Maria believes Innovation is a mindset, not a skill set. She has worked with a multitude of individuals from 8 to 80, and companies with the intent of helping to inspire and motivate them to sustain, grow, and succeed. With experience running strategy, corporate development, marketing and operations for large, mid- sized and start-up corporations such as Johnson & Johnson, Deloitte, Accenture, Monster.com, ZoomInfo, and now CEO of EVVEMI, Maria spent the last 20 years as an advisor and Senior Executive of technology, consumer products, and media/entertainment companies. As a Management Consulting Partner, CEO & CMO, she has raised over $3B in seed, venture capital, Private Equity, IPO and post IPO financings’ and achieved considerable returns for investors. In addition to founding companies with successful exits to Microsoft, IMG and Bosch, she has grown, turned around, companies and taken them public.

Maria's true passion lies with the youth of today. She has volunteered her time as a visiting teacher at John D. O'Bryan School of Mathematics and Science, and Director of Entrepreneurial Education for YouthCities working with children 8 to 18. Most notably, a group of her mentees at the age of 12 secured patents for the ability to translate text to voice, and she also advised an 8 year old and his family through the acquisition of his IP by Disney.