Our Story
Meerkat was born from a single frustration: the best relationships were slipping through the cracks. While writing Relationships Matter, our founder Ralph Schonenbach searched for a tool that could help turn conversations into real momentum. But nothing existed—no app that could link relationships to real-time collaboration and follow-through.
So we built it.
Today, Meerkat is more than an app. It’s a smarter way to work—where every meeting becomes memory, every intro becomes insight, and every conversation moves people forward.
Our Vision
To make conversations more intelligent and impactful by embedding real-time insight, memory, and relationship intelligence into every interaction.
Our Mission
To help fast-moving teams unlock the full value of their relationships by turning talk into traction—and networks into opportunity.
Our Culture
We’re not just building a unicorn. We’re building something that matters.
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We are inclusive – Every voice counts.
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We are relentless – Good enough never is.
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We are connected – Relationships fuel everything we do.
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We are vigilant – Like the meerkat, we stay alert to what matters.
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We are collaborative – Always moving forward, together.
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“The survival of the fittest is not the survival of the strongest, but of the most adaptable.”
— E.O. Wilson
Our Team
We’re builders, storytellers, strategists, and technologists—brought together by one shared mission: to unlock the full power of human connection. From AI innovation to relationship design, each of us plays a role in helping Meerkat turn every conversation into momentum.
Ralph Schonenbach
Chief Executive Officer
Serial entrepreneur & product leader—author of Relationships Matter—who has driven $100 M+ in company value and brings deep network expertise to Meerkat.
Mark Bradley
Chief Experience Officer
Tech and product veteran (ex-Oracle, C-suite advisor) renowned for distilling complexity into intuitive, engaging, and impactful user experiences for Meerkat.
Mary Shea
Chief Growth Officer
Category-defining go-to-market strategist who has raised $80 M; ex-Forrester analyst turned Mediafly & Outreach executive, regularly cited by WSJ, Forbes, and BI, now turbo-charging Meerkat’s growth.
Waverly Deutsch
Advisory Board
Retired Chicago Booth entrepreneurship professor, now mentoring and investing in impactful startups, advising VCs, and shaping the future as a thought leader.
Jenson George
Chief Technology Officer
Veteran technologist & entrepreneur with 30+ years in cloud, AI, and enterprise systems (Infosys alumnus & Cloudium founder); he builds Meerkat’s scalable architecture to turn networks into actionable intelligence.
Bill Connolly
Chief Marketing Officer
Digital presence strategist with 20+ years elevating brands and executives (Spectrum Brands, co-founder of The Digital Presence); blends storytelling, technology, and creativity to fuel Meerkat’s magnetic growth.
Turning Every “Hello” into Lasting Momentum
While writing Relationships Matter, Ralph wrestled with one question:
“Communication is the heartbeat of every relationship—so why, with all our technology, aren’t conversations evolving?”
• Meetings buzz, then ideas scatter across apps.
• Teams chase context, wasting hours copy-pasting between tools.
• Follow-ups stall, leaving progress on pause until the next meeting.
Inspired by the meerkat’s constant watchfulness, Ralph envisioned a tool that never lets a spark go dark—keeping every idea alive, shared, and propelled forward.