Regenerative solutions to advance community development

Equipping changemakers to generate & sustain transformation

Build Capacity to Deliver Impact

Reimagine Capacity Building

MRL Strategies is a boutique advisory firm based in Raleigh, NC equipping changemakers to build capacity that delivers impact.

We partner with missions across the nation advancing community development that are navigating critical inflections. Our work strengthens infrastructure, mobilizes investments, and amplifies influence to co-create sustainable, just futures.

Our values-driven approach is grounded in the belief that building capacity requires generating and sustaining internal transformation over time. That means understanding context to co-develop a cohesive strategy beyond temporary fixes and address both human and organization design. That is why we developed a proprietary method, IMPACT Delivery, rooted in proven principles and practices. 

Advisory Services

We bring expertise across governance, strategy, and organizational design to deliver tailored support through executive coaching, strategic consulting, and collaborative facilitation. Our approach combines rigor with adaptability to co-create solutions that are both responsive and sustainable.

Each engagement is customized, yet our work consistently draws on a suite of core expertise that bridges principles and practice.

  • Growth Architecture for Stability: Sustainable traction demands strong foundations. We help organizations architect the systems, operations, and governance to establish growth readiness. Whether designing new initiatives or integrating innovation in day-to-day execution, we help community developers remain steady, adapt with ease, and keep the mission moving forward.

  • Mission-Aligned Capital & Collaboration: Sustainable growth thrives on the right resources and relationships. We help organizations identify, attract, and engage funders, investors, and partners whose values align with your mission. From designing compelling blended capital stack to structuring equity-driven partnerships anchored in shared value, we position you to mobilize the capital and collaboration needed for community development finance.

  • Building Power & Shaping the Narrative: Growing your impact means building power. We help organizations strengthen their presence, amplify their message, and build credibility with the audiences that matter most. By cultivating networks, thought leadership, and community trust, we position you to expand your reach and co-lead the narrative shift that shape your field.

  • Stewardship Through Pivotal Transitions: Pivotal moments can test a mission’s stability and agility from leadership transitions to multi-entity restructures to the leap from grassroots to regional scale. We provide steady guidance to help balance immediate demands with long-term sustainability for community development ecosystems. By aligning people, processes, and strategy, we ensure transitions are seamless and build capacity to carry the vision with confidence.

The Difference We Make

  • "The hands-on approach helped me navigate some complex challenges and centered me in leading time-sensitive projects. I highly recommend working with MRL Strategies to anyone looking to elevate your leadership or organizational performance. "

    Joy G., Development Director
    Executive Coaching Client

  • "May is very insightful and asks curious questions to get you thinking more deeply... generated a major "aha" moment, when we finally landed on a product that there could be a demand for. This was a major turning point and I feel more empowered on my journey."

    Cheryl W., Social Enterprise Founder
    Strategic Consulting Client

Who We Work With

Community Builders & Investors

We partner with mission-driven changemakers committed to building just, sustainable futures by developing, engaging, and investing in communities. Our clients are advancing shared prosperity and opportunity through comprehensive community and economic development. They span sectors yet share a common need: strategic clarity, deep alignment, and trusted partnership to build capacity that generates and sustains transformation to deliver impact.

  • Working across systems and sectors to mobilize resources and relationships, clarify shared goals, and facilitate deep collaboration

  • Designing capacity-building initiatives, technical assistance programs, or ecosystem-strengthening investments to support grantee or partner alignment.

  • Seeking strategic alignment, program design, or community development initiatives that require stakeholder engagement, funding strategy, or infrastructure refinement.

  • Building or refining impact business models, expanding into new markets, or seeking support in operational strategy, investment readiness, or mission-aligned growth.

Meet the Founder & Principal

A woman with curly, highlighted hair wearing a black top, smiling at the camera.

Maybelyn Rodríguez Laureano, MBA, MSIRE (she/her)

Impact Strategiest | Community Development Advocate

  • May is a former nonprofit executive turned entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience in the social sector. Prior to founding MRL Strategies in 2024, she built an interdisciplinary career dedicated to reimagining pathways for shared prosperity.

    She has raised millions in philanthropic support, led regional alliances, and advanced policy advocacy initiatives across housing, equity, and climate. Her extensive board service includes the Community Opportunity Alliance, Miami-Dade Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and the City of Fayetteville Planning Commission among others.

    As a 2025 Open Access Fellow, May worked with a national association advancing equity in commercial real estate, and she has been invited to speak and present with institutions including the University of Miami and the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact.

    • Community Development Certificate, Novogradac

    • 2025 Fellow, Open Access

    • Leadership Miami, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce

    • Leadership Development Program, United Way of Cumberland County

    • Institute for Community Leadership, City of Fayetteville

    • Citizens Academy, City of Fayetteville

    • Master of Science in Real Estate, Florida International University

    • Master of Business Administration in Project Management, Fayetteville State University

    • Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Fayetteville State University

The Reframe: Principles in Praxis

Thoughts on the intersection of capacity, capital, and community.