Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Niza Disla. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Niza thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
My path to founding Meraki Path wasn’t linear. It was a culmination of experiences that shaped me and was grounded in curiosity and a drive to redefine what’s possible. My path started in the Bronx, infused with the entrepreneurial spirit of my father and enriched by my Dominican, Mexican, and Puerto Rican heritage, as well as my Mayan and Taino lineage. From a young age, I was the kid who dismantled the known to discover myriad ways it could be reassembled. The concept of “assemble” followed me, laying the groundwork for what was to come. Essentially, I never liked working in a box. My professional career began in children’s entertainment licensing, where I had the opportunity early on to engage directly with C-level executives and the freedom to explore the multifaceted world of licensing, acquisitions, media buying, and promotional partnerships. Curious from the experience working with agencies, I transitioned to work on the agency side of the business. It was here, amidst the creative chaos, I discovered that my superpower was to envision and enact new frameworks of operation.
I joined Marvel during the nascent stages of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which was fertile ground for reimagining partnerships and operational frameworks. Here, I found myself again—with what would become a pattern—in a yet-to-be-defined role, creating from the ground up—my entrepreneurial spirit, already in motion. I worked to assemble partners and teams for the films leading to the Avengers, to then work with the living embodiments of them.
After Marvel, I made the decision to go on a nearly year-long solo backpacking adventure that profoundly shaped my path. This wasn’t a sabbatical but a journey of healing and learning. I had the opportunity to sit with and learn from different indigenous leaders and understand, through lived experience, their model for living. In this, I also healed from many ailments I had before I left. This journey wasn’t just about healing; it was about learning—a realization of how interconnected wellness, business, and social impact truly are.
With a renewed sense of purpose, I dove into roles that bridged the gap between wellness and corporate worlds. I, again, entered an industry and role I had never done and worked at a non-profit that brought yoga to children in New York City classrooms. Here, I learned about the non-profit model and introduced new ways of partnership. I remember asking myself what it would look like if wellness, corporate, and impact merged. This question was answered with The Assemblage, a co-working/co-living community that believed in doing well by doing good..
Meraki Path emerged from a vision to address a critical gap I observed: the lack of integration between wellness practices and business development, particularly in spaces that were predominantly male-dominated and lacked diversity in approach and leadership. With my background in managing multi-million dollar accounts and spearheading impactful initiatives like the Matrix of wOmEN and partnerships with indigenous communities through Napusamai, I understood the unique position I was in to create a platform that could truly marry ancient wisdom with modern business strategies.
I knew the world was ready for the Meraki Path—a strategic impact studio that envisions a world where visionary innovation merges with collective well-being, and where the feminine approach to business and wellness redefines leadership and creation.
Our mission at Meraki Path goes beyond mere business development; it’s about creating ecosystems where wellness is not an afterthought but the foundation. We specialize in unicorn projects—those that seem impossible but have the potential to redefine industries. From enhancing operational efficiency and cultural immersion with Napusamai to fostering global unity through meditation at Matrix of wOmEN, we’ve proven that integrating wellness and business leads not only to individual growth but to a positive, widespread impact.
At Meraki Path, we stand out not just by what we offer but by how we offer it. Our approach is deeply feminine, drawing on the intuitive, the nurturing, and the transformative power of creation. Many wellness offerings do not center the people or the traditions they stem from. We do. We honor the lineage and wisdom of those who came before us, partnering with individuals that embody their teachings to weave spaces that heal, inspire, and create impact. This isn’t just business; it’s a movement towards a world where every act of creation is healing and an expression of love and intention.
The logic behind Meraki Path’s potential for success stems from a deep market analysis and firsthand observations of a growing trend towards holistic wellness and sustainable business practices. In a world increasingly defined by experiences and values over possessions, Meraki Path stands at the intersection of personal development and strategic business growth. We aim to fill a unique niche by providing an integrated approach that honors ancient wisdom while navigating modern market dynamics. The strength of Meraki Path is in partnerships that go beyond transactions to touch the very essence of our being. It integrates wellness tools as a mode to optimize performance for the entire ecosystem, rooted in the belief that the most profound transformations occur when we create with a commitment to making a tangible difference in the world, together.
In essence, Meraki Path represents the convergence of my life’s work, experiences, and the belief that we can create more meaningful, impactful, and balanced ways of living and doing business. With two decades of bridging worlds—from Marvel’s universes to sacred indigenous teachings—I’ve seen the power of uniting personal and business growth through genuine connection. Meraki Path is the embodiment of this journey—knowing that now, more than ever, the world needs spaces where wellness is not just practiced but is the very foundation of our collective future. It’s a platform for those ready to embark on a journey of transformation, grounded in authenticity, intention, and collective well-being- for people, the planet and purpose.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Niza, and I’m the Founder and Vision Doula (a title given to me by my late grandmother as a way to express what I do) of Meraki Path, a strategic impact studio born out of my rich tapestry of experiences, lineage, and a profound journey of self-discovery. My roots trace back to the Bronx, with a strong Dominican, Mexican, and Puerto Rican lineage, interwoven with Taino and Mayan ancestry. This diverse background has shaped my approach to life and work, fueling my mission to bridge the gap between personal growth and business development. Over the past two decades, I’ve collaborated with the world’s leading brands and visionaries, uncovering the intrinsic link between personal evolution and business success. My extensive experience spans the corporate, private, and non-profit sectors, encompassing Entertainment, Education, Advertising, Wellness, Tech, and Hospitality. This journey has taken me to nearly 50 countries, where I’ve lived with indigenous communities, engaged in sacred practices, and contributed to volunteer projects. Each chapter taught me the value of integrating diverse perspectives and disciplines, a lesson that has been the cornerstone of my work with Meraki Path.
