Maria Newman is a designer, strategist, and founder with over a decade of experience helping app-based businesses grow. After leading product at the CHANI app—where she helped scale it to one of the top astrology apps—she founded Luminique, a design studio where she advises founders on product design and growth strategy. Her work lives at the intersection of storytelling, psychology, and product development, with a strong emphasis on brand clarity and market resonance. She believes great products emerge when we understand human behavior deeply, tap into the collective unconscious, and design with integrity.
If your business could have a mascot, what would it be and why?
A prism. Because that’s what design and strategy do at their best—they take something raw and refract it into its most brilliant, multidimensional expression. I help founders clarify their vision and communicate it in a way that resonates across every surface: product, brand, and message. A prism reflects the light that’s already there. My work helps clients see it more clearly.
What strategies do you employ to maintain a healthy work-life balance while running your own business?
I design my calendar around my actual energy—reserving mornings for walks, meetings, and busywork, afternoons for deep work and creativity (I know this is not normal and most people lose steam in the afternoon—I’m most creative around 2–5 p.m.), and evenings for my friends & family. I’ve learned to swim with the current of my attention and energy. While 90% of the time I have pretty strong boundaries about work versus rest time, when inspiration strikes, I run with it and see where it goes. I’ve done designs while my partner is driving on the freeway because the inspiration struck and I wanted to get it out on paper (Figma).
When faced with unexpected detours on your business path, how do you pivot with grace and resilience, showing fellow women entrepreneurs the way forward?
Resilience means staying present and resourceful. Four years ago, I left both my marriage and a $10M+ startup in the same week. After that moment, I learned how to rebuild by asking better questions—not rushing to fix. Every pivot is a new version of the prototype. I share my process openly so other women don’t think they’re alone in the messy middle.
How do you measure the success of your business beyond financial metrics, such as customer satisfaction or community engagement?
I look for clarity and alignment. If our users feel seen, if our partners feel proud, if our internal team feels calm and energized—those are my signals. I track how often people say, “This feels like it was made for me.” That emotional resonance matters more than any other metric to me.
Can you share a memorable moment where you witnessed significant growth or transformation in your business, illustrating the impact of your services/products?
For me, the growth of Luminique isn’t about one moment—it’s about being on the journey. In addition to advising founders, I draw on my experience at CHANI and also my experience doing my own startups, including having gone out for VC funding for an idea. So my own journey allows me to more deeply empathize with founders and the risk they’re taking, the bravery they’re employing, and the pressure they’re under. What I offer isn’t just doing Figma designs or simple UX/UI execution—it’s the ability to hold complexity, help make decisions, and move things forward with clarity. And when founders feel that clarity reflected back to them, they take bolder action. That’s the real impact.
What role do you believe mentorship plays in the success of small businesses, and how have mentors influenced your own entrepreneurial journey?
I believe in mentorship as a two-way street. Some of the most transformative guidance I’ve received has come from peers—people walking the same road, asking hard questions, and figuring things out in real time. I also value mentorship from those ahead of me, especially when they’re generous with the behind-the-scenes truths. The sweet spot is when you have both: people who see your blind spots and people who remind you what’s possible.
What’s your work all about, and how does it make a difference in the world?
My work is about helping ideas take shape—and making sure they’re built with integrity, which means nicely designed and with an infrastructure that can support scale. I support founders, creatives, and mission-driven teams in designing not just products, but aligned, intentional experiences that connect with real people. I believe design isn’t just how something looks—it’s how it works, how it feels, and what it says about the world we want to live in. Whether I’m building apps, mapping go-to-market strategies, or refining brand messaging, my goal is always the same: clarity, resonance, and impact. I want the things I build to be useful, ethical, and lasting.
