Hi, I'm Vanessa. I build businesses that prove commerce and community are better together.

I build businesses from the ground up and help established ones think like founders. From co-founding and selling Dough to joining Boston's NWSL team, Boston Legacy FC, as hire #1, I bring an entrepreneurial lens to every stage of growth.

I've always believed that the best businesses don't just generate revenue, they create opportunity. That belief has shaped everything I've built.

As co-founder and CEO of Dough, I built a VC-backed marketplace from scratch that generated revenue for over 1,000 women-owned businesses, cultivated a community of 30,000, and established partnerships with Bumble, theSkimm, and Ellevest before being acquired.

Most recently, I joined Boston's incoming NWSL team as hire #1, working alongside the founders and core team to shape the vision and strategy needed to bring a new franchise to life in one of the greatest sports cities in the world.

I thrive in the early days, the messy, exciting work of building something from nothing, but I know how to carry that founder mentality into growing and established organizations, helping them move faster, think bigger, and build with purpose.

Two women wearing merchandise from Boston Legacy FC
A sample of the marketplace Dough with callouts on the product design.

My Work Has Been Spotted In

  • Text reading 'The Athletic' in bold font.

    First Look: Boston Unveils Inaugural ‘First Light’ Primary Uniforms Ahead of 2026 NWSL Season

    by Melanie Anzidei | Read the Article

  • Fortune

    A New Online Shopping Site Gets Diversity Right

    by Ellen McGrit | Read the Article

  • Black text on a white background that reads 'Wall Street Journal'

    She Hit the Button—and All Hell Broke Loose. How the Sports Team Everyone Hated Came Back.

    by Rachel Bachman | Read the Article

  • Bustle

    Dough's Subscription Service Lets You Discover Women-Owned Brands

    by Marlen Komar | Read the Article

  • Night scene with city skyline and fireworks

    Boston Legacy FC Targets Fans Through Small Businesses, One Doughnut at A Time

    by Maya Shavit | Read the Article

  • Built In

    This Boston Startup Makes It Easier to Support Women-Owned Businesses

    By Ellen Glover | Read the Article

  • Business Insider

    This Startup Founder Is Reshaping the Way Women-Led Businesses Get Financial Support

    Read the Article

  • Glossy

    Dough Wants to Put Money in The Pockets of Female-Owned Beauty Brands

    by Erica La Sala | Read the Article

  • The word "PLANOLY" written in bold black letters on a white background.

    Dough On Pay Equity and Tips for Other Entrepreneurs

    by Evan Welsh

  • Business of Home

    IMC Acquires Socially Conscious Marketplace Dough

    by Caroline Bourque | Read the Article

Beyond the work, I'm an advocate, speaker, connector, and mother who believes in the power of storytelling and the relationships that make it all meaningful.

Let’s talk.

Drop me a note at vanessa.lee.bruce (at) gmail.com.