engagement designer · participation strategist · facilitator
hi, i'm mary-lynn. i design engagement that helps people and communities show up, understand and genuinely participate.
open to full-time roles, contracts & collaborationsdesigning people-centred engagement across youth, advocacy, community & digital spaces
about me
hi! i'm mary-lynn, an engagement designer with seven years of experience across youth programmes, community spaces, digital platforms, and large-scale events. i've worked at every level: from one-to-one relationship building with young people, to managing programmes with budgets up to 100k, to presenting at parliamentary select committees and representing aotearoa in international delegations across the uk, ireland, scotland, australia, and the usa.
i'm known for my collaborative practice. engagement is always thoughtfully designed with the core community centred. i lead through co-design, always asking who is in the room, who is missing. i'm relocating to the uk in april 2026 and am open to roles now.
how i can help →engagement is designed around audience needs, grounded in ethics and accessibility. it starts with why.
trust-building matters. engagement is built on understanding people, their context, and what might get in the way.
whether digital tools, visual storytelling or events, creativity makes participation clearer and easier to access.
engagement informs decisions, shapes systems, and leads to genuine connection and sustained participation.
portfolio
strategic reset of a flagship youth leadership programme. 25 new members recruited, 50 alumni re-engaged, and two large-scale events for 150+ participants.
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national advocacy campaign for voyce – whakarongo mai centring care-experienced young people's voices in the 2023 general election.
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designing and delivering the voyce – whakarongo mai youth movement through leadership development, wānanga, and sustained advocacy pathways for care-experienced young people.
read more →i'm open to full-time roles, contract work, and collaborations. relocating to the uk april 2026 — let's talk.