For more than a decade, Melissa has been at the forefront of the intersection of technology, media, and social impact as a prominent author, speaker and entrepreneur. A former field producer for CNN and Associated Press Television News, she is the co-founder of Resolve, a specialist accelerator partnering with sector-leading organizations to help startups across the globe scale internationally, and connecting business hubs to emerging markets. Resolve is an extension of The Toolbox, a humanitarian tech platform, which Melissa led with legendary musician and activist Peter Gabriel.
In addition to building Resolve, Melissa provides content strategy, partnership development and tech consulting to Fortune 500 companies, startups and social enterprises, while meeting the growing demand among leading organizations to extend market reach and build global ecosystems.
She is a frequent speaker and moderator at major industry conferences supporting social justice and innovation. Her published work as an author includes features for BBC News, Fast Company, CBS News, NBC, Mic.com, Mashable, Village Voice Media, MTV, Cisco’s Technology News Network, Bersin Perspectives by Deloitte, The Guardian and TechCrunch.
As an on-camera correspondent, she hosted 2015 Super Bowl events and the first-ever live streamed meeting at the United Nations General Assembly, where she spoke about harnessing technology to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
During her early years as a journalist and producer, she flew in zero gravity at NASA, produced business news from the New York Stock Exchange, and interviewed entertainment industry luminaries at the Emmys, Grammys, Golden Globes and Oscars.
Melissa is a champion for women’s rights and young people using science, tech, engineering, art and math (STEAM) to transform communities. Additionally, she mentors global teen activists with the We Are Family Foundation. She is currently based in London, but is a compulsive traveller always on the lookout for ways to promote global entrepreneurship, discover new music and hike adventurous trails.