.