Meet Our Team
Marina Piscolish, Ph.D., ACC
Marina Piscolish, Ph.D. is founder of MAPping Change, LLC, a full-service conflict, collaboration, and coaching consultancy. Her work spans sectors from education to environment, diverse clients from single agencies or organizations to multi-phased, cross-cultural, cross-sector collaborations. Working coast to coast, as well as in Hawaii and the broader Pacific, Marina is passionate about culturally competent, customized support beyond training or facilitation to enhance implementation of agreements and needed changes. Engagements result in lasting systemic and structural change. She taught for 10+ years as adjunct faculty for the University of Hawaii’s Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution. Originally from Pittsburgh PA, Marina has lived on Oʻahu since 1998. In the rare moments she's not thinking about changing the world, she loves to put together creative meals from farmer's market finds while listening to a vinyl from her collection.
Connect with Marina on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marina-piscolish/
Jessica Velez, M.P.A.
Jessica is a mediator, facilitator, trainer, and conflict coach who strives to promote effective communication and deeper understanding that lead to creative, inclusive and sustainable outcomes. She is passionate about bringing conflict management, effective communication, and crucial collaboration skills to groups and individuals who want to grow through their conflicts and create lasting change. Before joining Marina at MAPping Change in the summer of 2021, Jessica was the coordinator of Delaware’s statewide Special Education Mediation Program in the Biden School of Public Policy at the University of Delaware. She has a Master’s degree in Public Administration and a bachelor’s degree in psychology, both from the University of Delaware. Jessica is obsessed with soaking up the beauty of O'ahu, whether hiking its lush green mountains or floating its bright blue waters on her stand-up paddle board.
Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jessicalvelez
Our Collaborators
Lehua Lopez-Mau, M.A.
Lehua Lopez, a part Native Hawaiian, was born and raised in Honolulu. She received her bachelor’s degree in human development at the University of Hawai`i (Manoa) and received her master’s degree in cultural anthropology (specializing in Indigenous spirituality) at the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque). Ms. Lopez was a nonprofit consultant for decades, assisting environmental, cultural, health care and land-use planning organizations in Hawai`i and New Mexico. As a collaborative colleague with MAPping Change for more than 15 years, she developed processes for non-Indigenous (especially governmental) officials to actively listen and understand culturally-different world views in order to collectively agree on effective strategies that could solve intractable dilemmas. She currently lives in Albuquerque where she continues to assist groups and organizations in their efforts to achieve their missions. She also teaches Hawaiian culture at a local halau hula, and, as a Hawaiian ‘aunty,’ helps young Latinx and Indigenous Americans who are coping with issues arising from the recent pandemic.
Sujatha Raman, M.A.
Sujatha Raman has over twenty years’ experience in arts and culture and nonprofit management. She is passionate about supporting artists and cultural institutions as well as creating access to the arts for underserved communities. Before moving to Hawaii in 2016, Sujatha worked in the nonprofit sector in New York City where her clients included Modern Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, 651 Arts and several small theaters. She has a wide range of experiences and skills including strategic planning, community engagement, general management, audience development and fundraising. She has worked with several arts organizations in Hawaii on strategic plans, strengthening financial structures, documenting histories and building boards. She studied theater and nonprofit management at Columbia University (MFA) and has a BSc (Econ.) from the University of London. She is originally from Singapore.
Connect with Sujatha at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sujyoga