Arts Leadership Co-Lab
Equipping Arts Leaders to Build Stronger Organizations and Stronger Communities.
Arts Leadership Co-Lab is a professional development and consulting initiative of Maraya Performing Arts dedicated to strengthening the arts through leadership education, fundraising strategy, and organizational capacity building.
We believe that thriving arts organizations begin with informed, inspired, and well-equipped leaders.
Whether you're an artist exploring nonprofit leadership, a dance studio owner looking to establish or strengthen a nonprofit arm, a newly formed arts organization, or an experienced nonprofit executive seeking new fundraising strategies - the Arts Co-Lab provides practical tools, real-world guidance, and a collaborative learning community to help you grow.
Our goal isn't simply to teach fundraising.
Our goal is to help arts leaders understand how to build organizations that are mission-driven, community-centered, and prepared to pursue diverse funding opportunities.
Who We Serve
Our workshops, consulting services, and leadership programs are designed for:
• Artists exploring whether a nonprofit is the right fit
• Dance studio owners interested in launching or strengthening a nonprofit arm
• Newly established arts nonprofits
• Executive directors, founders, nonprofit leaders, and board members
• Community theatre companies and cultural organizations
• Teaching artists and creative entrepreneurs
• Anyone committed to strengthening the arts through effective leadership
Whether you're just getting started or looking to strengthen an existing organization, you'll gain practical strategies you can adapt to your own mission and goals.
LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE
The Co-Lab is led by Anjanette Maraya-Ramey, MA, CNP - Founder & CEO of Maraya Performing Arts and Maraya Performing Arts Collective.
She holds a Master's degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from USD, a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from CALARTS and is a Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP).
With more than two decades of leadership experience in the arts, Anjanette has served as a professional artist, producer, educator, nonprofit executive, grant reviewer, public funding administrator, and consultant.
Her experience includes serving as Senior Manager of Funding Programs for the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, where she worked closely with nonprofit organizations throughout the region and helped oversee a portfolio of $15 million in the City's public funding grant programs. She has hold roles as Executive Director, Development Director, Grants and Donor Relations Manager for a variety of regional arts organizations. She has taught grant writing and nonprofit management courses to both individual artists and nonprofit leaders through RISE San Diego, the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, and CALARTS.
Having served both as a grant reviewer and grant applicant, she brings a unique perspective from both sides of the table. She shares her knowledge to helps artists and organizations better understand what funders are looking for while building long-term capacity.
Arts and Community Impact
Partnering for a Cause
Partnering for a Cause
Partnering for a Cause
MARAYA collaborates with the San Diego Blood Bank to host blood drives - fostering the intersection between arts, community engagement, and public health.
Partnering for a Cause
Partnering for a Cause
MARAYA promotes blood donation across diverse communities at our performances and cultural events.
Survivor Spotlight
Partnering for a Cause
Survivor Spotlight
MARAYA founder and artistic director, a leukemia survivor, shares her inspiring journey as a blood donation advocate.