Meraki Path embodies the Greek essence of “meraki” — doing something with soul, creativity, and love; leaving a piece of yourself in your work. Our mission is to collaborate with visionary leaders, organizations, and companies, weaving personal and business development with ancient wisdom and contemporary systems. We specialize in tailoring ecosystems that champion purposeful growth, positive change, and align with the profound power of meraki to foster genuine, impactful connections for the benefit of people, the planet, and collective purpose.
One pivotal moment in my journey was a year-long solo backpacking adventure, where I immersed myself in indigenous cultures and healing practices that not only offered profound healing from physical ailments but also a shift in my worldview, emphasizing the interconnectedness of wellness, business, and social impact. These experiences, coupled with my roles at Marvel and The Assemblage, highlighted the limitations of conventional approaches and the power of tailoring unique ecosystems that align with both personal and organizational growth.
This led to the foundation of Meraki Path — a strategic impact studio dedicated to redefining leadership and creation through a feminine lens, celebrating the nurturing, intuitive, and transformative power of creation. We stand apart by centering on the people and the traditions behind our wellness modalities, honoring lineage and wisdom while crafting spaces that heal, inspire, and create lasting impact.
I am particularly proud of how Meraki Path serves as a bridge, connecting heart-centered CEOs, founders, and companies with unique ecosystems that propel both personal and business growth. We specialize in creating ecosystems that blend modern business strategies with ancient wisdom, offering services that range from partnership development to retreat curation, all aimed at fostering holistic growth and transformation. Our unique approach lies in our commitment to authenticity, integrating wellness at the foundation of business development, and our contribution to preserving indigenous knowledge and practices.
What sets Meraki Path apart is not just the services we offer but how we offer them — with our deep feminine approach to leadership and creation, recognizing the transformative power of intuitive, nurturing, and creative energies in reshaping the business landscape. We have a deep respect for the traditions we draw from and a clear focus on creating sustainable, meaningful change. I want potential clients to know that Meraki Path is more than a business; it’s a movement towards a future where every act of creation is an act of love, intention, and meraki.
We invite you to join us on this transformative journey, where together, we can co-create a future that honors our collective well-being, cherishes our planet, and celebrates living with purpose. What’s your Meraki?
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
There’s a saying about being a ‘creature of routine’. I’d say I’m a ‘creator of change’ , and according to the Gene Keys, a personal development system, also a Creator of Peace. My life’s journey has been about embracing constant change and finding ways to create harmony and balance. Currently, I’m living in the pivot, and truth be told, since 2020, this is something we’re all experiencing if we’re connected to what it means to be living in these times. We’ve had to learn how to regulate our nervous systems at some level amidst the ebbs and flows. In 2022, I returned home to care for my grandmother, who was a second mother and helped raise me. This became the most profound chapter of my life. Being her in-home hospice caretaker taught me invaluable lessons about life in a truncated amount of time. It was poetic how the roles reversed and how we, as women, often don’t trust our intuition. My grandmother shared deep wisdom during this time, and in parallel, I had recently pivoted from the corporate world to independent contract work. This transition challenged me to delve into the essence of what I was creating with Meraki Path and, more importantly, my why. A question I was evading while observing my grandmother at the end of her life was, “What will I do with this one precious life?” She would also often ask me what I did and she named me a Vision Doula as a way to describe, so that is now the title I use, a gift from her. When she passed, I made a promise to myself to trust my intuition and the timing of my life and to make choices that honor our life and time here. I’m here to help people realize their visions for our collective wellbeing.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Some resources that have significantly impacted my management and entrepreneurial thinking are, not surprisingly, rooted in personal development. While I’ve learned a great deal from “Becoming Supernatural” by Dr. Joe Dispenza, “The Body Keeps the Score” by Bessel van der Kolk, and platforms like Mindvalley and courses by Tony Robbins and Jain 108 etc., I noticed a male dominance in this space. This observation led me to seek wisdom from women and indigenous leaders, like the Mayan Midwives in Guatemala, diving into modalities that bring the energetics of nature and plant medicines, into quantum business planning. This exploration taught me, especially as a woman, the importance of aligning our business practices with our natural cycles and intuition, an approach overlooked in modern business practices. My experience and educational background, with dual degrees in International Business and Marketing from Penn State, has also provided a solid foundation for my work. However, it is my training in the Akashic Records and Mayan Abdominal Massage that truly shapes my unique approach to guiding visionary business strategies.
At Meraki Path, we embody this holistic integration, particularly aiding women-owned businesses to harness their unique strengths. By reconnecting them with their bodies and natural rhythms, we use these insights as powerful tools for business development. It’s about creating a sustainable balance, where we’re in tune with nature and our deeper selves.
My life’s work is about bridging worlds. This was epitomized in a recent initiative where, alongside a collective, we mobilized a global effort to unite women across continents through sound meditation, tied to Earth’s key energy vortices. This event not only showcased the power of the collective but also underscored the importance of integrating indigenous wisdom into our lives and businesses.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.merakipath.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nxd123/
Image Credits
N/A I have the rights