Vanessa Tanicien

Vanessa Tanicien is a learning and development leader with a focus on building effective, inclusive, and human-centered workplaces. With experience as a brand strategist and culture strategist at PhotoShelter, Tanicien also served as interim head of content and leadership trainer at LifeLabs Learning, where she facilitated workshops globally.

Her tenure at LifeLabs Learning included roles as podcast creator, host, producer, founding editor, leadership trainer, facilitator, and instructional designer. Tanicien later brought her expertise to Peloton Interactive, serving as global director of learning and development, where she leads initiatives in corporate training, leadership development, and organizational culture.

Tanicien is recognized for her work in leadership, inclusion, and organizational culture. Her expertise includes cross-functional collaboration and strategy, and she has facilitated more than 1,000 workshops, events, team-building activities, and strategy sessions for executives and teams at over 100 companies worldwide. She has worked with organizations such as American Express, The Trevor Project, Match Group, and The New York Times. Her insights have appeared in publications including MIT Sloan Management Review, First Round Capital, and Quartz. At LifeLabs Learning, she and her colleagues partnered with more than 700 companies, including Slack, Peloton, and Warby Parker, to deliver research-driven programs that train managers and teams on essential leadership skills and habits.

Tanicien has served as executive producer and host of "The LeaderLab," a podcast powered by LifeLabs Learning that examines leadership best practices and distills findings into actionable skills. She is the former president of WFC Toastmasters and has worked with executives, managers, and emerging leaders to enhance communication strategies. Her workshops on public speaking and executive presence have been well received by clients.

Tanicien’s thought leadership addresses the intersection of inclusion and organizational culture. She has spoken about the challenges leaders face in revisiting hiring practices and facilitating internal conversations on race and allyship. Her perspective on micro-exclusions and psychological safety emphasizes the importance of sourcing diverse perspectives to create solutions that benefit organizations as a whole. Tanicien has appeared on panels at events such as SXSW, discussing inclusive leadership and organizational learning, further establishing her as a credible voice in the learning and development field.