Deborah Medrano CFO of Dreamscape Immersive

Hello and welcome to a special episode of Influential Women 

Today we are speaking with Deborah Medrano, CFO of Dreamscape Immersive. 

 Welcome to the Pandocap Show.

Q: Can you share a bit about your journey with our audience?

A: I grew up in Hong Kong and then came to the USA to attend University.  After that, I ended up working at M&M/Mars as a candy designer.  That was a great experience and taught me about failure and experimentation, and how you learn from failures, which are essentially experiments without the anticipated result.  I then went to Stanford and got my MBA which launched my career in strategy and new business development.  Disney then came calling, which launched my career in the entertainment industry.  From Disney, I went to the Discovery Channel and then became a key partner at Warner Brothers working on Harry Potter, all of which led me to Dreamscape Immersive.  

Today I am the CFO of Dreamscape Immersive, building immersive experiences in VR for entertainment, education, and training. 

Q: You have worked for many brand names, from Disney and Live Nation to Discovery.  Have you enjoyed the move from a large brand name to more of a startup? 

A: I enjoyed my journey, and the great thing about being with big brands is you have a lot of support and structure, but you are also defined and it’s very finite, it’s like you are in a box and your impact is limited.  Dreamscape is a small company, and as CFO, I am involved in everything from accounting to doing the work of a financial analyst, to being the person who sets the processes and systems not only for Dreamscape now, but into the future as well.  In a large corporation, you can be an author, implementing or enforcing, but in a small company, you can really be in the driver’s seat.  

Q: As a CFO in the current environment what are some trends you are seeing or tips you have for others?

 A: I think this is more than just being a CFO; this is about being a woman executive.  One of the things you have to believe is that you belong in the room.  Whatever meeting or conversation is taking place, you believe that you belong in that room. I would encourage you to realize that you belong there and that what you have to say is interesting, additive, and deserves to be heard.  I think this is so important!

Q: What’s next for you during the rest of this year and beyond?

A: I think human beings are inherently social and there is pent-up demand for engaging in entertainment that is social and safe.  I think Dreamscape will play a critical role in bringing that entertainment to light.  We have very powerful VR technology that could apply to many areas, like education, and we are figuring out what better educational engagement and outcomes look like.  I am excited about this for our future. 

Thank you for joining us on Pandocap and we look forward to highlighting your success as an Influential Woman.