Veronica
Founder + CEO
Veronica has been leveling up organizations of 4 to 2,400 people and producing events her whole career. Her corporate experience began in New York City–based finance, supporting executives at Och-Ziff Capital, Macquarie Capital, and Allen & Company, where she was on the events team for the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference.
She later served as Chief of Staff to a US congressional campaign, where she was the first hire and built its infrastructure from the ground up. Veronica’s love of building led her into the tech startup world, where she worked at Dashlane, Gusto, and Beam Benefits.
Veronica lives ten steps ahead: The reservation, the backup reservation, the umbrella. She reads a room (and a menu) in seconds. Road trip snacks, a playlist, and a plan for traffic, all done before anyone asked or even thought of it. For her, the details are everything, and she nails them. She knows the best plans just feel effortless, and she’s secretly hilarious.
Veronica is a first-generation college graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre & Dance from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Baruch College in New York City.
Still a scrappy theatre kid at heart, Veronica loves good storytelling and a big, showstopping Act One finale. Her “I want” song is now data-driven and supported by metrics.
Zoë
Founder + COO
Zoë’s career began in New York City entertainment at HBO and Right Track Recording Studios, where she supported the CEO and General Manager and produced events for high-profile clients.
She went on to own and operate her event photography business, Big Cake Photography, for 12 years, then led operations and talent at two luxury home staging firms. Zoë’s soft spot for operations took her to Gusto, where she owned events for the revenue organization, from offsites and sales kickoffs to President’s Club trips.
A lifelong New Yorker, who friends describe as a maven, Zoë has a recommendation for everything: The off-menu dish worth ordering, the gallery worth losing an afternoon in, the hotel lobby worth a secret detour. She knows the best experiences aren’t always the most expensive, and she knows exactly where to find them. Zoë studied art at NYC’s famed LaGuardia High School, followed by media studies at New York University, and business management at Baruch College.
Still a photographer at heart, she is always hunting for the moments when music, food, and beverage bring people closer. When Veronica starts the Act One finale, Zoë makes sure every cue lands.
GSR
Veronica and Zoë met fifteen years ago. At different jobs, in different cities, in person, remotely, and always with the same standards; they’ve collaborated as partners, and each has had a turn managing the other. They share a freakish appreciation for getting every detail exactly right, and they trust each other completely. Either would let the other rent her a New York City apartment, sight unseen (IYKYK). A partnership like this is rare, and it’s the backbone of Garcia-Shapiro Retreats.
Veronica and Zoë can be found geeking out on their love of puzzles, and staring endlessly at travel reels, with just an occasional baby raccoon follow (if anyone’s asking.)
