About us
Our Mission
We support the effectiveness and wellbeing of individuals and socially focused organizations by providing learning, engagement and management solutions.
Our Values
Diversity
We believe in the value that different perspectives bring to social challenges. We support diverse leadership.
Excellence
We give our best to any task we do. We are keen on learning, celebrating achievements, and constantly seeking improvements.
Wellbeing
Our service delivery and work practices take into consideration all aspects of the human being, and aim to promote holistic wellbeing.
Integrity
Promoting justice and equity is a guiding principle in everything we do. We respect self-determination and support decision-making in alignment with organizational or self defined values.
Cooperation
We believe in the power of unity and work collaboratively with like-minded stakeholders seeking common goals for a unified vision. We look for ways to be helpful and ask for help when we need it.
Growth
We expand possibilities for ourselves and others. We are constantly innovating and never satisfied with the status quo. We create opportunities for personal development and improvement of living conditions.
Humanity
We see ourselves as part of a global community and take actions for the common welfare. We put ourselves in others' shoes and acknowledge each individual as a unique part of an interdependent global collective.
Core Team
Photo by Aitanna Perez
Marialejandra Reyes Valerio - Founder & Director
In addition to the director role Marialejandra is also the lead facilitator at Expansion Works. Her background includes a 10+ year engineering career and 6+ years of facilitation & coaching practice. This work allows her to offer solid project management and leadership skills while incorporating the perspectives of a variety of stakeholders. She also holds a Career Development Practitioner certificate.
Lorena Pulido - Communications Lead
Lorena has +15 years of combined work experience in Marketing, Communications, and Customer Service. She is passionate about personal development and is a talented holistic facilitator and coach. Lorena brings a valuable skill set to support our social media management and business development.
Photo by Bethan Lodewyk
About
WELCOME TO THE EXPANSION WORKS COMMUNITY
A note from the founder...
My name is Marialejandra and I grew up in a warm, vibrant, and beautifully chaotic country called Venezuela, surrounded by a close-knit family who introduced me to the concept of community engagement.
Due to the political situation in my country, I found a new home in Canada in 2018. The support received from different agencies during my settlement journey as an immigrant made me aware of the importance of social services for a healthy society. This experience motivated me to support social-focused organizations not only in Canada but wherever needed.
However, social service was not always my thing. I transitioned from a job as a civil engineer to becoming a facilitator and coaching consultant. I also co-owned a bakery for a brief time which turned out to be another work-related experience that I treasure. These career transitions came with a lot of personal development challenges and key learnings and made me realize that anything is possible with the right attitude and a support system.
My passion for women empowerment initiatives is linked to the many references of resilient, and independent women that I grew up with, who taught me what is possible for women when we trust in ourselves and support each other.
How all started
As an immigrant, I learned that while in my experience women had strong support to fulfill their aspirations, it is unfortunately not the same for other women around the world. This harsh reality eventually became a motivation for me to engage in initiatives to reduce the gender gap.
The unconditional professional and personal support I have received from different women in my journey as an immigrant is another inspiration to do the same for others.
I believe in the balance and positive impact that more women in leadership can create in modern society. I also believe that individual and social wellbeing are fundamental human rights, and we all can contribute to that by saying yes to learning experiences that can bring us closer to living in alignment with our values. I believe that there is no more urgent work in life than creating a meaningful life, and we all need support with that! These are some core beliefs that have inspired Expansion Works.
If any of these lived experiences or beliefs resonate with you I would love to connect and use them to support your own goals
Photo by Bethan Lodewyk
Photo by Abelardo Perez