Aja Lee Gair

MFA | ACC | PHR | Dare to Lead™ Coach | TBRI Practitioner | Certified Hogan Assessor™

Aja (she/her/ella) is a workplace coach, organizational consultant and seasoned facilitator; she is also an experienced executive leader who has worked in both programs and operations. When working on projects and with colleagues, she loves moving between big picture thinking and operational details with an ethic of courage and excellence. In addition to her depth of expertise running agencies, standing up new programs, and thoughtfully guiding companies and individuals through myriad challenges, she always strives to stay warmhearted, to find opportunities for laughter and personal connection, and to show genuine empathy to clients, even in the hardest of circumstances.

Recognized for her transformative management, coaching, and team building skills, she also loves assessing and improving organizational structures and systems. Aja has spent over 20 years working with survivors of abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and with those who use violence, working extensively at the intersection of those experiences. A decade playing internationally competitive roller derby and leading teams in that environment, as well as her social movement upbringing in queer and abolitionist spaces, informs her approach. Aja grounds herself in values of justice and connection, especially when facing uncertainty and difficult decisions. She is a Human Resources Professional (PHR, HRCI) and Trust-Based Relational Intervention™ Practitioner, and she is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Aja has her MFA in Forensic Psychology from the CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and a Bachelor’s of Liberal Arts from Hampshire College. She formerly served in C-Suite/Executive Leadership of The SAFE Alliance and Austin Tenants Council, fills a key HR/Operations role at BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective), and worked at national organizations such as The Innocence Project. Aja’s approach is heavily informed by the thoughts, actions, and writing of: Angela Davis, bell hooks, Karyn Purvis, Mariame Kaba, adrienne maree brown, Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Yolo Akili Robinson, Brené Brown, and Tema Okun. The quote that most centers her in this work is by Angela Davis: “Radical simply means grasping things at the root.”