Melissa is fueled by fostering authentic human connection. She has worked on community teams for disruptive companies like SoundCloud and Kickstarter, is a private yoga teacher, and has worked for a number of small food businesses over the past decade.

Melissa created Up Speak after noticing how many ambitious women were unable to find solid mentors and gave lackluster reviews about one-off events intended for women’s professional development. Up Speak is her solution for women seeking a more durable opportunity for both camaraderie and practical advice. She believes in the power of peer mentoring and that not only those deemed "experts" have wisdom to give.