Melissa has worked at the nexus of policy, entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development throughout her career. She identifies as an ecosystem builder and entrepreneur, and is a native of De Soto, KS.

Before leading Kansas City's Tech Hub consortium, Melissa was Director of Entrepreneurship and Ecosystem Policy at the Federation of American Scientists and a Senior Program Officer at the Kauffman Foundation, where she led a grantmaking team focused on building more inclusive, collaborative, and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems in the Heartland. Previously, she held leadership roles in entrepreneurship support organizations, started her own business, led coalition-building efforts, and managed political campaigns. Melissa is deeply involved in her community, working both “in” and “on” Kansas City, through her involvement in KC Rising, BioKansas, the Ecosystem Building Leadership Project, the UMKC Center for Law, Entrepreneurship, & Innovation, and through other volunteer activities. Melissa is also a lecturer at the KU School of Business.

In her free time, she and her husband Brad enjoy watching the Royals, perfecting brisket smoking techniques, and throwing dinner parties. Melissa earned an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management with a certificate in Business Analytics, and a bachelor’s degree in History from Boston College.