Who is the Vanessa outside of her work? Not terribly different.

 

I don't sit still. I'm an adventurer at heart and love travel, experiencing new cultures, treasuring the natural landscapes and wildlife across the planet, and talking to strangers. Although my adventures are more local these days as my "sandwich generation" duties take precedence, I still enjoy getting lost in the Santa Monica Conversancy Mountains that adjoin our home property and supporting the preservation of our local habitat and wildlife. I also tend to write in long, almost run-on sentences. 

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I'm a health and wellness junkie. I am fortunate to be able to merge that with my profession. I love learning about longevity, healthy aging, and how to optimize my body's physiology. I love weightlifting, Pilates, and pickleball and do all three religiously and weekly, which means my recovery score is never quite where it should be. I treasure the peace and stillness of the early morning. I love diving into projects, learning new things and have more interests than I can manage. I study consumer trends. I don't quite have time to read like I used to but somehow manage to find time to watch every Formula 1 race and follow F1 news. I'm sometimes convinced I could have been a race car driver despite habitually adhering to freeway speed limits. 

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I was born and raised in Los Angeles. Ventured out to the East Coast and Midwest before returning home - just a few miles from where I grew up. I live with my husband, three stepsons and two cats whom I love fiercely despite having previously proclaimed myself a "dog person".  

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I often say that in retirement (whatever that is), I would be doing exactly what I am doing now -- supporting underrepresented and mission-driven founders to change the world for the better and close the VC funding gap in female founded startups. And yes, lots of pickleball. 

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Vanessa

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