Improve your organization's LGBTQ+ Outcomes

 
 

About

MaeBright was founded in 2014 by Missy Sturtevant. At the time Missy was working at a non-profit, going to other non-profits, and doing a one-hour, LGBTQ+ 101 training. She would return the next year to the same non-profit and do the same one-hour LGBTQ+ training. She realized that this “check the box” version of equity work did not make meaningful change for people with marginalized identities working or receiving services at the non-profits where she was training. Missy founded MaeBright to make a real difference in the lives of people experiencing marginalization.

Whether you’re a non-profit, a business, or a government agency, we can help you evaluate and improve the services and climate you provide to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) people. We accomplish this through policy work, trainings on LGBTQ+ cultural competency, and other proven interventions. MaeBright specializes in LGBTQ+ people, identities, and communities, and also offers trainings on racial justice, white supremacy culture, trauma inclusion, and other DEIJ (diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice) topics. MaeBright is proud to be trans-owned.

We provide both in-person and virtual trainings. We have local trainers in the Boston metro and in Denver, Colorado. Located somewhere else, but still want to work with us? Let us know!

Team

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Ev Evnen    
Director

Ev Evnen (they/them) is a white, Jewish, trans person, originally from Lincoln, NE, with a decade stop in Boston. Ev is an experienced facilitator on topics including racial justice, LGBTQ+ identities, trauma, and how we have difficult conversations across differences. They believe that honest conversations about how we are both different and similar can lead to deep and needed healing. Ev thinks that our differences are our superpowers and dreams of a world where difference is celebrated and not subjugated. By offering a non-judgemental training space where participants can unlearn the hurtful myths about marginalized people and communities, Ev works to plant seeds of a better world.

Ev is also a data nerd and is passionate about finding the stories that numbers tell to help leaders make smarter strategic choices about DEIJ work.

Ev holds an MPP and MBA from the Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis and a BA from Wesleyan University. They are a cantorial student at the Aleph Ordination Program and also work in Jewish Youth Education. Ev lives in Denver with their two scruffy dogs, Max and Ziggy, and their partner, Lee.

Bianca Phoenix   
Training collaborator

Bianca Phoenix – is a passionate advocate, facilitator, and consultant with over 10 years of experience using an intersectionality framework to train organizations on Cultural Competency, Implicit Bias, Disability and LBGQT Equity. 

They are passionate about bringing to the table the interests of the most marginalized in all communities, particularly Black and LGBQT folks. Their drive for this work comes from their own experience with systems of power that place non-hegemonic identities at the margin. 

Within the past five years their work has shifted from academic and community initiatives to supporting corporations and nonprofits to reach their varying Equity and Inclusion goals through organizational assessments, strategic planning and training for service providers and corporate professionals. They bring openness, vulnerability and strength to have frank conversation on challenging topics.

Bianca is always looking for ways to connect their knowledge and resources to support the needs of various communities.

Trainings

Trainings capped at 35 people. All single trainings come with one hour of technical assistance.

intro to LGBTQ+ competency (4 hours)

  • Icebreaker Activity on
    LGBTQ+ experiences

  • Card Game Activity – Knowledge Assessment and Statistics Update

  • Cultural Humility and Intersectionality

  • Sexual Orientation vs Assigned Sex at Birth vs Gender Identity vs Gender Expression

  • Transgender and Non-Binary Identities and Transition

  • Best Practices

expanded intro to LGBTQ+ competency (5 hours)

  • Everything from the 4 hour training, plus one of the following:

  • Speaker Panel

  • Understanding Systemic Oppression

  • Advanced and Interactive Best Practices

 

full intro to LGBTQ+ competency (6 hours)

  • Everything from the 4 hour training, plus two of the

  • following:

  • Speaker Panel

  • Understanding and Breaking Down Systemic Oppression

  • Advanced and Interactive Best Practices

 

Other trainings offered


Discussions with expert trainers focusing on topics like:

  • Trans and Racial Microaggressions

  • Moving Toward Racial Equity

  • Trauma Inclusion 101

  • Understanding Transgender and Non-binary Identities

  • Shifting Families Towards Acceptance

  • Trauma and the Trans Community

  • Protect Trans Kids!

