In Conversation with Betty and Ismail

A lot has happened this year, hasn’t it? 

The psychedelic ecosystem is evolving, and like any community seeking collective impact and a population-wide outcome — like Healing for All — it is time for us to evolve into new ways of being, relating, and collaborating. 

For nearly 40 years, MAPS has led the psychedelic movement with evidence-based approaches to changing policies, advancing research, and evolving education. MAPS’ flagship project — seeding the effort to make MDMA into a medicine — has birthed a new field that will drive efforts for psychedelic FDA approval with or without the movement. As clinical and real-world research continues to flourish, MAPS and our team have been dedicated to public education and community building to strengthen the foundation of the movement for legal, responsible access to psychedelics for healing, spirituality, and personal growth — even outside of the medical model. 
Despite all of this progress, there is a long way to go — but more than ever, the movement finds itself collectively navigating through uncharted waters. Thankfully, we’ve traversed the unknown many times, and your support reminds us that we’re not navigating alone. 

It is remarkable that we’ve made it this far — but the road hasn’t been easy. Psychedelics are exceptional in some ways, but the psychedelic ecosystem is not immune to the complex power dynamics, resource constraints, and ethical dilemmas that show up everywhere else in society. Well-meaning efforts — including our own — have been impacted by predictable market dynamics and all-too-familiar economic incentives.

These reality checks are an invitation to move even more intentionally, and we recognize an opportunity for growth when we see one. We’ve had to learn hard lessons and, at times, adapt to imperfect systems that risk making our optimistic intentions unrecognizable. With open-hearted leadership cultivated by a visionary community, we still remain committed to making Healing for All a reality.

Many people have asked us why MAPS chose us both to lead at this time. The answer is easy: the future is collaborative. Our paired leadership approach offers an exciting opportunity to play to our strengths, inspire innovative solutions, and model the interdependent reality of our movement today. A multidisciplinary organization needs multidisciplinary leadership that can rise to today’s challenges – and we’re deeply honored to do so alongside our colleagues and community. 

As the new Co-Executive Directors, we’re committed to leading MAPS and guiding the psychedelic ecosystem toward a safer, more compassionate, and more responsible post-prohibition future. Going forward, MAPS is entering its next stage as the movement’s compass, pointing toward a future where psychedelics benefit humanity. We are evolving, but much of our work remains the same: tending to common ground, building bridges, and changing perceptions by creating accessible educational materials for the public, such as the MAPS Bulletin. We’re excited to share more with you about our next steps – including what we’re doing for MAPS’ 40th anniversary! – in the new year. 

Thank you for supporting MAPS, 

Betty Aldworth & Ismail “Izzy” Lourido Ali
Co-Executive Directors