Meet Makya
Makya (muh-KÍA) Renée Little (she/her) is a Creative professional, certified Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) practitioner, and Survivor of domestic violence.
Makya was born in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, and raised in a military family. She began elementary school in Berlin, Germany, and—upon the fall of the Berlin wall—her family relocated to Highland Park, Illinois. Her mother separated from the U.S. Army and became an FBI Special Agent, leading her family to relocate to Prince George’s County, Maryland, in 1991. Another FBI transfer to Quantico, Virginia, moved Makya’s family to Prince William County, Virginia, in 1996. However, upon being accepted to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Makya commuted to Fairfax County for high school. During her junior year, she received a full academic scholarship to Florida A&M University and began her matriculation there in 2000. Makya earned a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design with a minor in Computer Information Systems in 2004, a Master of Arts in Graphic Design from George Mason University in 2012, and a certificate in Leading Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Northwestern University in 2021.
“You know, a lot of times we don’t know the power that we have as an individual... it’s people like you—and I keep telling people that we who have benefited from an education, it is up to us to take ahold of something and run with it. Believe me, because you feel so strongly about it, there are other people who feel the same way that you feel.”
— Congressman Elijah Cummings, Howard University, April 18, 2019
Makya entered into public service as a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) employee in 2009, and as an education equity advocate in 2019. Inspired and assisted by the late Congressman Elijah Cummings, she engaged with the administration of Governor Ralph Northam regarding the lack of African American history in public education. With Executive Order Thirty Nine, Makya was appointed as a member of the Virginia Commission on African American History Education on August 24, 2019.
“Don’t underestimate your power... That’s what leadership is all about! You can be a leader. And God has given you an education, has given you the wherewithal, and—guess what—He’s given you three beautiful children to lift up. And you can do it. And nobody may ever say thank you. Nobody may ever acknowledge it, but you’ll know that you made a difference.”
— Congressman Elijah Cummings, Howard University, April 18, 2019
Previously, Makya served as a Group Chief within the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Diversity and Inclusion Office with a focus on reasonable accommodations, accessibility, and disability inclusion. She is the owner of Mareta Creations, a communications and design company; engages youth and organizations within her community as a motivational speaker; and continues to be a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion thought leader and advocate within local, state, and federal government.
Most recently, Makya became the Founder and Chief Executive Director of The Phoenix Phoundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) aimed at eliminating generational cycles of abuse and domestic violence. Previously, she served as President/CEO of TJ Alumni Action Group, Inc., a 501(c)(4) focused on enhancing accessibility, inclusion, and innovation within STEM education, and as a charter member of the Virginia African American Superintendent’s Advisory Council. Makya also served on the Board of Directors of the Northern Virginia Delta Education and Community Service Foundation and as a Director of the TJ Partnership Fund. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and served as co-chair of the Lewis Academy NOW “See it, Be it!” Speaker Series.
Makya resides in Northern Virginia with her three children.
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