About
Mariah Cone
Mariah was born in Jamaica to two Peace Corp volunteer parents who instilled daily how important it is to make our lives matter, to right the wrongs of the world. After her undergraduate experience as a Psychobiology major at the University of Southern California, she spent the next fourteen years working in Los Angeles Unified as a high school science teacher, then an instructional coach. She learned the power of community and collaboration through her experience with Al-Anon Family Groups, an organization that uses the power of the group to support families suffering from the effects of alcoholism. Fascinated by the dramatic and powerful impact the group had on her own development and life, Mariah sought to replicate the tenets of connection, collaboration, and community within her team of teachers at John Marshall High School. Ultimately, this led her to pursue her educational doctorate degree with the University of California, Los Angeles – a cohort based model of learning that elevated her understanding of research methods, social justice, and the K-16 opportunity gap. Appalled by the scope of racism and racist systems that ensure a child’s zip code is among the most significant factors that determine one’s life opportunity, Mariah dedicated her career to chipping away at the problem. Her doctoral work led her to work with the School Leaders Network; designing and supporting collaborative principal networks to further develop principals once in position. Before launching Holonomy Consulting, Mariah designed, facilitated and built a team to lead the leader development pipeline at Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, the largest Charter Management Operator in Los Angeles.
Our Experience
Holonomy Consulting Founder Mariah Cone, Ed.D. is an accomplished professional with demonstrated skills leading, motivating, and developing adults with or without formal authority. She has a strong ability to analyze organizational performance gaps, problem solve, collaborate on multiple solutions, design, launch, and execute new programming. Mariah has worked to foster learning communities amongst teachers and networks of principals. She also built and ran a leadership pipeline program. At her core, Mariah has committed her life’s work to ensuring that historically underserved inner-city youth have equal access to a life of limitless opportunity. Her work experience includes senior leadership in both large and small organizations, having served as the VP of School Leadership Development with Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, VP of Program at the School Leaders Network, and Instructional Leadership with the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Listen to “Our Why” narrated by Mariah Cone
Our Experience
Holonomy Consulting Founder Mariah Cone, Ed.D. is an accomplished professional with demonstrated skills leading, motivating, and developing adults with or without formal authority. She has a strong ability to analyze organizational performance gaps, problem solve, collaborate on multiple solutions, design, launch, and execute new programming. Mariah has worked to foster learning communities amongst teachers and networks of principals. She also built and ran a leadership pipeline program. At her core, Mariah has committed her life’s work to ensuring that historically underserved inner-city youth have equal access to a life of limitless opportunity. Her work experience includes senior leadership in both large and small organizations, having served as the VP of School Leadership Development with Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, VP of Program at the School Leaders Network, and Instructional Leadership with the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Listen to “Our Why” narrated by Mariah Cone
Our Impact
Drawing from over 25 years in public service, working within districts as well as with organizations that support schools, we understand what makes education work.
Influential Leaders
An organization was shifting leader development practices from a national to a local approach and wondered, “What do leaders need that should be trained nationally?” Mariah utilized qualitative interviews and quantitative data from previous leader development efforts to understand the current needs. With a team of local leader developers, Mariah facilitated a process where the team devised novel and best practice ideas to offer national training that filled the gaps in local approaches.
Inclusive Problem Solving
Student Belonging and Connectedness was at an all-time low after the pandemic caused students to be away from campus for 18 months. Mariah and a team of students, teachers, counselors, and leaders analyzed focus group data to pinpoint the root causes of disconnection and designed a solution inclusively. Students involved in the process remarked how the process of being asked their opinion and included in the strategy-making led to increased sense of belonging.
Healing Organizations
The C-Suite Team was working in a siloed manner characterized by infighting and competition which gummed up their ability to lead and make decisions. Mariah used empathy interviews and facilitated a process for the team to hear from each other, unpack what was happening and build better practices. Individuals became more self-aware and focused on improving their contribution to a healthy culture. Through a series of culture healing experiences, the team rebounded and improved their experience and interdependence.
Learning Communities
Researchers, practitioners and organizations were siloed in their drive to solve the problem, “How do we crack the challenges of Middle Years Math that exclude students of color and experiencing poverty?” Mariah, in partnership with NLD Strategic and a team of facilitators created a network that forged connections, investigated equity issues, and supported problem solving as a collaborative community.
Policy and Practice Influence
Nationally organizations focused on School Leader Pipelines as a means to improve principal effectiveness, critical for student success. Mariah examined the problem from the angle of leader retention, generated the report, “Churn, the High Cost of Principal Turnover” that influenced state and district policies towards in-seat principal development and retention policies.
Our Impact
Drawing from over 25 years in public service, working within districts as well as with organizations that support schools, we understand what makes education work.
Influential Leaders
An organization was shifting leader development practices from a national to a local approach and wondered, “What do leaders need that should be trained nationally?” Mariah utilized qualitative interviews and quantitative data from previous leader development efforts to understand the current needs. With a team of local leader developers, Mariah facilitated a process where the team devised novel and best practice ideas to offer national training that filled the gaps in local approaches.
Inclusive Problem Solving
Student Belonging and Connectedness was at an all-time low after the pandemic caused students to be away from campus for 18 months. Mariah and a team of students, teachers, counselors, and leaders analyzed focus group data to pinpoint the root causes of disconnection and designed a solution inclusively. Students involved in the process remarked how the process of being asked their opinion and included in the strategy-making led to increased sense of belonging.
Healing Organizations
The C-Suite Team was working in a siloed manner characterized by infighting and competition which gummed up their ability to lead and make decisions. Mariah used empathy interviews and facilitated a process for the team to hear from each other, unpack what was happening and build better practices. Individuals became more self-aware and focused on improving their contribution to a healthy culture. Through a series of culture healing experiences, the team rebounded and improved their experience and interdependence.
Learning Communities
Researchers, practitioners and organizations were siloed in their drive to solve the problem, “How do we crack the challenges of Middle Years Math that exclude students of color and experiencing poverty?” Mariah, in partnership with NLD Strategic and a team of facilitators created a network that forged connections, investigated equity issues, and supported problem solving as a collaborative community.
Policy and Practice Influence
Nationally organizations focused on School Leader Pipelines as a means to improve principal effectiveness, critical for student success. Mariah examined the problem from the angle of leader retention, generated the report, “Churn, the High Cost of Principal Turnover” that influenced state and district policies towards in-seat principal development and retention policies.
