Val Vacante

Val Vacante is an award-winning, creative catalyst and global innovator. As the VP of Solutions Innovation at Dentsu, she uncovers cultural trends, commerce dynamics, and emerging technologies to shape next-generation product innovations, and solutions impacting the way people connect and experience in the physical and digital world.

Val is the product lead and innovator behind the Meta Global Messaging Alliance and Intelligent Messaging, Dentsu's first-of-its-kind full suite of end-to-end messaging innovations designed to accelerate 1:1 conversational messaging, AI-amplified assistance, and human connection – showcased at CES 2024 in collaboration with Meta featured in Digiday and Retail Brew.

She is the co-creator behind Dentsu NXT Space, a co-space for rapidly realizing the future of AI, 3D spatial environments, and everyday tech tools in collaboration with Microsoft, LinkedIn and HeadOffice.space featured in PSFK’s, “Best of CES,” Forbes, Fast Company, Digiday, Coindesk, Metaverse Post and more.

Val is also the co-creator of ShopNXT™ — Dentsu’s retail innovations focused on helping brands create more personalized shopping experiences increasing loyalty, sales, and customer joy. The ShopNXT suite of products has been named top product picks at CES by PCR Magazine featured in CNET, The Drum, PSFK, eMarketer, MediaPost, PCR among others.

Additionally, Val architected and launched NXT Intelligence™ an innovation platform featuring 12 technology, innovation, and brand solutions designed to rapidly explore, evaluate and evolve business growth opportunities. Her latest work focuses on connected experiences, emerging technologies, gaming, retail and play.

She is also the Founder of the strategy and innovation firm Collabsco; where she pioneered award-winning digital products and connected experiences across IoT, AR, VR, voice, robotics, and the first  connected play landscape featured in VentureBeat, The Drum, VRScout, and more.

Her portfolio includes over 50+ brands including Microsoft, Hasbro, Mattel, Disney, Bandai Namco Entertainment, PepsiCo, P&G, Nestlé, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, AT&T, Vodafone, Honeywell, Sleep Number, Dell, MERGE, WowWee and Virsix Games, among others.

Val has been named one of the Top 25 Women in Tech by PCR magazine, Women in Tech Global Product Management Leader of the Year, The Most Powerful Women in Technology, by CIO Views and 40 Over Forty.

She serves on the Fast Company Executive Board, SXSW Innovation Advisory Board, is a Global Expert to MassChallenge, an international speaker and writer.

You can find her almost anywhere creators are designing the future.