VAL VACANTE
Connected Experiences /// Innovation /// Growth
Resume
Award-Winning Global Product & Marketing Leader
Val Vacante is an award-winning creative catalyst and global innovator who builds next generation products across AI, toy, gaming, consumer goods, retail and emerging technologies. She helps companies turn cultural insight and emerging tech into products people genuinely love.
Companies turn to Val when they need a leader who can see around corners, rally teams, and bring bold ideas to life with clarity and precision. Her work bridges creativity, community, and commercial impact, helping organizations move faster and build products that scale.
Named one of the Top 25 Women in Tech, VentureBeat Women in AI, Product Management Leader of the Year, and Most Powerful Women in Technology, Val serves on the Fast Company Executive Board, the SXSW Advisory Board, and mentors emerging leaders at SCAD.
Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Player coach leader who drives clarity, momentum, and cross-functional alignment
  • Proven track record turning ideas into outcomes for global brands
Innovation Strategy
  • Identifies white space and shapes market defining products and partnerships
  • Strategic operator, leads from insight to execution with measurable business impact
Creative & Commercial Impact
  • Blends creative foresight with analytical rigor
  • Helps organizations move faster and build products that scale
Global Product + Brand Expertise
  • Deep experience across technology, toys, entertainment, consumer goods, and automotive
  • Builds and scales AI, gaming, retail, and emerging tech products
Product & Brand Experience
Collaborated with 50+ of the world's most beloved brands across, toy, gaming, consumer goods, retail and emerging technologies.
Publications & Media
Featured in leading technology, business, and innovation publications worldwide including Fast Company, Fortune, CNET, Adweek, Digiday, VentureBeat, and 50+ others.
Awards & Industry Recognition
Featured Work & Public Speaking
Regular speaker at premier technology and innovation conferences worldwide including CES, SXSW, Cannes Lions, and more.

08:04

CES 2026: Experience‑Driven Retail - Five Drivers for What’s Next by Val Vacante

From URL to IRL: Differin Level's Up Acne-Care for Gamers, Building Confidence and Community

07:42

CES Putting AI to Work at Retail - Intelligent Messaging

01:04:59

2024 SXSW Designing The Future How Innovators Create Whats Next

01:30

Dentsu x Meta | CES 2024: Intelligent Messaging

12:22

Official CES 2024, Reshaping Retail – AI Creating Opportunity Meta & Dentsu

01:46

Intelligent Messaging

14:29

Official CES 2025: Level Up: Building Confidence and Community for Gamers

00:31

Differin Level Up Lobby: First Acne-Care Brand on Roblox with In-Game Rewards and Immersive Retail

01:34

2025 SXSW Post Panel with Phil Sage Senior Director Design Innovation, North America, PepsiCo

03:14

CES: Intelligent Messaging Navigating Acne-Care at Retail with Differin

12:06

Intelligent Messaging In conversation with William Grant Sons - CES 2024

04:51

Dentsu NXT Space supported by Microsoft | Our Journey into the Metaverse

05:08

These Tech Tools Are Shaping the Future of Retail CES 2021

07:12

PSFK Retail Innovation Week - ShopNXT Spotlight

05:29

2025 Anime Expo - Brand Activations

52:53

SXSW - Creative Catalysts Pioneering the Future

01:55

CES 2025 Collaborate to Accelerate - Dentsu Innovation Initiative - Intelligent Messaging Partners

02:22

Dentsu Innovation Initiative (DII)

