Val Vacante

About Val Vacante

Val Vacante is an award-winning global innovator and product leader building next-generation experiences at the intersection of AI, gaming, retail, entertainment, and emerging technology. She turns cultural signals, fandom, and emerging tech into market-first products and platforms that drive growth, engagement, and real business impact.She has led and launched breakthrough products, platforms, and experiences for 50+ global brands, including Meta, Microsoft, Roblox, IKEA, Mattel, Hasbro, Disney, Bandai Namco, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Galderma, Sleep Number, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, and AT & T.Organizations partner with Val to identify whitespace, accelerate product development, and translate bold ideas into scalable, commercially viable solutions across ecosystems.Val created Intelligent Messaging, an award-winning AI-powered multimodal messaging platform showcased at CES, SXSW, and Cannes Lions. In collaboration with Meta, she founded the Global Meta Messaging Alliance, giving brands early access to emerging messaging products. She also co-created Dentsu NXT Space with Microsoft, LinkedIn, and HeadOffice.space—recognized as Best of CES by PSFK—led ShopNXT™, patented retail technologies focused on personalization and loyalty, and architected NXT Intelligence™, a modular innovation platform used by Fortune 500 brands across gaming, anime, entertainment, retail, and emerging technology.Her work includes launching the first acne-care brand on Roblox and market-first shoppable Twitch experiences with Fortnite Icons. In collaboration with Dentsu Japan, she led the Dentsu Innovation Initiative in the U.S, growing startup partnerships by 55%, exceeding KPIs by 166%, and engaging 30+ brands.Val is known for seeing around corners, rallying global teams, and operating as a player-coach who bridges creativity and commercial impact. She builds products that solve real-world challenges, scale across platforms, and bring customers joy.As the Founder of Collabsco, she has built award-winning products across AI, IoT, AR, VR, voice, robotics, and connected play ecosystems.Her work has been featured in Fast Company, Fortune, Forbes, VentureBeat, Adweek, and Digiday. She has spoken globally at CES, SXSW, Cannes Lions, Comic-Con, Games for Change, AWE, and Cosmoprof.Val has been named a Top 25 Woman in Tech, VentureBeat Woman in AI, Product Management Leader of the Year, and one of the Most Powerful Women in Technology. She serves on the Fast Company Executive Board and the SXSW Advisory Board, and mentors future creators and technologists at SCAD.

Experience

1. Executive Board Member

   Fast Company Executive Board

   Jul 2021 — Present

   Fast Company Executive Board is a professional organization of senior executives, founders, business owners, and industry experts who are defining the future of business.

Education

• University of North Texas

  Advertising Studies

• Harvard Online

  Certificate for Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies

• Richmond American University London

  Creative Arts and Communication Studies

• Universidad de Salamanca

  Certificate of Spanish Language and Cultural Studies

Skills

• Creative Direction
• Strategic Planning
• Brand Architecture
• Brand Management
• Marketing Strategy
• New Business Development
• Direct Response
• Interactive Advertising
• Emerging Technologies
• Web Analytics
• Outdoor Advertising
• Integrated Marketing
• Market Research
• Social Media
• Analytics
• Media Strategy
• Direct Mail
• Corporate Branding
• Digital Strategy
• Business Development
• Creative Strategy
• Digital Marketing
• Relationship Marketing
• Customer Relationship Management (Crm)
• Marketing Communications
• Market Planning
• Sponsorship
• Direct Marketing
• Marketing
• Mobile Marketing
• Digital Media
• Mobile Devices
• Marketing Research
• Marketing Management
• Media Planning
• Management
• Interactive Marketing
• Account Management
• Media Buying
• Copywriting