In 2017, Maria joined IEEE SA with a directive to build global multidisciplinary volunteer communities to collaborate and identify solutions in the form of global technical standards for responsible adoption of emerging technologies in the healthcare and life science value chain. As the leader of the IEEE SA Healthcare and Life Sciences Global Practice, she oversees fulfilling the mission of supporting innovation that will enable sustainable access to quality care and nutrition, improving the overall wellness for all individuals.

Maria has enjoyed a significant and accomplished career in multiple industry sectors (ie. pharmaceutical, life sciences, legal, finance, natural resources, and luxury goods) both in the US and abroad. She is an entrepreneur having launched information and tech start-up companies in the health domain. She founded DisruptiveRx, the first information company explaining blockchain and emerging technologies for the pharmaceutical value chain. Her success has been the ability to motivate audiences to take an action that will lead them to better outcomes. That ability to motivate a response is rooted in her core philosophy, “Beyond inspiration, passion for change moves us.”

Maria currently holds an MBA from the Rutgers Graduate School of Business and a BA and BS from Rutgers College at Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey. She is an accomplished leader, public speaker, and writer having presented at various industry events and published blogs and articles in trade and peer-review publications.