Gabriela Blanco
Gabriela Blanco is a seasoned Operations Leader and Product Manager with over seven years of experience in dynamic startup environments, specializing in health technology. She currently leads projects at Healthene, a mobile app dedicated to helping people manage chronic conditions, where she focuses on streamlining processes, enhancing cross-functional collaboration, and driving performance improvements. Gabriela is also pursuing an MBA in Project Management at the University of South Carolina Aiken, further sharpening her ability to align strategic vision with operational execution.
Prior to her current role, Gabriela worked as an Emergency Room Medical Scribe at Sound Physicians, where she gained firsthand insight into clinical workflows and patient care. This foundation in healthcare, combined with her project management expertise, enables her to bridge the gap between clinical needs and technology solutions. She is adept at mentoring team leads, implementing project management tools like Asana and Jira, and fostering efficiencies that benefit both people and processes.
Beyond her professional achievements, Gabriela is passionate about building systems that support meaningful work and strong teams. Her career reflects a commitment to turning complex ideas into actionable results, and she enjoys bringing creativity, structure, and collaboration together to make a tangible impact. Outside of work, she engages in community initiatives, content creation, and coaching her son’s soccer team, highlighting her dedication to mentorship, leadership, and hands-on involvement.
• Youth Soccer Coach
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a combination of consistency, adaptability, and versatility. Over the years, I’ve focused on learning quickly, stepping into diverse roles, and developing the resourcefulness and discipline necessary to navigate changing environments. Growing up, I observed these qualities firsthand in my parents—the way they led their teams and managed their households, especially during challenging times like COVID. Witnessing their approach and embracing the opportunity to step into responsibility myself has deeply influenced my professional growth. I’ve built my career by approaching challenges as opportunities and continually pushing myself to expand my skills and perspective.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received came from my mom: she told me not to turn my hobby into my job, and that if I could, I’d be among the rare few. I took that to heart—while I’ve always loved baking and even considered pursuing it professionally, I chose to keep it as a personal passion, enjoying it on the side. This advice has helped me focus on building a career path that challenges me professionally while still allowing me to nurture the hobbies I love.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I’d say one of the biggest challenges in my field right now is balancing speed with structure. Many companies, particularly startups or high-growth organizations, move quickly but don’t always have the processes in place to support that growth. This can create inefficiencies, miscommunication, and burnout. At the same time, it presents a significant opportunity: stepping in to build scalable systems, design effective workflows, and bring alignment across teams without slowing momentum. I’ve approached my career by viewing these challenges as opportunities, which has allowed me to establish myself as a leader who drives both speed and structure.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
One of the values I prioritize most in both my work and personal life is balancing speed with structure. I believe it’s important to move quickly and seize opportunities, but equally important to have systems and processes in place that ensure efficiency, clarity, and sustainability. Striking that balance helps me stay productive, make thoughtful decisions, and maintain alignment with the people and teams I work with—all while avoiding burnout.
Locations
Healthene
Graniteville, SC 29829