COMPANY INFO
Maven Research, Inc. is a technology, information, and internet company founded in 2010 by Mark Platosh and Wyatt Nordstrom. The company has around 81 employees and is headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Maven operates the world's largest microconsulting platform, connecting knowledge-seekers and decision-makers with professional experts to provide insights and answers to critical business questions. Its mission is to make knowledge accessible to everyone and empower organizations to make smart decisions faster. The official website is https://www.maven.co.
Maven is a leading technology company specializing in cohort-based live online courses, connecting learners with industry experts. Founded in 2014, Maven's marketplace-driven approach is redefining professional education by offering engaging, expert-led learning experiences at scale.
The Maven executive team is composed of experienced founders and leaders who bring diverse expertise across education technology, product development, marketing, and business growth. This leadership group, including prominent figures with deep roots in the edtech and technology sectors, has collectively shaped Maven into a dynamic knowledge marketplace. Their backgrounds span prominent startups, global tech firms, and scale-ups, and together, they drive Maven's continued innovation, marketplace expansion, and learner-centric philosophy.
As CEO and Co-Founder, Gagan Biyani leads Maven's strategic vision and marketplace growth, steering the company to become the premier platform for live, cohort-based courses. Gagan has been integral in charting Maven's innovation roadmap, tireless in promoting the company's mission to democratize access to high-quality knowledge, and central to establishing Maven as a trusted space for industry experts and learners alike.
Gagan holds a BA in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to Maven, he co-founded Udemy, the world’s largest open teaching and learning marketplace, and served as CEO of Sprig: Eat Well. Gagan’s experience also includes roles at Lyft and Accenture, and his career highlights his expertise in education technology, product leadership, and scalable startup growth—key pillars of the current Maven leadership strategy.
As Maven’s Co-founder and CTO, Shreyans Bhansali drives the company’s technology platform, overseeing all engineering and product development initiatives. Shreyans has led technical innovations that underpin Maven’s scalable course hosting, and he remains focused on enhancing the user experience for both instructors and learners while advancing the platform’s capabilities in live, interactive education.
Shreyans is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with dual degrees in Computer Science and Economics. He brings extensive tech leadership experience from Google, where he managed education AI teams, and previously co-founded Socratic (acquired by Google) and served as VP Engineering at Venmo. His deep expertise in AI, education technology, and scaling startups is foundational to Maven’s technical leadership and product evolution.
Vanina Schick heads Maven’s marketing organization, architecting integrated strategies that drive brand recognition, customer engagement, and growth. She spearheads Maven’s commercial strategy, aligning marketing, brand, and product teams to focus on customer needs and deliver targeted go-to-market campaigns.
Vanina holds a Masters in Graphic Design from École Supérieure des Arts Graphiques, Penninghen, and has over a decade of senior management experience in marketing at high-growth companies. Her previous leadership roles at Luno and BlaBlaCar have given her deep experience in brand development, content strategy, and international market expansion, all of which contribute significantly to Maven’s marketing success.
Rishin Banker leads product strategy at Maven, shaping the evolution of the platform’s cohort-based course marketplace. He is responsible for driving partnerships with industry experts and ensuring Maven’s products foster impactful and effective learning experiences.
Rishin holds a B.S. in Finance from Penn State University. Before joining Maven, he led the B2B business line at Teachers Pay Teachers and built his career in private equity and investment banking at Providence Equity and Goldman Sachs. With this blend of product leadership in edtech and financial acumen, Rishin plays a pivotal role in shaping Maven’s product vision and marketplace positioning.
Rachel Cai leads strategic partnerships and marketing initiatives at Maven, including scaling programs like the Maven Course Accelerator. She is instrumental in executing campaigns that grow Maven’s course offerings and expand its reach with learners and instructors.
Rachel graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and East Asian Studies. She previously worked on cloud education strategy at Google and in corporate strategy at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Her background in education technology, business development, and partnership marketing supports Maven’s continuous expansion and market leadership.
Mallory Contois serves as a course creator and instructor at Maven, focusing on fostering community-led growth and building robust learning communities. Through her instruction, she emphasizes practical learning, process optimization, and community engagement, enhancing the quality and appeal of Maven’s course catalog.
Mallory earned her B.A. in Consumer & Organizational Psychology from Duke University. She has held senior operational roles such as COO at Metafy, Chief of Staff at Cameo, and product operations at Pinterest, giving her a strong background in strategic execution, product leadership, and community development within tech-driven environments.
The Maven leadership team combines entrepreneurial talent with broad experience across technology, education, marketing, and business operations. Their collaborative structure ensures that the company remains agile, innovative, and deeply committed to delivering value for both instructors and learners. As Maven continues to expand its offerings and user base, the executive team’s diverse backgrounds and proven leadership will be critical to achieving long-term growth and industry impact.
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