Vanessa is a learning strategy and design consultant with more than 15 years of experience creating and delivering leadership programs, workshops, and learning experiences that help people build skills, lead effectively, and put learning into practice.

Her career includes learning and development roles at BlackRock, McKinsey & Company, and Paramount, where she designed and managed programs for participants at different stages of their careers, facilitated group learning, partnered with subject matter experts, and led the planning and delivery of complex learning experiences. Her work combines learning design, program management, facilitation, and participant engagement, with a focus on creating experiences that are practical, participatory, and meaningful.Earlier in her career, Vanessa worked with SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity), preparing students of color for competitive internships and helping open doors to industries where they had long been underrepresented. That experience shaped a lasting conviction that talent is everywhere but opportunity is not, and that thoughtful preparation and access can change a young person's trajectory.

Vanessa is also a certified executive coach and has trained in participatory facilitation and group problem solving. Through her consulting practice, Lightpost Leadership, she partners with mission-driven organizations to design and strengthen learning experiences that build lasting capability and community.