About MAPA Collaborative, LLC
This Is How Our Story Began
For over 20 years we have supported one another, as women, friends, mothers, working professionals, and now as business partners and entrepreneurs. We are passionate about this chapter in our lives because we thrive in our deep commitment to learning, the ability to connect and willingness to adapt to change. We draw great inspiration from each other and value the complementary nature of our relationship and personalities. Our business venture symbolizes our personal journey to meaningful and successful careers and our search for balance. We believe growth is constant and know that even when we arrive, there’s always more to go. And still, we’ve been to places. We’re eager to share our knowledge and experiences with you.
MAPA was inspired by the first two letters of our names, and it is also the Spanish word for “map”. The idea that we could function as a navigation device felt special and exciting. We dreamed up MAPA Collaborative after dinner, in one of our many casual conversations. Sharing challenges, we extended support and strategy we weren’t finding at work. MAPA was designed to provide a fresh and supportive perspective. Today, we uplift others in their path to excellence and leadership performance.
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Our combined lived experiences in the non-profit and higher education sectors transcend into a wealth of knowledge and expertise.
We have walked alongside 30+ eclectic organizations. We spent the last two decades studying strategies, creating initiatives, administrating organizations, and working with teams to execute programs addressing some of the most pressing community needs. We want to help you reach your potential and build capacities for your organizations. Stop here and ask for directions.
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Paula Figueroa-Vega & Maritza Raimundi-Petroski
Meet Our Team
Paula Figueroa-Vega, MPA
she/her/hers
Founding Partner
With over 20 years of experience, Paula excels at transforming ideas into actionable solutions for nonprofits and community organizations. Her core strengths include organizational development, professional and leadership training, and facilitating group collaboration. Paula is adept at coaching leaders, designing effective workshops, and building high-performing teams. She is skilled in managing complex projects, leading strategic planning, and fostering community engagement. Her expertise in collective impact has been instrumental in large scale collaborative work. Paula’s approach emphasizes connection, communication, and empowering others to achieve collective goals. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Rutgers University.
Founding Partner
Maritza I. Raimundi-Petroski is the Founder and Principal Consultant of MAPA Collaborative, LLC, where she partners with nonprofits, healthcare organizations, and community-based initiatives to strengthen strategy, operations, leadership development, and equitable community engagement practices. With more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and public health, Maritza brings expertise in maternal and child health, prevention, workforce development, cross-sector collaboration, and culturally responsive programming. She holds a Master of Public Administration from Rutgers University and has led large-scale initiatives focused on advancing health equity and improving outcomes for underserved communities across New Jersey. Recognized for her collaborative leadership style and systems-thinking approach, Maritza is passionate about helping organizations build sustainable, community-centered solutions that create lasting impact.
