Modern dating needs a bff.
+1-202-733-6653 *US/CAN
Ask Mary
Your relationship’s best friend.
Think of Mary as your brilliant bestie without the bias. Someone you can text for thoughtful relationship advice, whenever you need it. Shaped by smart tech and the wisdom of acclaimed sexologist and relationship experts, such as Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Mary is always learning and helping you learn about yourself. With every text, all of the time.
Why you should AskMary
Advice via Text
Get relationship advice, on-demand, through conversational SMS.
Image Processing
She can even read and respond to your screenshots and photos.
Accessible Expertise
Tap into the knowledge of experts like Dr. Pepper Schwartz, driven by AI.
Never Forgets
Mary will remember you, prompt you, and pick up where you left off.
The expert behind the advice.
Your AskMary experience is informed by the wisdom of Dr. Pepper Schwartz, an acclaimed sexologist and sociologist, who has devoted her life to furthering the fields of intimacy and sexuality. Dr. Pepper Schwartz has authored many academic and popular articles as well as 25 books (including two NYT best sellers) on the subjects of love, sexuality, and commitment. She is a professor emeritus at the University of Washington in Seattle, and acts as the premiere relationship expert on Lifetime’s reality series, Married at First Sight.
The brains behind AskMary.
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Kiley Williams
CO-FOUNDER
Expertise in software architecture & cybersecurity
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Dr. Carlton Reeves
CO-FOUNDER
Cross-sector expertise in growth & scalability of AI
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Dr. Kelley J Kilanski
CONVERSATIONAL AI
& HCI SYSTEMS LEADExpert in linguistics & voice-first interactions
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Colleen McMahon
VISUAL DESIGNER
Expert in UX/UI design
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Mikaela Morelli
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Solutions & product expert
Ready, text, go.
Getting started with AskMary is as simple as texting your bff. Just save our number, text us when you need relationship advice, and keep us posted on how we’re doing. Just like any relationship, we need your feedback to ensure we’re doing right by you.
Step 1: Save +1 202-733-6653 to your contacts
Step 2: Text Mary your relationship questions
Step 3: Respond to Mary’s advice as needed
Step 4: Send us feedback, we’re still in beta mode
Your burning questions, answered.
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AskMary is the lovechild of scientists, doctors, relationship experts, and single humans who know first-hand how rough it can be out in the dating world. We understand that even though technology has made it easier to connect, it’s made it harder to make a real human connection. And we wanted to build a tool that could help with that.
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Nope! No downloads required. AskMary is a direct line of relationship support through text. So whether you’re single and swiping, or in a relationship (regardless of how “it's complicated” things might be), AskMary has the answers and is just a text away.
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Mary can be helpful, whatever your relationship status. Not only can you ask her for advice on setting up a dating profile or making the first move, or ask for her help responding to a text message, or expressing yourself after a fight — Mary can also receive screenshots of conversations as well as SFW images. Mary will never share your information. She’s trustworthy like that. Read our Privacy policy, here.
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Regardless of your identity, orientation, and preferences, we built AskMary for anyone intentionally dating to find and maintain a long term relationship.
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Like any relationship with your carrier, Standard messaging (MMS or SMS) fees apply. But on our end? We can take it slow. As we develop our product, you can text with Mary free of charge, and give us feedback to help us make Mary work better for you. Eventually Mary will come with a small monthly access fee—but you’ll also get more features that go beyond relationship support.
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AskMary is built with intelligent proprietary models, which means she’s not an open-sourced chat bot. We developed Mary with the wisdom and experience of renowned sexologist and relationship expert, Dr. Pepper Shwartz, who's been thoughtfully guiding people through self-discovery and relationships for decades. The AI component just makes it easier for Mary to remember the details—and helps you access customized support in real-time (Mary doesn’t sleep, Dr. Pepper Schwartz does).
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There’s honestly nothing we take more seriously than your privacy. We believe Mary has the potential to really help people—but that only works if you feel safe to be open when you ask Mary for advice. Rest assured we’ll never share your conversations with any third parties - all of your data is encrypted & anonymized. We’ll treat your data like it’s our own. It’s all here in our privacy policy.
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We’d love to hear from you. Send us your thoughts here.
We value:
Commitment
We value meaningful relationships that evolve and deepen over time, and center our tech, experiences, and practices to support this. We’re invested in growing with our community and their relationships, and shaping the future of ethical AI.
Curiosity
We believe genuine curiosity is what drives deeper connection– to ourselves, to our people, to our world. That’s why a curious mindset is critical to building our product, cultivating community, and engaging with emerging technologies.
Safety
We see respect and consent as foundational to feeling safe in relationships, so we prioritize earning and maintaining trust with our community. We have a strong POV on ethical AI, and care for the privacy of all who use our tech.
Accessibility
We know we can change the world by centering connection. We work to be easy to access and easy to use. To feel intuitive, natural, and frictionless, so we can truly democratize access to critical relationship support.
Growth
We embrace the life-long process of learning, and pursuing a new perspective or deeper understanding. We build experiences that encourage and empower our community to keep discovering themselves and their most important relationships, too.