Mary Shea Joins Meerkat as Co-Founder to Lead Growth of Human-Centered AI Platform

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Former Forrester analyst and GTM visionary brings deep expertise to accelerate Meerkat’s mission to humanize AI and transform how work gets done.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, July 24, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Meerkat, the agentic AI platform that helps professionals turn conversations into action, today announced that Mary Shea, PhD, has joined the company as Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer.

Shea brings a rare combination of deep analytical expertise and go-to-market leadership experience from her prior roles as Principal Analyst at Forrester, Co-CEO at Mediafly, and Chief Evangelist at Outreach. At Meerkat, she will lead growth strategy, go-to-market execution, and external evangelism as the company enters its next phase of expansion.

As AI floods the market with tools focused on automation and speed, Meerkat takes a different approach by prioritizing presence, memory, and authentic collaboration. The platform acts as a proactive teammate that helps people remember what matters, surface insights as they happen, and carry ideas forward with clarity.

"Mary is one of the most respected voices in the future-of-work space," said Ralph Schonenbach, CEO and Founder of Meerkat. "She understands that technology alone doesn’t drive change. People do. With Mary leading our growth efforts, we are not just scaling a product. We are building a movement rooted in trust, intelligence, and shared momentum."

Shea’s decision to join Meerkat followed a reconnection with Schonenbach through longtime collaborator Darr Aley. Their conversations revealed a shared belief that AI should support and extend human relationships, not replace them.

"If there’s one thing I know deep down, it’s that relationships are at the heart of everything that matters. They shape how we live, how we grow, and how we lead," said Shea. "We’re building something I’ve never seen before. Meerkat doesn’t just capture what’s said. It helps us move forward with clarity, integrity, and presence. When people and machines work together in the right way, we work with more purpose, more connection, and we enjoy better outcomes."

The industry is already taking note, and for good reason.

"Mary is exactly the kind of executive who can bring Meerkat’s vision to life," said Dr. Lisa Palmer, CEO of Dr. Lisa AI. "Her deep understanding of go-to-market innovation, AI, and the power of human connection makes her a force multiplier for any company, and Meerkat is the perfect match."

Inspired by its namesake, the highly collaborative and ever-alert meerkat, the platform brings those same values to work. Meerkat joins conversations across meetings and messaging apps, identifies meaningful context, and connects the dots between people, platforms, and past decisions.

Core Capabilities:
Live AI assistant that participates in Zoom, Meet, Teams, and Slack

Persistent memory across meetings, chats, and messages

Instant access to relevant context and live Q&A support

Relationship graph that maps LinkedIn and CRM data to uncover shared connections

Smart action tracking to log decisions, assign tasks, and prompt follow-ups

Enterprise-grade security, including SOC 2 compliance and AES-256 encryption

Meerkat is purpose-built for fast-moving professionals, including founders, operators, investors, and distributed teams. In August, the company will conduct a private pilot with 25 high-signal operators and expand to a 1,000-person activation in the fall of 2025. The company is raising $700,000 in SAFE to scale its infrastructure and accelerate adoption ahead of its Series A.

Availability
Meerkat is available by invitation only.
To join the early access list, visit www.trymeerkat.ai

Follow Meerkat
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/trymeerkat
Facebook: facebook.com/trymeerkatai

Media Contact
press@trymeerkat.ai

About Meerkat
Meerkat is a conversation navigator powered by agentic AI. Built for high-context work and relationship-driven teams, Meerkat turns dialogue into momentum and networks into outcomes. Like the animal that inspired its name, Meerkat operates with awareness, collaboration, and memory, helping people move forward with presence and purpose.

Mary E Shea
Meerkat Inc.
+1 312-802-7886
email us here

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