As a principal on the Building Cultures of Belonging team at Omidyar Network, Vanessa leads collaborative efforts to strengthen a culture of repair in the United States.

Prior to joining Omidyar Network, Vanessa worked as a research director for the Institute for the Future where she helped organizations think systematically about the future to foster greater well-being and belonging across business, social, and civic spheres. Trained as a social science researcher, Vanessa has extensive experience working at the intersection of inclusive design, innovation, and health for a variety of global companies. She has been recognized as a 2018 Aspen Ideas Festival Spotlight Health Scholar, 40 Under 40 Tech Diversity Silicon Valley, 2016 New Leaders Council San Francisco Fellow, 200 Black Women in Tech to Follow on Twitter, and as a 2016 TEDMED Research Scholar. 

Vanessa received a Master’s in Public Health with a focus on global health from Columbia University and a B.A. in psychology from Yale University.