51:59

SXSW 2025 XR AI Immersive Experiences Emerging Trends

07:03

Dentsu Meta — CES Impressions, Intelligent Messaging & What's Next

01:02:25

The Future of Entertainment Immersive Experiences SXSW 2023

01:17

SXSW 2025 Creative Expo: The Latest in Tech, Culture, and Innovation

01:08:23

SXSW Featured Session: Immersive Entertainment and the Future of Games

48:58

AI Powered B2B Marketing Trends Dangers

35:03

Dentsu NXT Space supported by Headoffice.space, Microsoft & Linkedin live at CES

02:57

NXT Intelligence™ // Innovation Scouting // Hasbro Spark

01:02:19

SDCC: Gamifying Technology - The Future of Gaming

03:26

NXT Intelligence™ // Product Playground // Mattel Stuntworks

18:55

PSFK | Best of CES 2023

Current Role
SVP, Solutions Innovation at Dentsu
April 2020 — Present | Austin, Texas (Remote)
Uncover cultural trends and design next‑generation products, services, and innovations for the world’s most beloved brands, delivering growth, engagement, and meaningful business impact.
$250M+
Revenue Influenced
Through product innovation strategy, award-winning products that accelerate innovation influencing $250M+ in revenue.
166%+
Innovation Initiative
Drove record DII Americas performance. Grew Dentsu startup partners by 55%, exceeded KPIs by 166%.
233%
Increased R&D funding by 233%, engaged 30+ brands, and amplified Dentsu’s presence at CES, SXSW, and Cannes Lions.
Products, Innovation & Impact
Award-Winning Campaigns
Led market-first Differin Level Up activations on Roblox and Twitch.
Drove 5,800% increase in purchase intent, 620% earned media growth and 266% website traffic surge.
NXT Intelligence™
Developed NXT Intelligence™ an innovation accelerator.
Fortune 500 brands leverage technology, innovation and brand experience pillars focused on CPGs, entertainment, gaming, anime, and retail.
Strategic Partnerships
Formed Global Meta Messaging Alliance to provide joint clients with access to alpha and beta products across Meta Business Messaging platforms.
Intelligent Messaging
Visionary behind Intelligent Messaging, a suite of AI-powered multimodal messaging innovations showcased at CES and SXSW, featured in Digiday & Retail Brew.
ShopNXT™
Product lead for ShopNXT™, a suite of patent-pending contactless retail tech featured at CES, named “Top Tools Shaping The Future of Retail” by Adweek, covered by CNET, PCR, and PSFK.
Dentsu NXT Space
Led Dentsu NXT Space, a collaboration with Microsoft and LinkedIn enabling brands to test AI, XR, and emerging technologies – named PSFK’s “Best of CES,” covered by Forbes, Digiday and LBB.
Entrepreneurial Venture
Founder, Managing Partner at Collabsco
December 2015 — Present | Austin, Texas (Remote)
Partners with global brands and startups to identify growth opportunities, prototype solutions, and build innovations that deliver actionable results.
Hasbro Partnership
Expanded network, scouted innovation partners across the US, South America and Europe.
Slashed development costs by 50%-80%.
Mattel Collaboration
Designed future view trends and product strategy for innovation accelerator Stunt Works.
Accelerated product insights and CX across award-winning connected products.
Virsix Games
Partnered with Atari founder Nolan Bushnell and Zai Ortiz on immersive gaming R&D.
Led product marketing for the award-winning Alexa game St.Noire featured at Comic-Con, CES and SXSW.
MERGE VR & AR Products
Led strategy for award-winning AR/VR.
Launched 23 gaming experiences in three months.
Connected Play Landscape
Launched first-ever Connected Play Landscape mapping 260+ connected experiences. Featured in VentureBeat and The Drum.
Launched TechUp
Co-founder of TechUp, a curated service showcasing innovative products on a global stage, featured at WIRED Live, WIRED Next Generation, CES, and SXSW.
Previous Leadership
EVP, Senior Partner at Mutual Mobile (WPP)
April 2014 — December 2015 | Austin, Texas
Exponential Growth Leadership
Defined the vision and growth strategy for a WPP digital agency, leading product innovation and organizational transformation to position the company for scale.
22%
Revenue Impact
Secured 22% overall revenue Q2 2014 – Q2 2015
800%
Billing Increase
Accelerated from 3% to 27%
$11M
Largest Engagement
Company's history-making deal
60+
Executive Leadership
Directed team of 60+ cross-functionally across operations.
CES
Innovation Awards
Product team leader for CES Innovation Award Winner Sleep Number SleepIQ Kids and Honeywell Lyric IOT products.
Additional Experience
Sanders\Wingo
Youth + Multicultural
Austin, Texas
Tocquigny
Product + Tech
Austin, Texas
McElroy
Consumer Packaged Goods
Los Angeles, California
JWT
Automotive + Tech
London, England
Professional Affiliations
Made with