Maya Kurien
Public Affairs | Politics | Policy
About Maya
Maya Kurien is a relationship-driven project manager and public affairs professional with 10+ years driving diverse stakeholders towards a shared goal. She currently consults for nonprofit entities on back-end operations and other matters.
Maya most recently served as Vice President of Advocacy at the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY). In this role, she led complex issue-based campaigns on real estate-related topics such as housing, economic development, land use, environmental remediation, and tax incentives. Maya was also responsible for managing the REBNY Technology committee and associated initiatives. At REBNY, she secured extensions of critical economic development tax incentives that are responsible for generating $100M+ in economic activity statewide, launched new 501c4 affiliates to advance industry policy priorities, and built new strategic partnerships with external stakeholders to support the organization’s legislative and policy efforts. Her campaigns were covered by the New York Times, Daily News, NY1, amNY, and Buffalo News, among others. Her thoughts have appeared in City Limits, Crain's, the Commercial Observer, and Bisnow.
Maya previously served in a variety of roles in New York City and State government with her most recent role as Executive Director of Government Affairs at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). She has guest lectured for undergraduate and graduate classes at Cornell and Pace Universities.
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Outside of work, Maya serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for HOPE Community, Inc. and on the Board of Directors of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. In 2024, Maya was named to City and State's NYC 40 Under 40 List. Maya is a long-suffering Manchester United fan known for her eclectic music playlists and an admittedly sporadic travel blogger.
Maya holds a BA in Social Anthropology from SOAS, University of London and an MSc in Public Policy from University College London. She has also completed coursework in Project Management from Harvard University.
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Learn more about Maya's professional experience & network on her LinkedIn.
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