A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Mandy Mooney

Valparaiso native Mandy Mooney believes that the key to a successful career begins with incorporating passion into professionalism. In fact, she is living proof of that very concept.

As vice president of internal communications at Prologis, Mooney leads the effort toward ensuring that employees at the Fortune 500 company are getting the tools they need to excel in their performance. During her tenure, she has drawn on her past experiences in musical theater to guide her through the process of encouraging her team.

“There’s a crossover between theater and my work because, for one thing, it’s a lot of writing. There’s also a lot of writing involved in theater,” Mooney said. “Next week, I have four global town hall meetings that I plan, produce, and then host every year. It’s like a theater production. Where’s the lighting? Where are the cameras? What’s the costume? What are we wearing?”

Mooney’s early love of theater began when she was a student in Valparaiso’s public school system. It was there that she became involved in musical theater and show choir, taking every opportunity she could to learn about theatrical production and the art of music. She was also a member of the choir at the United Methodist Church, and she had two aunts who were heavily involved in theater and encouraged her passion.

Mooney knows that not everyone has the same support she had while she was growing up, which is why she decided to write a book that she believes will help young people find their own unique ways to become successful, not despite their interests, but because of them. Her book is available for preorder with an official publishing date set for February 17, 2026.

“The book is called ‘Corporating: 3 Ways to Win at Work,’” Mooney said. “And those three ways are relationships, reputation, and resilience.”

Mooney believes that by building relationships, maintaining a strong reputation, and being resilient in the face of obstacles, many people who may not feel otherwise equipped for success can find their way to it. It is this belief that has guided Mooney into her role in the corporate world while still holding onto the dreams and interests she’s had since she was a child.

“I’m a singer-songwriter,” said Mooney. “So much of the passion that I get from the work that I do comes from creating music.”

In fact, Mooney has published three original songs across multiple music platforms including Apple Music and Spotify. She wrote the songs while writing her book, and she believes that the two intertwine.

“If ‘Corporating’ were to become a musical or a Broadway production, it would be this. It would be ‘Corporating Cabaret,’” she said.

Mooney notes that there have also been a number of people in her life over the years that have encouraged her to pursue her passions while also excelling in the corporate world. One transformative experience that she says changed the trajectory of her life came while she was working for Gap, Inc. She was unhappy and feeling unfulfilled with her role in the company, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what she needed to change. That’s when a guest speaker at a corporate event was able to help.

“Bobbi Silten was the president of Gap Foundation, and I idolized this woman,” Mooney said. “She was running an organization within the company that was transforming young people and supporting them in getting their first jobs. She was supporting the women who make our clothes and getting them an education to move up in their careers.”

After hearing Silten speak, Mooney believed the two of them had a lot in common. Mooney was eager to learn more about Silten’s mission, so she requested a short meeting with her.

“I just remember seeing her and being like, ‘Wait a minute. I can have a corporate job where my job is to help other people?’ I reached out, and I asked if she would take a 15-minute meeting with me, because I just wanted to be in her orbit, and I just wanted to learn more about how she got to where she was. And that 15-minute meeting jump-started my entire career,” says Mooney.

As a result of that meeting, Mooney was able to begin the path to a career that didn’t require her to give up on her values or the things she enjoyed doing. She says she is grateful that Silten took a chance on her, and she believes that more employers should be willing to bet on young, eager people who want to make a difference and take on leadership roles in the corporate world.

Another influence on Mooney’s career is the former CEO of Prologis and the man who wrote the foreword for her book, Hamid Moghadam.

“Hamid is one of those people where he sees talent and he invests in it,” Mooney said. “I really appreciated watching him in his leadership because, similar to Bobbi, he’s just unapologetically candid and straightforward when it comes to what they need and what they’re looking for. It’s not just to grow their business, but to grow their people.”

Mooney is grateful for the leaders who have listened to and believed in her along the way to her current role. She considers herself fortunate to have found people who allowed her to grow in the corporate world without asking her to give up her personal interests. In fact, Mooney is the lead singer of the Prologis company band. She has also recently published a musical album entitled “For M.E.” The title was inspired by the first letters of her daughters’ names: Matilda and Eloise.

At the end of the day, being a mom is the true joy of Mooney’s life. She says that she wrote 80% of her book sitting in her Volvo while waiting for her children during birthday parties or swim practices. She says that she was told once to find a 25th hour in the day to pursue her writing. She found it at the part-time desk that is the passenger seat of her car.

As a result of her corporate success, Mooney’s husband, Phil, is retiring from his job to be a full-time, stay-at-home husband. His support in this role will allow her to continue her writing career and travel to speaking engagements.

“Phil is freaking awesome,” says Mooney. “He’s the number-one dad. All those shirts and hats and mugs that say number-one dad should actually go to him, because he is the actual number-one dad.”

Mooney hopes that her book will help the next generation of corporate leaders and entrepreneurs find confidence in themselves using the tools she provides in her guide to success. She believes the book would be an excellent graduation gift, but that it is also a book anyone of any age could read at any time. She says it’s never too late to take control of the reins and guide yourself on the road to success.

For more information or to preorder Mooney’s book, visit mandymooney.com.