Laura Neal is the founder of Ambitious Venture and a trusted advisor to some of the world’s most accomplished finance and executive leaders. With over 25 years of experience—spanning Big Four public accounting, high-growth firms, and national leadership advisory & professional services—she brings a rare mix of business acumen, coaching expertise, and lived performance.
Since earning High Performance Coaching Certification™ from the High Performance Institute in 2018, Laura has specialized in leadership advisory work with CFOs and their teams. Her extensive real-world coaching experience culminated in creating the proprietary Ambitious Venture Model and accompanying program materials born from proven methodologies. A competitive athlete and entrepreneur, Laura empowers her clients to lead with clarity, energy, and lasting impact. She’s partnered with finance executives at companies like Google, Disney, Meta, and Nvidia, guiding them through complexity with purpose and precision. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area—and part of a pioneering winemaking family in Napa—Laura balances bold ambition with grounded insight. Whether she’s coaching a CFO, racing an Ironman, or raising her seven kids, she lives what she teaches: lead with intention, and never stop growing.
Laura’s sweet spot is coaching CFOs and their teams through inflection points: new roles, IPO/SPAC readiness, major transactions, restructurings, transformations, implementations, integrations, and scale-up phases – so they can set the right priorities and lead with conviction while optimizing outcomes. She is not the technician in the workstream. Instead, she helps clients get clear on what matters most, make high quality decisions under pressure, and mobilize the right people and resources to execute. As a strategic thought partner, she sharpens judgment, focuses priorities, and equips leaders with practical, evidence-based habits to perform at their best.
“We reimagine what’s possible by embracing complexity as opportunity – because the greatest growth happens when we help others transform challenges into breakthroughs.”
As we continue supporting CFOs and their teams in achieving breakthrough performance, we’re expanding our coaching practice. We’re seeking exceptional people who combine:
If you think you’re a fit and want to learn more, please reach out to us!
Connect with Laura to explore how Ambitious Venture can support you and your team.
