De’Ara Balenger is co-founder of Maestra. She leads Maestra’s social impact and public engagement work. De’Ara works with brands, media companies and institutions to bring culture to cause. Her particular areas of expertise are social impact, racial equity, gender equality, cultural production and crisis management. She has extensive experience in directing and accelerating mission driven work.

As an attorney she spent over a decade in public service, working primarily for Secretary Clinton. She was the Director of Engagement for Secretary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.  Prior to this De’Ara served as a rule of law advisor and senior advisor to Cheryl Mills at the U.S. Department of State, where she worked on the humanitarian response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and criminal justice reform work in Bangladesh, Liberia, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Macedonia, Kenya and Costa Rica. 

De’Ara is a stakeholder in the activism and women’s movement space and was a National Organizer for the monumental Women’s March on Washington in 2016 and named a 2017 Glamour Woman of the Year for her role in the Women’s March. She also serves as Board Co-Chair for the Lower Eastside Girls Club.

De’Ara Balenger is co-founder of Maestra. She leads Maestra’s social impact and public engagement work. De’Ara works with brands, media companies and institutions to bring culture to cause. Her particular areas of expertise are social impact, racial equity, gender equality, cultural production and crisis management. She has extensive experience in directing and accelerating mission driven work.

As an attorney she spent over a decade in public service, working primarily for Secretary Clinton. She was the Director of Engagement for Secretary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.  Prior to this De’Ara served as a rule of law advisor and senior advisor to Cheryl Mills at the U.S. Department of State, where she worked on the humanitarian response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the Congressional inquiry into the tragedy in Benghazi and criminal justice reform work in Bangladesh, Liberia, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Macedonia, Kenya and Costa Rica. 

De’Ara is a stakeholder in the activism and women’s movement space and was a National Organizer for the monumental Women’s March on Washington in 2016 and named a 2017 Glamour Woman of the Year for her role in the Women’s March. She also serves as Board Co-Chair for the Lower Eastside Girls Club.

De’Ara Balenger is co-founder of Maestra. She leads Maestra’s social impact and public engagement work. De’Ara works with brands, media companies and institutions to bring culture to cause. Her particular areas of expertise are social impact, racial equity, gender equality, cultural production and crisis management. She has extensive experience in directing and accelerating mission driven work.

As an attorney she spent over a decade in public service, working primarily for Secretary Clinton. She was the Director of Engagement for Secretary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.  Prior to this De’Ara served as a rule of law advisor and senior advisor to Cheryl Mills at the U.S. Department of State, where she worked on the humanitarian response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the Congressional inquiry into the tragedy in Benghazi and criminal justice reform work in Bangladesh, Liberia, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Macedonia, Kenya and Costa Rica. 

De’Ara is a stakeholder in the activism and women’s movement space and was a National Organizer for the monumental Women’s March on Washington in 2016 and named a 2017 Glamour Woman of the Year for her role in the Women’s March. She also serves as Board Co-Chair for the Lower Eastside Girls Club.

Stacie Gillian is co-founder of Maestra. Her work over the last decade sits at the intersection of visual storytelling and branding, art, function, community evolution, and social impact. 

With over 15 years of experience, she leads Maestra’s brand strategy work. Stacie has worked with entities ranging from Amazon Fashion, Oscar de la Renta, IMG, James de Givenchy, Etihad Airways, Mastercard, Washington DC Department of Corrections, International Cannabis and Cannabinoid Institute, The National Theater to Vogue on building purpose driven brand identity campaigns and initiatives. Tapping into insights learned from past clients while also recognizing each organization’s distinct DNA, she targets appropriate brand alliances, defines messaging and tone, unearths the foundation of the company and business goals, then builds and amplifies the narrative to develop a refined strategy that is specific to the client partner.

She is dedicated to augmenting each client's storytelling through a unified partnership that insures the advancement of their goals through media placements, event programming, audience development guidance and social media content strategy.

Stacie Gillian is co-founder of Maestra. Her work over the last decade sits at the intersection of visual storytelling and branding, art, function, community evolution, and social impact. 

With over 15 years of experience, she leads Maestra’s brand strategy work. Stacie has worked with entities ranging from Amazon Fashion, Oscar de la Renta, IMG, James de Givenchy, Etihad Airways, Mastercard, Washington DC Department of Corrections, International Cannabis and Cannabinoid Institute, The National Theater to Vogue on building purpose driven brand identity campaigns and initiatives. Tapping into insights learned from past clients while also recognizing each organization’s distinct DNA, she targets appropriate brand alliances, defines messaging and tone, unearths the foundation of the company and business goals, then builds and amplifies the narrative to develop a refined strategy that is specific to the client partner.

She is dedicated to augmenting each client's storytelling through a unified partnership that insures the advancement of their goals through media placements, event programming, audience development guidance and social media content strategy.

Stacie Gillian is co-founder of Maestra. Her work over the last decade sits at the intersection of visual storytelling and branding, art, function, community evolution, and social impact. 

With over 15 years of experience, she leads Maestra’s brand strategy work. Stacie has worked with entities ranging from Amazon Fashion, Oscar de la Renta, IMG, James de Givenchy, Etihad Airways, Mastercard, Washington DC Department of Corrections, International Cannabis and Cannabinoid Institute, The National Theater to Vogue on building purpose driven brand identity campaigns and initiatives. Tapping into insights learned from past clients while also recognizing each organization’s distinct DNA, she targets appropriate brand alliances, defines messaging and tone, unearths the foundation of the company and business goals, then builds and amplifies the narrative to develop a refined strategy that is specific to the client partner.

She is dedicated to augmenting each client's storytelling through a unified partnership that insures the advancement of their goals through media placements, event programming, audience development guidance and social media content strategy.