Vanessa Serrano-Bernal

I attribute my success to consistency, stability, and the influence of two exceptional mentors. The first was our Chief Customer Officer, Chris Dole, who joined us at the $50 million milestone and remained through our acquisition — someone I still stay in close contact with today. The second was my direct VP, Eugene Katz, who became both a mentor and a dear friend. He lived by a principle he shared with us often: there are three things in life — your health, your family, and your job. He reminded us that without our health, we cannot show up for our families, and that our careers will always be there. Watching our CCO battle and overcome cancer three times — twice while leading our team — made that message deeply personal and enduring for all of us.

The best advice I ever received came from my mentor, Eugene Katz. He consistently reminded our team that life comes down to three things: your health, your family, and your job — in that order. He emphasized that without prioritizing our health, we cannot care for those we love, and that our careers will always remain within reach. That perspective was made even more meaningful by our CCO, who fought cancer three times and emerged victorious, including twice while actively leading our organization. It grounded our entire leadership team in what truly matters and shaped how I lead and live to this day.

My advice is simple: go for it, wholeheartedly. This industry has given me and my family an extraordinary level of freedom — including the ability to work remotely, raise two children, and make meaningful investments, not just financial ones, but investments in my own education and the generational impact that comes with it. While tech and sales can feel intimidating as male-dominated spaces, I firmly believe that the qualities women naturally bring — emotional intelligence, intuition, empathy, and a nurturing leadership style — are precisely what drive success in this field. These strengths directly influence forecasting accuracy, people leadership, customer relationships, and the cultivation of thriving organizations. What is often overlooked or taken for granted in women is, in my view, what makes us uniquely positioned to lead and elevate the next generation.

At the core of everything I do are people, family, and community. In my professional life, I believe in protecting and investing in the people and customers who drive results, while keeping a clear vision of what a meaningful and successful outcome looks like — one that rewards those who contributed to the journey, not just financially, but through career growth, new opportunities, and opened doors. On a personal level, I am deeply rooted in my faith and committed to giving back to my community. As the Founder and CEO of the Lovee Foundation, which I established in 2024, I am dedicated to empowering students in need with tools such as resume writing, interview preparation, scholarships, and essential school resources. This mission is personal — I grew up with immigrant parents and was the first of five children in my family to pursue higher education. That journey required tremendous sacrifice, and now that I have the means to give back, I feel a deep responsibility to help others access rooms and opportunities they never thought possible.