About Leah Maki

When I co-founded Relevate One, it wasn’t just about starting a business—it was about solving a real problem I saw in multifamily developments. There was a clear gap in how technology, particularly access control and surveillance, was being implemented in these environments. Residents wanted security and convenience, but many solutions in the market either missed the mark or were too complex to manage.

Starting as a small team, we didn’t have massive resources. But we had a vision: to deliver tailored, cutting-edge solutions that improved safety, simplified processes, and made property management more efficient. The journey wasn’t without challenges—there were doubts from potential clients, technical hurdles, and even moments where we questioned our capacity to compete with big-name players.

One pivotal moment came when we pitched to a national property management firm. They loved the concept but doubted our ability to execute on the scale they needed. Instead of getting defensive, we leaned into transparency. We showed them our roadmap, the partnerships we’d built, and the steps we were taking to ensure scalability. We admitted where we were still growing but demonstrated our commitment to excellence.

Fast forward to today, Relevate isn’t just a business—it’s a platform for innovation and empowerment. We’ve carved out a niche in luxury apartment and condominium security solutions and have a growing funnel of opportunities. 

The takeaway for you as WBEs? Leadership is about clarity of vision, adaptability, and the courage to admit what you don’t know while taking bold steps to grow into what’s possible. Sometimes, the greatest leadership strength is turning doubt into an opportunity for trust and partnership.

Women-Owned Business Certification

Relevate One is proud to be a women-owned business certified in the State of Missouri.

This certification recognizes businesses that are majority owned, operated, and controlled by women and allows organizations like Relevate One to participate in supplier diversity initiatives across both public and private sector projects.

Our certification enables developers, contractors, and public-sector organizations to meet diversity participation goals while partnering with a highly experienced technology integrator specializing in security and low-voltage infrastructure.

Relevate One regularly collaborates with general contractors, developers, municipalities, and enterprise organizations that prioritize supplier diversity as part of their procurement and project development processes.

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