Ranking: #66

Vanilla is the world’s first Estate Advisory Platform, purpose-built by advisors and estate professionals to help wealth management firms deliver a holistic, modern estate planning experience to their clients. With Vanilla, advisors, planners, and estate attorneys can deliver differentiated advice, expand their client relationships, win new business, and increase their ongoing value by offering simplified, scalable estate analysis to every client.

ABOUT VANILLA:

FUNDING STAGE:

Series B

LEAD INVESTORS:

Insight, Venrock

Meet the Founder

  • Steve Lockshin

    FOUNDER & NON-EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN

    LinkedIn

Workplace Culture

🎉

Workplace Culture 🎉

  • Hybrid

  • The three words that best describe Vanilla’s company culture are Values-Based, Communicative, and Ownership-Driven. 

    1. Value-Based: Our core values (Customer Obsession, Trust, Collaboration, Drive, and Pioneering) inform every decision and interaction. We believe in putting the customer first, building strong relationships based on trust, achieving goals through collaboration, relentlessly pushing forward, and embracing a pioneering spirit. 

    2. Communicative: We foster a culture where honest and direct communication is encouraged, even when it's difficult. We believe in inclusivity and respecting everyone's voice and opinion.  We strive for clear, open communication that values everyone's time and perspective, which we practice by encouraging team members to speak up with ideas, ensure everyone is on the same page (i.e. "closing the loop"), and recognize each other's contributions.

    3. Ownership: We empower our employees to act with high personal standards and take ownership of their work. We are self-directed, tackling challenges head on and digging deep to find solutions. We celebrate successes together, but also collectively acknowledge and learn from mistakes. This embrace of accountability fosters a strong sense of ownership in our shared vision.

  • Our leadership team plays a central role in shaping and sustaining our company culture. They are vocal advocates for employee support initiatives that bring our values to life, help our team members flourish, and build a sense of shared purpose. Our leadership also understands that a strong culture requires continuous improvement. They actively solicit feedback through surveys and discussion, which lets Vanilla identify areas of strength and opportunities for growth, ensuring our culture remains responsive to employee needs. By taking these active steps, our leadership team lays the groundwork for a thriving, values-based culture where everyone feels heard, supported, and empowered to contribute.

  • Vanilla believes in celebrating achievements big and small. By honoring both individual and team accomplishments, we create a culture that motivates and inspires our employees. 

    Our "Vanilla Values" shoutouts program allows colleagues to recognize individuals who exemplify our core values. This public acknowledgement brings well-deserved credit to individual contributions and reinforces the importance of our values. 

    Additionally, quarterly and annual spotlights shine a light on outstanding contributions and career milestones. We also celebrate personal "Vanillaversaries" (work anniversaries) and birthday announcements, contributing to a sense of community, connection, and belonging.

THE TOP 100

Will Reed’s Top 100 Directory