Vanessa Goodwin is a senior legal counsel at the Heising-Simons Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, Vanessa was the assistant general counsel at Arnold Ventures LLC, where she advised the organization on a variety of legal and business matters.

Previously, she also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, where she investigated and prosecuted violent crime and weapons offenses. She also volunteered as a community prosecutor working with the Metropolitan Police Department and the community to develop programming designed to enhance public safety and improve the quality of life in Washington, D.C. Before her time in public service, she was a litigation associate at Shumaker, Loop, and Kendrick, LLP, where her practice focused primarily on commercial litigation.

Vanessa has a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from the University of Florida.