About IWF Consulting
Dr. Imani Woody
“People are complex human beings, living lives that include the intersections of race, class, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age and so much more. As human beings our lives are also shaped by the institutions in which we develop and grow; we learn to define ourselves within our families, our schools, and our religious traditions. As we age as LGBTQ+SGL (same-gender loving) elders in particular, we begin to understand the complexities of having more than one intersectionality (and we all have more than two!) and the communities that they create and the resilience that is fostered.”
Abbreviated Bio
Dr. Woody is an internationally and nationally recognized thought leader and an advocate of women, people of color and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/same gender loving (LGBTQ+/SGL) people for more than 25 years. She has spoken out about the circumstances of elder LGBTQ+/SGL individuals and the specific jeopardies that LGBTQ+/SGL elders of color face as they age.
Dr. Woody brought these perspectives and decades of community praxis to the 2015 White House Summit on LGBT Elder Housing Development and as a panelist at the White House’s National LGBT Elder Housing Symposium in 2019. In 2021, Dr. Woody was invited to the White House by Vice President Kamala Harris to join a small, intimate group to discuss issues that impact LGBTQ/SGL elders. Most recently, she was invited by the Biden administration to meet with its highest-ranking lesbians to discuss matters impacting lesbians and women loving women and has presented on LGBTQ+ SGL elder issues at Congressional briefings and for other federal agency staffers. Dr. Woody Macko has secured funding required to begin construction of a 15-room communal residence in Washington, DC and the only one in the country, as well as creating The Villages of Mary’s House, a virtual Village community concept. Dr. Woody retired from AARP to become a pioneer in the building of alternative housing and creating welcoming environments. She is the founder and CEO of Mary’s House for Older Adults, (MHFOA) with the vision and commitment to serve LGBTQ+/SGL elders, experiencing housing insecurity and isolation.
In addition, Dr. Woody has secured funding required to begin construction of a 15-room communal residence in Washington, DC and the only one in the country, as well as creating The Villages of Mary’s House, a virtual Village community concept.
A recipient of many honors and awards, Dr. Woody was a 2020 Encore Fellow and was one of five winners of the coveted 2023 AARP Purpose Prize and a winner of the 2023 Wisdom Award from the National Black Justice Coalition.
She has a doctorate in Human Services, specializing in Public Service Leadership
Maria Carrasquillo, M.A, ACC
Maria is a Sr. Consultant with IWF Consulting. In her role, she partners with clients to lead projects related to organizational effectiveness, change management, and DEIB initiatives.
Maria delivered organizational strategy development to nonprofit and private sectors linked to employee engagement, cultural transformation, equity and inclusion, and training. Maria has led projects and project teams in the design, delivery, and evaluation of enterprise-wide efforts in areas such as learning and performance, executive coaching, change management and high-impact leadership development.
Maria is credentialed by the International Coach Federation (ICF) as an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and earned her B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Business Management. She is certified in various behavioral assessments to include MBTI, EQi2.0, Hogan Assessments, IDI Qualified Administrator, and Conflict Dynamic Profile (CDP).
