Hi, I'm Van (she/her).
I'm a creative inspired by the outdoors.
Vanessa Pierce (nickname, Van) is a writer/editor, an athlete, and an advocate of breaking down barriers for women and girls to get outside. She got her passion for the outdoors and sports at a young age, which led to a soccer scholarship to the University of Washington (1999-2003). She led the team alongside co-captain Hope Solo—the most decorated goalkeeper in U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team history—to the program's first PAC-10 Championship (still only time in 30-year UW women's soccer history), consecutive seasons of top 3 D-1 rankings, and two NCAA appearances. She earned a BA, graduating with a double major in Journalism and Political Science.
Post-college, her wanderlust and curiosity led her all over the country and world writing about adventure sports and courageous people. Her writing has been featured in Outside, Skiing, The Ski Journal, Powder, Women’s Adventure, The Seattle Times, Rocky Mountain News, Salt Lake Tribune, Ski Racing Magazine, among many other magazines and newspapers.
Inspired by the unsung women heroines taking “jumps” every day with no media recognition, Vanessa and her best friends Claire Smallwood and Lynsey Dyer founded SheJumps in 2007 to help women and girls gain transformative experiences through outdoor play. She sits on the board of directors as "emeritus" and the DEI committee co-chair.
Since 2012, Vanessa has transitioned to telling stories for brands as a marketer and content strategist/writer who’s addicted to the excitement of agency life. She currently works as a copy supervisor for a global pharmaceutical and life science advertising agency, PRECISIONeffect.
When she's not working or adventuring with her (now) 7-year-old and wife, she's fly fishing or skiing (and most likely taking them, too). Vanessa is also proud to accept her ADHD as a neurodivergent competitive advantage in advertising. Ask her about it.
"The very basic core of a [wo]man's living spirit is [her] passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."
—Jack Krakauer, Into the Wild
