Maya N.

Maya Niksic

5.0

(3)

Harvard MPA Alum, Leadership Expert & ICF-PCC Coach | Goldman Sachs Alum

Harvard Kennedy School Logo

Admissions Committee at Harvard Kennedy School

Goldman Sachs Logo

Worked at Goldman Sachs

Not currently taking new clients

Maya’s Master’s Programs Qualifications

Coaches professionally

70+ people coached for Master’s Programs

As a graduate of Harvard Kennedy School’s Master in Public Administration program and Creighton University’s Master in Investment Management and Financial Analysis program, I bring both the insider’s perspective and the strategist’s eye to the admissions journey. I have served on the Harvard Kennedy School admissions committee, participated in high-profile initiatives such as the Forte Foundation and Ladies Who Launch, and led numerous school tours and admissions events designed to shape and select the next generation of leaders. This dual vantage point, of both applicant and gatekeeper, allows me to guide clients with precision and candor. I know what elite admissions committees look for, what makes an application unforgettable, and how to transform a candidate’s story into a compelling case for acceptance. My coaching is rigorous, deeply personal, and grounded in the belief that every applicant can rise to meet the standards of the world’s most competitive graduate programs when their true narrative is brought to light.

Maya can help with:

Application Strategy

Editing

Essays

Financial Aid & Scholarships

General Exploration

Interviews

Letters of Recommendation

Resume

School Selection

Secondary Review

Waitlist Strategy

Maya also coaches for Leadership Coaching, Transitioning from the Military, and Career Coaching. View all.

About Maya

I have built my career at the intersection of high-stakes leadership, technology, and human growth, beginning at Goldman Sachs and continuing through my work at Harvard Kennedy School. At Goldman, I learned how leaders thrive in fast-moving, high-pressure environments shaped by technology and constant change. At Harvard, I have spent the past six years designing and directing programs that combine adaptive leadership, adult development, and civic impact, guiding graduate students, executives, and policymakers through moments of uncertainty and transformation. My story is about bridging worlds: the rigor of finance with the humanity of coaching, the theory of leadership with the lived complexity of practice, and the perspective of global experience with the intimacy of personal growth. As a certified PCC coach, I support leaders to move beyond solving immediate challenges toward reimagining themselves for the future. Clients often describe me as bringing both intellectual sharpness and soulful presence. I coach not just for performance but for transformation, so that you can thrive in complexity and lead with clarity, courage, and style.

Why do I coach?

I coach because I know what it means to stand at the edge of uncertainty and wonder if you will find your way through. I have lived through demanding environments on Wall Street, deep academic immersion at Harvard, and life transitions across continents. At each stage, the presence of wise mentors and the practice of self-reflection helped me move from merely surviving toward creating meaning and impact. Coaching matters to me because it is a space where people can pause, be seen fully, and discover strengths they did not know they had. I have witnessed leaders transform when they realize that the very challenges they fear can become the catalysts for their greatest growth. My work is about holding that space and guiding clients to step into their clarity and courage. Coaching is not just my profession; it is the way I honor the transformative power that shaped my own life.

Work Experience

Brainz Magazine Logo

Contributor

Brainz Magazine

February 2024 - Present

Executive Contributor

BetterUp Logo

Executive Coach

BetterUp

January 2023 - Present

Leadership Development Coaching

Harvard Kennedy School Logo

Director

Harvard Kennedy School

January 2023 - Present

Applied Field Learning Lab

Adaptive Leadership Atelier Logo

Founder + CEO

Adaptive Leadership Atelier

July 2022 - Present

Harvard Kennedy School Logo

Adaptive Leadership Coach

Harvard Kennedy School

September 2019 - Present

Harvard Kennedy School Logo

Assistant Director

Harvard Kennedy School

September 2018 - January 2023

Goldman Sachs Logo

Lead Specialist Associate

Goldman Sachs

July 2008 - November 2013

Education

Harvard Kennedy School Logo

Harvard Kennedy School

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

2016 - 2018

Admissions Committee Experience

Behavioral Insights, Adaptive Leadership & Adult Development Psychology

Creighton University Logo

Creighton University

Master of Investment Management and Financial Analysis (MIMFA), Finance

2014 - 2016

Activities and societies: Recipient of Full Graduate Assistantship Resident Director Creighton Upward Bound Program

University of Nebraska, Lincoln Logo

University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Bachelor's Degree , Chemical Engineering

2004 - 2008

3 Reviews

Overall Rating

5.0


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Maya N.

Maya N.

5.0

 
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