Mahal Projects is home to Mara Gladstone, an arts and culture professional with two decades of experience as a curator, project manager, fashion consultant, educator and writer. Her commitment to placemaking and nurturing connections between creatives and the environment has been essential to her work, whether within museums or in the public realm. She received degrees in Visual and Cultural Studies from the University of Rochester (PhD, MA) and Brown University (BA).

Mara lives and works in California and New York.