Maraviya: Building brands across cultures

A few months ago, I told a friend about a new business idea inspired by building my first global company.

“Basically,” I said, “a brand consulting service helping immigrant and first-generation founders build global businesses they’re proud of.”

She paused and said something that stuck with me.

“Just don’t call it brand consulting. It gives the ick.”

And honestly, she’s right.

A lot of the people I work with didn’t grow up seeing themselves as founders. They’re navigating imposter syndrome and feeling like they don’t fit the typical profile of success.

I know because I’ve been there, at that very same starting point.

What I needed then is what I offer now: someone who understands why a project matters, not just for the founder, but for their community.

Maybe they’re the first in their family to try.
Maybe their parents built businesses back home before immigrating, and now they’re ready to try again.
Maybe they never imagined building something of their own at all.

Maraviya exists for that in-between space.

I help people build meaningful brands and businesses across cultures and generations. Projects rooted in culture, lived experience, and stories worth building on.

THE MARAVIYA METHOD

There’s no one-size-fits-all method for this. When I work with a new founder, I focus on a few core things that shape everything else. We start with your story. Where you come from and where you want to go matter, because your point of view is the foundation of your project. Then we talk about your dream situation. Not a job title or a version of success that looks good on LinkedIn, but what you actually want your days to look like a few months or a few years from now if this project works. We also get honest about time. How much space do you really have for this, and what’s realistic alongside the rest of your life. And finally, your people. Who’s going to stand behind you, support you, and help this grow, both online and in the real world.

That’s how it works. But every founder is different. Learn about what process could work best for you here.

Who Maraviya is for

Maraviya is for people building brands that are shaped by culture, lived experience, and real relationships.

It’s for founders and entrepreneurs whose work spans multiple countries, languages, or communities, and for creators and consultants who are in the midst of redefining what their work looks like today.

It’s a good fit for projects that grow through trust, word of mouth, and long-term positioning.

Especially if online marketing no longer delivers the returns it once did, if you’re more interested in partnerships than followers, or if you’re in the process of launching something new or reshaping something that already exists.

Maraviya makes sense when you want your business to exist beyond a screen, to be felt in the real world.

How I work:

Maraviya is one-on-one, strategic, and selective.

I don’t offer templates, courses, or mass programs. I work closely with a small number of people to figure out what makes sense for their reality, culture, and capacity, and then help them act on it.

Openings are released quarterly.
Most of the year, Maraviya operates on a waitlist.

You can find more information about the process and how we can work together here.

The Maraviya Collective

Every person who works with Maraviya becomes part of a curated collective. It’s a small, intentional network built around collaboration, trust, and shared values rather than scale or visibility.

The collective exists to spark meaningful collaborations, encourage partnerships across industries, and support long-term business relationships.

It brings together multicultural entrepreneurs who care about culture, craft, and building something that lasts.

Twice a year, the collective meets in person. These offline gatherings are intentionally small and bring together local and international founders in the same room. Each one features a single entrepreneur or project as a starting point for conversation. The focus is always on connection, exchange, and the kind of dialogue that doesn’t happen online.

About me

I’m Lory Martinez. I founded Studio Ochenta, a multilingual podcast studio that produced award-winning projects across Europe and the Americas. Over six years, I worked with international organizations, media platforms, cultural institutions, and independent founders, often at very different stages of growth.

What all of that work had in common is that it didn’t rely on paid media or constant online noise. Growth came through community, partnerships, press, word of mouth, and being present in the real world. Conversations led to collaborations. Relationships led to opportunities.

Maraviya formalizes that way of working for the next generation of multicultural founders.

Working together

Maraviya operates on a waitlist by design. If you’re interested in working together, you can join the waitlist or request a short discovery conversation. If it feels like a fit on both sides, you’ll receive a private invitation when the next quarter opens.

If this feels like something you might come back to later, that’s usually a good sign. Joining the waitlist just keeps the door open.