Maria Walley's Linkedin Analytics

In short? Maria Walley is a storyteller with a knack for building a brand's voice. In-depth? Well, here are more words: Before co-founding Kandid.ly (Techstars Austin '16), an online marketplace for photographers, in 2014, she worked in both in-house marketing departments and agencies, garnering experience building a brand's content. Meanwhile, she freelanced for a New York startup, Verily Magazine, the first women's magazine with a no-photoshop policy, featured on The Queen Latifah Show and the Huffington Post for its refreshing "real" approach to women's issues. This job turned into full-time after she joined as a section editor in 2017, where she managed over 30 freelancers for the most read section: Relationships — helping garner over 1M unique page views per month with SEO. Afterward, she served as a freelance writer and consultant, helping non-writers become content creators by supporting Microsoft in creating Microsoft Learn. She also developed content for Procter & Gamble in venture and consumer spaces. Smaller clients included ethiXbase, a leader in risk mitigation and anti-corruption, as well as niche startups, such as Corsa Lusso, a subscription-based coffee brand (which won her an ADDY award with her husband, Jason), and Monk Manual, a 90-day planner that accounts for the whole person to become more effective and efficient. In early 2021, she met up with fellow Techstars Austin '16 alum, Deepak Sekar, and ex-Microsoft engineer, Pranav Mehta. Together, they started Prof Jim, a company revolutionizing education by helping educators and publishers create content with AI tech. She spends her days writing scripts, editing lesson plans, and collaborating with her in-house teaching team. Currently, she lives with three men: her husband and two little boys, in an artsy little river town called Cincinnati, where her best friend Joe Burrow also lives. She enjoys writing (for outlets like @GrottoNetwork), reading fiction, and traveling with her family in her spare time. She holds a B.A. from the University of Dallas, majoring in English on a Fine Arts scholarship. Check out her current work and team at www.profjim.com. They leverage AI to transform text lessons into interactive and immersive experiences, fundamentally changing how students connect with their textbooks.