
Maya Niksic
5.0
(3)
Harvard MPA Alum, Leadership Expert & ICF-PCC Coach | Goldman Sachs Alum
Admissions Committee at Harvard Kennedy School
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

Contributor
Brainz Magazine
February 2024 - Present
Executive Contributor

Executive Coach
BetterUp
January 2023 - Present
Leadership Development Coaching

Director
Harvard Kennedy School
January 2023 - Present
Applied Field Learning Lab

Founder + CEO
Adaptive Leadership Atelier
July 2022 - Present

Adaptive Leadership Coach
Harvard Kennedy School
September 2019 - Present

Assistant Director
Harvard Kennedy School
September 2018 - January 2023

Lead Specialist Associate
Goldman Sachs
July 2008 - November 2013
Education

Harvard Kennedy School
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
2016 - 2018
Admissions Committee Experience
Behavioral Insights, Adaptive Leadership & Adult Development Psychology

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
Bachelor's Degree , Chemical Engineering
2004 - 2008
3 Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
Maya has helped clients get into these companies: