Mary Cleary
The heart and soul of Studio501, our founder and CEO’s lifelong pursuit is to apply an entrepreneurial approach to the management of mission-driven nonprofits. “I want to make the world a better place,” Mary says, and she means every word of it. For the past two decades, she’s led an incredible team of contractors who help clients’ tell their financial stories and further the good work they’re doing. The list of nonprofits who have benefited from Mary’s leadership are extensive and can be found here. Prior to founding Studio501, Mary worked as an auditor at KPMG in their San Francisco practice and then found her home in nonprofit organizations as a director of finance for Chrysalis, a Center for Women, and as the accounting manager for the National Marrow Donor Program/Be the Match. Mary received a BA in accounting from the University of San Francisco and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.
Outside of work, the mother of three is quick to pick up key roles for causes she cares about—serving on boards and committees for institutions like the Minnesota Conservation Corps and the Basilica of St. Mary, among others. Somehow, Mary still finds time to seek out adventure with her husband and their three kids: “I love being active outdoors—or inactive in a hammock!” she says, referencing annual trips to the Boundary Waters and a recent trip to northern Spain to hike El Camino. To stay in shape through the winter, she toughens up at a boxing gym, where the only punches she pulls are honest and to the point.
