Vernee is an instructional designer from Oakland, California; and a Houston, Texas Transplant. She spent four years as a Vice President for an education franchise company where her love for providing learning experiences was sparked. She co-founded Upbrainery in 2020 to address equity and access in education. Her purpose is to provide experiential learning experiences through a software platform, online digital learning, and hands-on education kits. Her goal is to provide a whole child view of education that includes academic and nonacademic experiences, and provide smart badges and smart portfolios to higher education and potential employers, programs, and much more.