Leadership

The team.

👩‍💼
Founder & CEO
Marliis Schneider

Marliis has spent years in the operational trenches — running teams, building systems, and watching firsthand as AI tools went from novelty to necessity in real businesses. She built MakerSquare because she kept meeting smart, experienced operators who desperately wanted to use AI but had nowhere to actually learn it in depth.

Her background spans operations, business development, and startup ecosystems. She's deeply embedded in Austin's tech and founder community and believes the city is the right place to build this program — close enough to the frontier, grounded enough to stay real.

At MakerSquare, she sets the program vision, owns the curriculum direction, and runs the relationships that make Demo Day matter for graduates.

Austin, TX Operations Business development Startup ecosystems
🧑‍🏫
Lead Instructor
Austin Lead — Hiring Now
The Austin lead instructor runs all in-person sessions and leads Demo Day. We're looking for a credible AI builder embedded in Austin's tech scene — someone who has shipped real AI products and can teach from experience, not slides. Part-time, starting June 2026.
Hiring for Cohort 1
📣
Senior Marketing Coordinator
Hiring Now
Manages community building, content creation, and student communications. Runs MakerSquare's social presence and helps coordinate the Austin operator and alumni network. Owns top-of-funnel from first touchpoint to application.
Starting April 2026
⚙️
Program Manager
Hiring Now
Handles student logistics, enrollment, housing coordination, and day-to-day program operations. Keeps cohort experience running smoothly so instructors can focus entirely on teaching. Starting June ahead of the first cohort.
Starting June 2026
🎓
Head of Admissions
Hiring Now
Owns the full admissions pipeline — application review, take-home project coordination, and admissions interviews. Works closely with the founder to maintain cohort quality and student fit as volume grows. Starting ahead of Cohort 2.
Starting September 2026
👨‍💻
Teaching Assistant
Hiring Now
Supports the lead instructor during in-person sessions and provides async feedback on student projects and deliverables. Students get same-day responses no matter when they're working. Joins the team at Cohort 2 as class size grows.
Starting October 2026
Advisory board

Austin operators and tech leaders
who've been there.

Our advisory board is being assembled from Austin's operator, investor, and tech community. They help shape curriculum, open doors for graduates, and show up at Demo Day.

Ravi Parikh
Co-founder & CEO, Heap
Ravi co-founded Heap, the product analytics platform used by thousands of companies to understand user behavior. A YC alum and experienced founder, he brings deep product intuition and startup ecosystem perspective to MakerSquare's advisory board.

Advisor · Austin tech community
Announcing soon

Advisor · Austin investor / angel
Announcing soon

Advisor · Domain expert
Announcing soon

Advisor · AI & product
Announcing soon

Your name here?
Apply to advise →

Mentors & Guest Speakers

Share your expertise.
Help the next generation build.

Every cohort features operators, builders, and domain experts who come in to share what they've actually done — not theoretical talks, but real stories of what they built, what broke, and what they'd do differently.

Guest speakers join a single 60-minute session during the program. Mentors work with students on an ongoing basis, available for 1:1 conversations throughout the 8 weeks.

If you're building with AI, have deployed something real, or run a business that's been transformed by it — we want to hear from you.

What participation looks like
✓ Guest speaker: one 60-minute session during the program
✓ Mentor: available for 1:1s throughout the 8 weeks (~1 hr/week)
✓ Demo Day judge: attend Demo Day, ask questions, give feedback
✓ No prep required for guest speakers beyond your own story
✓ MakerSquare handles scheduling, logistics, and promotion
✓ Austin's fastest-growing AI builder community around you
Guest Speaker
You've shipped something with AI
You've built and deployed an AI tool in your domain — with or without a technical background. You can speak honestly about what worked, what didn't, and what you know now that you wish you knew at the start. One session, 60 minutes, no slides required.
Mentor
You want to actively support builders
You're available for occasional 1:1 conversations with students throughout the program. You have domain expertise, product experience, or technical depth that students are actively building toward. About 1 hour/week, flexible scheduling.
Demo Day Participant
You want to meet the next wave of AI builders
Join Demo Day as a judge, investor, or hiring partner. See 10–15 real AI products built by non-technical domain experts. Ask hard questions. Find talent. Connect with the Austin AI builder community.
Advisor
You want a deeper involvement
If you're a well-connected Austin operator, investor, or tech leader who wants to shape MakerSquare's direction, we're building our advisory board now. Reach out directly at hello@makersquare.ai.
Apply to participate

Tell us about yourself.

We review all applications and respond within a week.