Maria Hess

Head of Venture Platform

2023 - Current

Head of Startup Programs

2022 - 2023

Partner and Head of Growth

2019 - 2022

Madrona Venture Labs is a venture studio, and we build multiple venture-scale startups each year. I lead the validation, customer discovery, zero-to-1 product traction, and development of playbooks for early-stage startups, including product-market fit (PMF), product-led growth (PLG), and go-to-market (GTM). In partnership with founders, I build companies in areas such as AI/ML, future of work, low/no code, and process automation.

Vice President, Marketing

2017 - 2018

I joined Likewise in the early stages to drive the successful launch of a Bill Gates-funded startup focused on delivering trusted entertainment, dining, and travel recommendations through a creative Android and iOS app. As the leader of a five-person team, I drove all aspects of earned, owned, and paid media including PR, positioning, app store optimization (ASO), social media, influencer outreach, email, and paid acquisition. Invited to participate in a live on-camera interview inside NYSE with Cheddar TV.

Chief Revenue Officer

2012 - 2017

(Acquired by Shutterstock) I joined PicMonkey, a design and photo-editing platform, as the Director of Monetization and earned a series of promotions, from Head of Growth and Marketing, and ultimately to Chief Revenue Officer. I led the team accountable for revenue growth and channel marketing and pursued business development opportunities to increase revenue and users through partnerships and new channels. I also implemented ad revenue monetization and optimizing original revenue source before subscriptions.

Product Management & Marketing

2010 - 2011

I delivered key insights to Google Photos and Google Plus products through the successful leadership of product management and marketing efforts. I also drove all monetization initiatives within SaaS subscription photo editor and Picnik.

Director, Monetization

2009 - 2010

Picnik, acquired by Google, was a photo-editing platform for consumers and SMBs. I designed and execute its ad monetization, creating a secondary source of revenue to subscriptions, prior to its acquisition.

Director, Strategy & Development

2003 - 2008

Media Solutions & Partner Marketing: Director, Strategy & Product Development, Jan 2005-2008 Senior Manager, Hotels, Destinations Services & Destination Management, 2004-2005 Account Executive, Hotels, Cruise, Destination Services, Tourism Boards, 2003-2004

Senior Product Manager

1999 - 2003

Senior Product Manager, Site Experience, Hardlines Businesses Senior Product Manager, Software & Video Games Category Manager, Multiple Categories, Marketplace Third-Party Merchants