After earning a bachelor's degree in hospitality from the University of Sierra, Bernheim in 2011, she took a leading position in her father's real estate company, leading its branch of hotels and resorts. After borrowing $1.5 million from her father, she successfully turned around the performance of The Major from a near-bankrupt venture to a thriving resort. She was then appointed President of HPI in 2013 at the age of 25, making her one of the youngest corporate executives in Sierra. As president, she gradually assumed control of the company from her ailing father, who was looking to retire, while expanding the Heartwell brand, acquiring properties in the United Commonwealth, Rainier, and elsewhere in the Anglosphere. In 2016, Tim Heartwell stepped down as chief executive officer of HPI,