Maura Shea

Maura Shea serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at the Segal Design Institute, leveraging her 12+ years of experience building innovation departments at Feeding America, YMCA of the USA, and IDEO to transform social service delivery through human-centered design approaches.

Her academic background includes:

• Master of Design (M.Design) from the Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Chicago
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Macalester College, St. Paul, MN

Her research focuses on applying data-driven methodologies to community food security challenges, examining how digital tools can strengthen collective impact initiatives within social services ecosystems. She pioneers systems entrepreneurship frameworks that bridge design thinking with practical social service transformation, emphasizing measurable community outcomes through cross-sector collaboration.

Currently leading a project collaboration on community food security analytics, she develops digital solutions that empower stakeholders to visualize resource gaps and coordinate interventions. Her work integrates design innovation with real-world social service infrastructure to create scalable models for community resilience.