Lights, Camera, Motherhood: Celebrating Vanessa Shapiro This Mother’s Day
Splitting their time between their home in the beautiful Silverleaf community and their residence in France, the Shapiros have created a lifestyle that blends business success, global perspective, and a strong dedication to family.
Silverleaf residents Huck and Vanessa Shapiro are the definition of true multitaskers. While raising a family and leading a thriving business, the dynamic duo seamlessly balances the demands of both personal and professional life. Their days are a thoughtful blend of family commitments, entrepreneurial leadership, and international travel. Despite their busy schedules, they manage it all with remarkable poise—proving that passion, organization, and teamwork can make even the most complex lifestyle feel effortless.
Family Member Names: Huck, Vanessa, Nathan (13) and Emma (11)
Profession (s): Owners of Nicely Entertainment, a Global Television production and distribution company. Nicely Entertainment is the leader in “feel good TV movies”, specializing in romance and holiday movies.
How long are you are married: We’re celebrating our 15th anniversary this year!
Favorite…
- Activities/Hobbies: Skiing, tennis, swimming, mountain biking, and spending time with friends and in Europe
- Restaurants: Neighborhood favorites like Fleming’s, Eggstasy, The Spot, and The Living Room
- Vacation Destination: Europe, especially our home in Cannes, France
- Sports Teams: Nathan is a Real Madrid fan
- TV Show/Movie: Vanessa’s Christmas movies
- Family Dinner: Sunday night dinners at home are a must
Where do you travel? We spend our summers at our home in Cannes in the South of France—often close to three months while the kids are on break. Vanessa travels frequently for work, and Huck does an amazing job managing the kids’ schedules while she’s away.
Where are you originally from? Vanessa is French, born and raised in Nice. She came to Los Angeles almost 30 years ago to work for Sony Pictures and has been in the entertainment industry ever since.
Huck is a Los Angelino from birth and worked for over 30 years in the biotech industry and management consulting prior to retiring. Both kids were born in Santa Monica and are US/French citizens.
What activities are your kids involved with? Nathan enjoys tennis, soccer, and mountain biking, while Emma participates in gymnastics, dance, and swimming. Both kids love skiing in the winter. Sundays often include mountain biking for the boys, while the girls enjoy brunch with friends.
How do you manage to run Nicely Entertainment from Silverleaf? After nearly 30 years in the entertainment industry, Vanessa launched Nicely Entertainment to focus on producing and distributing feel-good content globally. Huck joined as co-owner and COO in 2022 after retiring from biotech. Together, they’ve created a strong partnership—Vanessa leading creative, production, and distribution, while Huck manages finance and operations. With teams across multiple countries, they navigate time zones and remote work seamlessly—and wouldn’t have it any other way.
How do you balance the demands of running a business with family life? We’ve found a great balance here in Silverleaf. Vanessa starts work early in the morning, but we both wrap up by 4 p.m. to focus on family time. Weekdays are centered around home-cooked meals, while weekends are reserved for friends and dining out. Huck handles school drop-offs and pickups, and we feel incredibly fortunate to work from home and be present for our kids.
How long have you lived in Silverleaf and what events inspired you to move from LA to North Scottsdale? We moved from Los Angeles in July 2022, nearly four years ago. During COVID, we began considering a move and felt Scottsdale would be a wonderful place to raise our kids. We discovered Silverleaf during our home search and feel incredibly lucky that we did—it’s a community we truly love.
How do you manage living and working between two homes in Silverleaf and France? We feel very fortunate to split our time between Silverleaf and France. Working remotely has allowed us to live and work across two continents. The kids attend French school during the summer, strengthening their language skills and staying connected to family. For Vanessa, maintaining that connection to her roots is especially meaningful—and spending summers in France while escaping the Arizona heat makes it a win-win.