With more than four decades of leadership in corporate, nonprofit, and educational sectors, Gabriel Najera partners with mission-driven organizations to design strategies that drive social impact and long-term sustainability. As founder and president of Najera Consulting Group, he brings deep expertise in systems thinking, strategic planning, and collective impact to help organizations align purpose with measurable outcomes.

Gabriel has guided transformative initiatives nationwide. He has led multi-year strategic planning processes with organizations such as Instituto del Progreso Latino and the Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project, supported equity and leadership initiatives at MIT, Northeastern University, Florida International University (FIU), and helped national alliances like The 50K Coalition and the Engineering PLUS Alliance build coalitions to strengthen pathways in STEM. His unique Nonprofit Model for Social Impact integrates frameworks such as Systems Thinking, Results-Based Accountability (Turn-the-Curve Thinking), the Business Model Canvas, and Peter Drucker’s mission-driven principles to help organizations achieve clarity, focus, and resilience.

• Strategic Planning & Organizational Development
• Social Impact Strategy & Business Model Design
• Collective Impact & Cross-Sector Collaboration
• Systems Thinking & Results-Based Accountability (RBA)
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) Strategy
• Leadership Development, Resilience & Culture Change
• Workforce Development & Higher Education Innovation
• Board & Stakeholder Engagement
• Nonprofit Capacity-Building & Sustainability
• Program Design, Implementation & Evaluation
• Training, Facilitation & Curriculum Development

Selected Publications & Contributions

A thought leader, educator, and entrepreneur, Gabriel is the creator of the Mission Mastery Program, an online course equipping nonprofit leaders with practical tools for strategy and impact.

He contributed to the National Academy of Engineering’s report on Engineering Pathways, advancing strategies to strengthen student success in STEM. Gabriel is a co-author of the peer-reviewed research article Through their eyes: Understanding institutional factors that impact the transfer processes of Black engineering students published in the Journal of Engineering Education. His forthcoming book, Harvesting Wisdom: Cultivating Success Through Life’s Lessons, draws on his journey from farmworker to consultant, offering practical lessons on perseverance, purpose, and leadership grounded in life’s everyday experiences.

• MBA, Executive Program, University of Chicago — Emphasis: General Management (1992)
• Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Michigan State University — Emphasis: Transportation (1979)
• Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership (1995)
• Industrial Engineering studies, University of Michigan (1972–1973)
• Mechanical Engineering studies, General Motors Institute (1970–1971)