Meet Vanessa Daleki
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Vanessa Daleki
Director of Operations Simoni Systems 4470 N. Michigan Avenue Saginaw, MI 48604 (989) 755-1111 [email protected] www.simonisystems.com |
Q: What year did you begin working at your company?
A: 2024
Q: When year did you join the YPN Steering Committee?
A: 2026
Q: What motivated you to join the YPN Steering Committee?
A: I love collaboration and working with others, and I also have ideas for increasing engagement and encouraging greater member involvement. Joining the Steering Committee felt like a great opportunity to share those ideas while also building new personal and professional connections.
Q: What YPN event do you look forward to the most and why?
A: YPN Gives Back: Shoebox Saginaw! It's such an incredible way to give back to the community, and I also really love wrapping gifts, so it's been my favorite event to attend since joining YPN.
Q: What’s your favorite way to build meaningful connections at YPN events—before, during, or after the event?
A: During and after the event. I think getting to chat with someone during an experience is super fun, but also debriefing afterwards, and getting to know someone on a more personal level is definitely my preference.
Q: How do you hope someone feels after attending their first YPN event?
A: I hope attendees feel welcomed and excited to come back. Trying something new, especially on your own, can be uncomfortable for anyone, but stepping into that discomfort is how we grow. At a YPN event, I want people to feel comfortable showing up as their authentic selves and to leave having made at least one meaningful connection, someone who made them feel at ease and inspired to get more involved.
Q: What’s one professional skill you’ve strengthened through your involvement with YPN?
A: Networking, for sure. I’m very extroverted and informal, so being “professional” doesn’t come naturally to me. Networking events have been incredibly helpful in learning how to navigate and strike the right balance between being professional and being too relaxed/casual.
Q: What’s one moment during your time with YPN that made you feel especially connected to the group or the community?
A: For me the best moment was when I was attending my very first event. I was super nervous because I didn’t know anyone, what to do, or where to go. I ended up actually knowing the person checking in the members at the event and that immediately put me at ease. Then I walked past the YPN table and one of the members was super nice, friendly, invited me to an event and even got my contact information to reach out to me after the fact. It was honestly really nice and made me feel welcome.
Q: What’s one habit or mindset that helps you balance career growth with community involvement?
A: Knowing that no matter how small of an impact I think I am making, it is helpful in the grand scheme of things. Additionally, usually when you do something positive, it causes a ripple effect.
Q: What’s something outside of work that brings you energy or inspiration and helps you show up as a better leader?
A: My relationships. Whether it be game nights with friends, cooking dinner with my husband, spending time with my family, being around people is what brings my heart joy and allows me to decompress from “the hustle”.
Q: What’s a hidden gem in Saginaw County you enjoy recommending to other young professionals?
A: It’s not hidden, but it is a gem! The Thomas Township Rail Trail. It's my favorite place to walk and talk with friends, go on bike rides, go for a run to clear my mind, wave and smile at people as they pass by! Good vibes all around on the Rail Trail.
Q: If your life had a theme song right now, what would it be and why?
A: The Mountain Is You, By Chance Peña It’s about internal struggles and self-limiting beliefs that hold people back from their potential. Embracing vulnerability, facing fears, and finding inner restoration, realizing that the only way forward is through.
Published: January 2026
A: 2024
Q: When year did you join the YPN Steering Committee?
A: 2026
Q: What motivated you to join the YPN Steering Committee?
A: I love collaboration and working with others, and I also have ideas for increasing engagement and encouraging greater member involvement. Joining the Steering Committee felt like a great opportunity to share those ideas while also building new personal and professional connections.
Q: What YPN event do you look forward to the most and why?
A: YPN Gives Back: Shoebox Saginaw! It's such an incredible way to give back to the community, and I also really love wrapping gifts, so it's been my favorite event to attend since joining YPN.
Q: What’s your favorite way to build meaningful connections at YPN events—before, during, or after the event?
A: During and after the event. I think getting to chat with someone during an experience is super fun, but also debriefing afterwards, and getting to know someone on a more personal level is definitely my preference.
Q: How do you hope someone feels after attending their first YPN event?
A: I hope attendees feel welcomed and excited to come back. Trying something new, especially on your own, can be uncomfortable for anyone, but stepping into that discomfort is how we grow. At a YPN event, I want people to feel comfortable showing up as their authentic selves and to leave having made at least one meaningful connection, someone who made them feel at ease and inspired to get more involved.
Q: What’s one professional skill you’ve strengthened through your involvement with YPN?
A: Networking, for sure. I’m very extroverted and informal, so being “professional” doesn’t come naturally to me. Networking events have been incredibly helpful in learning how to navigate and strike the right balance between being professional and being too relaxed/casual.
Q: What’s one moment during your time with YPN that made you feel especially connected to the group or the community?
A: For me the best moment was when I was attending my very first event. I was super nervous because I didn’t know anyone, what to do, or where to go. I ended up actually knowing the person checking in the members at the event and that immediately put me at ease. Then I walked past the YPN table and one of the members was super nice, friendly, invited me to an event and even got my contact information to reach out to me after the fact. It was honestly really nice and made me feel welcome.
Q: What’s one habit or mindset that helps you balance career growth with community involvement?
A: Knowing that no matter how small of an impact I think I am making, it is helpful in the grand scheme of things. Additionally, usually when you do something positive, it causes a ripple effect.
Q: What’s something outside of work that brings you energy or inspiration and helps you show up as a better leader?
A: My relationships. Whether it be game nights with friends, cooking dinner with my husband, spending time with my family, being around people is what brings my heart joy and allows me to decompress from “the hustle”.
Q: What’s a hidden gem in Saginaw County you enjoy recommending to other young professionals?
A: It’s not hidden, but it is a gem! The Thomas Township Rail Trail. It's my favorite place to walk and talk with friends, go on bike rides, go for a run to clear my mind, wave and smile at people as they pass by! Good vibes all around on the Rail Trail.
Q: If your life had a theme song right now, what would it be and why?
A: The Mountain Is You, By Chance Peña It’s about internal struggles and self-limiting beliefs that hold people back from their potential. Embracing vulnerability, facing fears, and finding inner restoration, realizing that the only way forward is through.
Published: January 2026
Thank you to our Chairman's Circle Sponsors
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SILVER LEVEL
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