Mary Tangelder

Senior Associate

Mary Tangelder believes that “the stories we inherit shape what we see as possible”—a perspective that has guided more than two decades of work at the intersection of story and systems change. She partners with leaders, organizations, and networks around the world to uncover the deeper narratives shaping transformation, using storytelling as a tool for healing, bridging divides, and imagining new futures.

Mary’s career spans work with former foster youth in Canada—where she helped lead Legislative Assembly hearings that won landmark policy changes—to supporting the senior leadership team at the Mastercard Foundation in adopting a systems change approach that transformed its strategy and made it Africa’s largest philanthropic institution. Internationally, she helped establish the first Master’s program in Education in Emergencies, developed experiential learning approaches now embedded in 14 national curricula across Asia and Africa, and launched teacher training programs that shifted classrooms from rote memorization to participatory, critical pedagogy.

Having lived more than a decade in Africa and Asia and worked in 25+ countries across four continents, Mary brings a global perspective rooted in deep listening and restoration. She is also an artist and community builder, continually exploring overlooked stories as sources of resilience, connection, and possibility.