  • How to Make Change Within State Agencies

  • Many others!

 

Maebright theory of change

Change is a process. Many of our client relationships last years as we continually work towards cultural competency. While training is a crucial part of our process, we encourage our clients to think about ways to imbue LGBTQ+ competency and social justice in every part of their organizational DNA and process. We'll work with you to break down the process, map out a plan, and to support you at every step.

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Clients

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GOVERNMENT Agencies

We work with government agencies to evaluate and update services for LGBTQ+ clients. Many agencies are doing amazing work to help their clients and we want to support agencies and providers in feeling confident in the services they provide to all clients. 


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Businesses

We support businesses that have LGBTQ+ employees or clients to evaluate and improve your workplace and services for those clients. We specialize in supporting businesses that have an employee or new hire that is coming out as transgender or gender non-conforming. Many businesses are proactively looking to make sure they have a welcoming work environment for people of all genders, even if there are no staff who identify as transgender or gender non-conforming yet.

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Non-profits

Non-profits often feel an additional pressure to be culturally competent. We are excited to support our non-profits clients create policies and practices that imbue social justice in the DNA of the organization. We also offer non-judgemental trainings to help all employees gain skills around providing LGBTQ+ culturally competent services to clients.

 

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Schools

We connect Massachusetts public schools to training and technical assistance services that may be free or low cost. We also support schools to evaluate their diversity, anti-bullying and harassment policies. We also work with schools that are private, outside of Massachusetts, as well as colleges and universities. K-12 publicly funded schools in Massachusetts are able to receive free training and technical assistance from the Safe Schools program.

Press

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MA Commission on LGBTQ Youth Research

Damián Lima was the lead researcher and author of the “Improving Health” section of the MA Commission on LGBTQ Youth Report and Recommendations for 2022. You can read the report here https://www.mass.gov/doc/mclgbtqy-annual-recommendations-fy-2022/download

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Together, We Can Make Workplaces More LGBTQ-Inclusive

By Emily McNeiece

Ev Evnen talks about how to make work spaces more LGBTQ+ inclusive


Damián sits on a panel at Fenway Health about providing care for LGBTQ immigrants 




Ev Evnen quoted in the New York Times about non-binary gender marker options


Survivor Centered Spaces for LGBTQ++ People of Color

Video

Damián Lima presents about  Building Survivor Centered Spaces for LGBTQ++ People of Color


Progressive Pioneers, Boston Spirit Magazine

January/February 2017 by Scott Kearnan

Ev Evnen, Director/Senior Data Nerd and Partner, is featured as an under-30 activist in New England who uses data and spreadsheets to improve services for LGBTQ people.


Our 150 Boston Women of Influence

YW Boston Blog, December 27,2016

Missy Sturtevant, Founder, is featured as a woman of influence in Boston, along with many other amazing women in the past and present. See #92!


The New Sex Ed

Teaching Tolerance Issue 53 Summer 2016 by Alice Pettway

Missy Sturtevant, Founder, speaks on what LGBTQ inclusive sexuality education looks like.


Why Inclusion is Not Enough

(video) Ev Evnen

Ev Evnen, Director/Senior Data Nerd and Partner, speaks at the Building Inclusive Communities From Neighborhoods to Nations Global Conference 2015 at the School of Global Inclusion and Social Development at UMass Boston.


Unjust: How the Broken Juvenile and Criminal Justice Systems Fail LGBTQ Youth

Center for American Progress, Movement Advancement Project, August 2016

Missy Sturtevant, Founder, and MaeBright's work with the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services are mentioned in a Spotlight as an example of training making a shift in climate to support LGBTQ youth.


Mass leads on protecting LGBTQ Youth

Boston Globe on October 18, 2015 by Darlena Cunha

Missy Sturtevant, Founder, and Ev Evnen, Director/Senior Data Nerd and Partner, are quoted about MaeBright's work with the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services' work on behalf of LGBTQ youth.


Missy Sturtevant, Founder, shares best practices in business.