Vanessa Garrison

Observer
DISC Type : ci

Co-Founder & Chief of Recruitment at GirlTREK

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Overview

Vanessa Garrison co-founded GirlTrek, the largest health nonprofit for Black women in the US, leveraging her background in digital media and social justice. A UCLA graduate and certified Sierra Club Outdoor Leader, she previously supported formerly incarcerated women at Our Place DC and began her career at Turner Broadcasting System.

She is a passionate advocate for social justice, focusing on improving health outcomes and quality of life for Black women and girls. Her work is centered on community organizing, fostering sisterhood, and promoting walking as a tool for healing and empowerment. Vanessa was raised by a village of women, including her grandmother and aunts.

Vanessa is a fellow at both Echoing Green and The Aspen Institute, placing her among the worlds top social innovators, and her TED Talk has been used in curricula globally.

Personality Overview

Assertive

Example Seeker

Curious

They ask a lot of questions and rely heavily on information and collaterals.  They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing. They are generally strong communicators and are not easy to convince.

Topics They Care About

Black Women's Health
Co-founded GirlTrek, the largest public health nonprofit for Black women and girls in the U. S. , to improve health outcomes and combat chronic diseases through walking.
Social Justice
Her career is rooted in social justice, from aiding formerly incarcerated women at Our Place DC to tackling systemic health inequities affecting Black communities.
Community Organizing
Has mobilized over one million Black women to form walking groups, creating a grassroots movement to reclaim streets and foster supportive, healthy communities.

Media Appearances

GirlTrek 2023 Season Kickoff: Co-Founder Walk & Talk. Featured in Spotify

See Now

Vanessa Garrison | GirlTrek. Featured in YouTube

See Now

GirlTREK w/Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison (Episode 50). Featured in The Parks Podcast

See Now

Work History

1-2025
Co-Founder & Chief of Recruitment at GirlTREK
1-2023 - 2-2025
Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer at GirlTREK
6-2012 - 1-2024
Co-Founder and COO at GirlTREK
6-2011 - 2-2025
Co-Founder & Director at GirlTREK
1-2011 - 6-2012
Volunteer and Donor Relations Coordinator at Our Place DC

Education

1996 - 2000
Bachelor's Degree from UCLA

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 23 Location : Washington, District of Columbia, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Co-Founder & Chief of Recruitment at GirlTREK
URL has been copied!

Insights For Selling To Vanessa

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Persuade objectively how your product will help them achieve their goals
  • Help them realize that there is no personal risk in making this decision
  • Share testimonials from known people and give multiple examples of product value

DONT's

  • Don’t try to rush them into a decision, provide all necessary information first
  • Don’t brush off any concerns, take all questions seriously
  • Don’t be too objective but make sure to pad your storytelling with data points

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Vanessa is

  • Proven value, strong testimonials are important for them, rapport can impact decisions a little.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Vanessa

  • They are practical yet friendly, don’t expect a clear no very often.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Vanessa move?

  • They like to analyze well and then make their decisions.
  • Can Vanessa take some risk or not?

  • They weigh all decisions systematically and are unlikely to take many risks.

You And Vanessa

Personality Compatibility


More Profiles

Discover additional public profiles from our index.

Search more profiles

Looking for someone else? Search here for anyone.

Or visit Humantic AI to know more.