Ariel Matz Consulting

Ariel Matz Consulting Your Partner in Meaningful Inclusion ☀️ Welcome to Ariel Matz Consulting!

I’m an educator, consultant, and community collaborator passionate about helping individuals with disabilities shine in school, at work, and in our communities. With over 15 years of experience beginning with Teach for America, I’ve served as a special educator, instructional coach, and Equity Lead—leading initiatives that foster inclusive, strengths-based environments. I hold a Bachelor’s degree from Emory University and a Master’s in Special Education from Loyola Marymount University, foundations that have shaped my commitment to meaningful, person-centered education. As a leader in Fairfax County Public Schools, I trained through VCU’s Center on Transition Innovations, deepening my expertise in person-centered planning and supported employment. Today, through Ariel Matz Consulting, I partner with organizations across Pittsburgh to strengthen inclusion practices, design meaningful programs and curricula, and build collaborations that open doors for individuals with disabilities. At the heart of my work is a belief that everyone deserves to feel valued and have meaningful opportunities to grow, contribute, and belong.

Our Inclusive Dance Party at  was such an incredible night. A room full of adults across abilities dancing, connecting, ...
02/12/2026

Our Inclusive Dance Party at was such an incredible night. A room full of adults across abilities dancing, connecting, and fully being themselves — with just the right amount of millennial dance floor magic (yes, the Backstreet Boys and cha cha slide absolutely had their moments). 💃

The joy was real. The welcome was real. The community was real.

So grateful to partner with the , .pgh , and the to create spaces like these!

Huge thank you to for bringing the throwback energy, and to our volunteers who helped everything run so smoothly.

This is what inclusive community looks like 💛

This little business keeps changing and growing… and so do I! More partnerships.More inclusive spaces.More opportunities...
02/05/2026

This little business keeps changing and growing… and so do I!

More partnerships.
More inclusive spaces.
More opportunities.
More belonging!

Grateful every day for this community and the chance to give back to it. 🖤 💛🖤

Little bits of sunshine on cold Pittsburgh days ☀️🖤☀️🖤☀️    #412
01/27/2026

Little bits of sunshine on cold Pittsburgh days ☀️🖤☀️🖤☀️

#412

So grateful to start the new year moving, breathing, and connecting with my community! Huge thanks to  for leading such ...
01/08/2026

So grateful to start the new year moving, breathing, and connecting with my community!

Huge thanks to for leading such a thoughtful and fun yoga class, and to for the beautiful fitness studio. I loved sharing the mat with friends from Young Adult Network and the Gesher Program!

This is what inclusive wellness and programming looks like: welcoming, adaptable, joyful, and rooted in community. Looking forward to much more of this in 2026 ✨

What an honor to thank  for her advocacy around employment for adults with disabilities, and to be supporting the  Train...
12/12/2025

What an honor to thank for her advocacy around employment for adults with disabilities, and to be supporting the Training Program—building thoughtful, meaningful pathways toward employment in collaboration with and our community! 🐰💕

Proud to be consulting with JCC Pittsburgh on their growing Supported Employment Initiative! Watching Pedro thrive in hi...
12/08/2025

Proud to be consulting with JCC Pittsburgh on their growing Supported Employment Initiative! Watching Pedro thrive in his very first job — just a few weeks into his role in Food Services — has been a powerful reminder of what’s possible when communities create truly inclusive pathways for adults with disabilities. Grateful for our work together and excited for what’s ahead!

As I was preparing to begin my very first position at the JCC back in 2016, our esteemed former colleague Rachel Marcus ended a tour of the Squirrel Hill facility by bringing me into the Kaufmann Dance Studio, where the Gesher program participants were gathered. She paused, pointed gently toward the

Back in September, I was lucky to support the launch of The Collab — bringing together  ,  ,  , and  to create more conn...
11/24/2025

Back in September, I was lucky to support the launch of The Collab — bringing together , , , and to create more connected, inclusive opportunities for adults with disabilities in Pittsburgh.

Just a few months in, and the momentum is real. Game nights are growing, meetups are happening across organizations, and a full lineup of holiday celebrations is on the way! ✨

Huge thank you to the for featuring this work. Excited for what’s ahead… especially January’s dance party — stay tuned! 💃💃💃

Thank you  for helping us raise inclusive kiddos 🖤💛🖤💛
11/04/2025

Thank you for helping us raise inclusive kiddos 🖤💛🖤💛

✨ So excited to walk the walk with friends and family for    Nov 2nd! Every step and every donation directly supports th...
10/26/2025

✨ So excited to walk the walk with friends and family for Nov 2nd!

Every step and every donation directly supports the inclusive programming , , and will offer for all ages and abilities this coming year. 💛

Join The Bunny Babes team or donate to help inclusion thrive in our community! Link below

https://walk4friendship2025.funraise.org/fundraiser/ariel-matz-consulting

Some extra-sweet news (and behind-the-scenes photos!) from my favorite inclusive bakery —  —where inclusion, growth, and...
10/16/2025

Some extra-sweet news (and behind-the-scenes photos!) from my favorite inclusive bakery — —where inclusion, growth, and good coffee meet. 🐰❤️

This year, Bunny Bakes is being recognized as a CLASS Acts Community Hero for creating a supportive, accessible workplace that fosters growth, pride, and belonging.

Each cookie, scone, and seasonal treat represents hours of dedication from trainees, program managers, baristas and job coaches who make this place so special. I am so proud to work with each of you.

I was so honored to be interviewed for the Bunny Bakes 2025 CLASS Acts Community Heroes Awards tribute video as a consultant for the Bunny Bakes Training Program — and to celebrate a community that continues to lead with purpose, creativity, and heart.

Congratulations to the entire Bunny Bakes crew on this incredible recognition — you’ve built more than a bakery; you’ve built a model for what true inclusion looks like!

I just sent out an email about a local nonprofit I really believe in: Open Up. Over the past 10 years, they've built acc...
06/24/2025

I just sent out an email about a local nonprofit I really believe in: Open Up. Over the past 10 years, they've built accessible wellness programming—movement, mindfulness, and true inclusion for people with and without disabilities, together.

They’re facing a funding gap, and I’d love your help spreading the word.

🧡 Read more and get the link to support here:

I want to tell you about a local nonprofit I truly believe in: Open Up—a movement program that weaves together yoga, dance, breathwork, and improv to make mindfulness and connection accessible for people with and without disabilities, together.

I’m excited to share a project close to my heart: I’m partnering with  to launch an employment initiative for adults wit...
05/20/2025

I’m excited to share a project close to my heart: I’m partnering with to launch an employment initiative for adults with disabilities!

This effort focuses on creating inclusive, person-centered opportunities—helping adults build job skills, discover their strengths, and contribute in ways that truly matter.

What makes it even more special? The JCC isn’t just where my kids go to preschool or where we swim and dance—it’s also where I had some of my earliest inclusive experiences as a preschooler, camper, and counselor at Truly a full circle moment.

Grateful for this opportunity and our community. ❤️

Address

6327 Burchfield Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA
15217

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