Layne Gray – Founder and Chief Evangelist
As a seasoned charitable fund-raiser and entrepreneur, Layne has given her insights and advice to friends over the past fifteen to twenty years. Realizing that there were plenty more qualified volunteer advisors for charitable fund raising but there was no place they could gather from across the country, she dreamt up Vivanista.
Before Vivanista, Ms. Gray was the founder of LKE Productions, a global technology industry conference management company. LKE produced conferences, product launches and seminar series for groups ranging from a few hundred to over fifteen thousand. Before that, Ms. Gray held technical marketing management positions at both Oracle Corporation – as the Director of UNIX Product Line Marketing, and Altos Computer Systems.
Ms. Gray dedicates a portion of her free time to charitable causes in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to being a member of the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Zoological Society she is a Sustainer in the San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary as well as the Junior League of San Francisco, which awarded her with the 2009 Junior League Sustainer of the Year Award.
As the Chair or Co-Chair of fund raising events, she has helped raise millions of dollars for numerous non-profit organizations, including the American Cancer Society, the San Francisco Ballet, the Junior League of San Francisco, the International Museum of Women, the San Francisco Zoo and the Arthritis Foundation.
A graduate of the University of Oregon with a B.A. in Marketing and Statistics Ms. Gray lives in San Francisco with her daughter and three dogs, Gracie, Fifi and CoCo. A native of the Pacific Northwest she spends as much free time as possible outdoors whether in San Francisco running or cycling or on the west shore of Lake Tahoe skiing and relaxing.
Annie Vranizan –Co-Founder and Marketing Guru
In every group, company, organization, there is always one person who ultimately signifies the backbone of the collective and can often be the unsung hero. Annie Vranizan, while she is just beginning to embark on her career post-college, can quite easily fit that description and undoubtedly does so outside of her professional parameters. Exuding a harmonious balance of determination, patience, and endurance, Ms. Vranizan leverages her skills in the workplace gained from years of competitive sports and team leadership.
Annie is knowledgeable of web design and development, social media marketing, and continually impresses her colleagues with her inspiring ability to accomplish everything with flying colors. Aside from diligently logging countless hours perfecting the Vivanista site, Ms. Vranizan finds time to indulge her passion for athletics, perhaps where she releases stress because at work, she’ll never let you see her sweat and is always a breath of fresh (and calming) air.
A native of Portland, Oregon, this well traveled young woman was the first person to join the Vivanista team. Prior to Vivanista, Ms. Vranizan honed her project management skills in residential design and renovation. She also coached ski racing for several west coast teams.
A graduate of the University of Nevada, Ms. Vranizan excelled in her Business Administration and Marketing curriculum while doubling as an athlete on the NCAA Division I Ski Team, all the while finding time to achieve academic notoriety as a member of the Dean’s List, recipient of multiple scholarships, graduate finalist in the Donald Reynolds Business Plan Competition and was awarded an Outstanding Senior for Academic and Community Involvement by The College of Business at the University of Nevada.
Stacy Coleman – Senior Marketing Associate
Bringing her strategic creativity and expertise in online community management, Stacy leverages social media and marketing to manage the Vivanista brand. She also has a background in content creation, writing, photography, ad design, search engine marketing and optimization, and customer service.
Stacy began her career working on product design and merchandising for PUMA, Inc. while finishing up her senior year of college, where she developed new merchandising strategies and designed footwear for Nordstrom, Finish line and Footlocker. In her previous work, Stacy’s marketing and community development initiatives received rapport in reputable publications such as Mashable, Adage, and the Silicon Valley Business Journal. At UsTrendy, she supervised thousands of global members, enhancing their online relationships and overall experience.
Stacy’s interests include fashion, travel, hiking, the Boston Red Sox, English Bulldogs, and celebrity gossip. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing from Southern New Hampshire University, and she loves exploring new places.
