Maurianna Adams

The name of her morning alarm is “time to walk in your purpose,” which says a lot about Maurianna. Whether she’s at home or at work, every day is about solving problems with ingenuity.

What makes you feel proud?

Personally, I am most proud of the family I’ve co-created with my husband of nearly 10 years. Professionally, I receive joy and motivation from the fact that people say they can trust me and know that I will keep my word. No accolades can compare to those two things.

What keeps you up at night?

My capacity as a human doesn’t always match my ambitious spirit, therefore I become impatient with myself and sometimes others. My mentor often has to remind me that you can only eat an elephant one bite at a time or you’ll choke. I am still learning that.

What’s been the biggest obstacle in your life so far?

A common obstacle for anyone attempting to be a bridge, convener, trust broker or what have you is aligning values and creating shared language. I’ve now spent time in government/nonprofit, healthcare, real estate, business and finance sectors— all of which have distinct guiding principles, terminology and value propositions. It can be challenging to navigate, let alone translate to diverse stakeholders or identify opportunities for improvement.

One year from today, how do you hope you’re different?

One year from today, I’d like to believe I’ll still be rooted in hope. That I am all the more curious and willing to think outside of the box while also finding ways to facilitate multi-generational strategic doing. What keeps you up at night? Unequal access to opportunities.

“My capacity as a human doesn’t always match my ambitious spirit, therefore I become impatient with myself and sometimes others.”

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

We are a generation that has traded effectiveness for business. Think of the things that you are doing, that somebody else could be doing and think of yourself as a precious commodity that you are going to reserve your energy for your highest and best use. - Bishop T.D. Jakes