Maya Ackerman — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Billboard Executive Honoree
Recognized by Silicon Valley Business Journal as Woman of Influence
Associate Professor at Santa Clara University
Co-founder and CEO of Wave AI, an early generative AI startup
Pioneering research in generative AI models for text, music, and art since 2014
Author of 'Creative Machines: AI, Art & Us' (Wiley 2025)
PhD from University of Waterloo and Postdoc at Caltech

Biography

Dr. Maya Ackerman is an Associate Professor at Santa Clara University and the co-founder and CEO of Wave AI, one of the earliest generative AI startups. A pioneer in generative AI, she has been researching generative AI models for text, music, and art since 2014. Under her leadership, WaveAI has become a leader in musical AI, offering products like LyricStudio and MelodyStudio that benefit millions of artists and creators.