wendy e. simmons

From a young age, Wendy Simmons has been exploring the world and living a life of discovery and learning. Her experiences across hundreds of companies and more than 100 countries and counting across every continent have given her an inexhaustible repository of insights that have fueled her success as a trusted advisor and strategist for C-suite teams and boards of directors across startup, growth, and transforming organizations.

At the foundation of Wendy’s worldview is her passion for organizations—both for-profit and nonprofit—that are serving the greater good. An executive specialist in driving large-scale strategic initiatives, Wendy maintains a focus on governance and corporate social responsibility efforts that serve underrepresented communities.

Early in 2021, Wendy joined the Congregation Gates of Prayer and Gates School as the Executive Director. She quickly began work to rebrand and revitalize this 175-year-old synagogue with an affiliated preschool and historical properties. From the creation of a fresh and relevant brand to the redefining of the school licensing model, the implementation of modernized processes and systems, and the renovation of facilities, Wendy has unlocked new sources of funding and has expanded the base of families served.

Earlier, as President and Chief Brand Officer, Wendy transformed the legacy MOSCOT optometry and eyewear corner store into a relevant luxury brand, delivering multimillion-dollar revenue growth. She created a marketing and product development model that became an industry standard. The result was a branded MOSCOT product line that grew into several collections, is now available in more than 1,200 locations globally, and is sought out by celebrities and high-profile personalities. At MOSCOT, Wendy also conceptualized, launched, and led a 501(c)(3) organization—The MOSCOT Mobileyes Foundation Inc.—that has given underserved communities across NYC improved access to quality care and eyewear.

After exploring different paths early in her career, including a stint at a Capitol Hill lobbying firm, Wendy joined TSI Communications—a New York City-based marketing and PR firm. The youngest Senior Account Executive to be promoted to Vice President, then Senior Vice President, she built the firm’s successful B2B practice and led the turnaround of the Sony account. This work fueled the spinoff of her practice into a standalone agency, Mindstorm Communications. As President, she grew this business to multimillion-dollar revenue and four offices, including New York City, L.A., San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Marquee client brands included Sony, Reebok, and Cablevision. In 2001, Wendy positioned Mindstorm for acquisition by Golin, an IPG company. She was recruited by Golin to co-lead the integration process.

To satisfy her entrepreneurial spirit, Wendy formed Vendaloo Inc., a brand and marketing agency that has been pivotal in the launch and growth of hundreds of clients across industries. From the creation of communications strategies to advertising campaigns, reputation management, and the commercialization of advanced technologies, Wendy has delivered hundreds of millions of targeted media impressions, features, bylines, and other opportunities to elevate business performance. She is also the former owner and general manager of Belly, a bar in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. After growing this into a profitable business, she positioned it for acquisition at an attractive multiple.

An intellectually curious adventurer by nature, Wendy has translated some of her journeys into award-winning photography and writing. She is the author of My Holiday in North Korea: The Funniest/Worst Place on Earth published by Simon & Schuster and Rosetta Books with more than15,000 copies sold to date. Her photography has been the subject of solo and juried shows and publications worldwide.

Wendy is a summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate from George Washington University, holding a B.A. in political science with a minor in Asian studies and Japanese. Her studies included a year abroad at the Kansai Gaidai Daigaku University in Osaka, Japan, and additional study abroad at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain. She maintains working proficiency in Japanese, Spanish, and Modern Hebrew in her travels worldwide and volunteer work with multinational service organizations.