Mel is responsible for internal operations, talent initiatives, and strategic projects in his role as COO, and also serves as the Industry Lead on matters related to Education Technology and the Social Innovation Sector (particularly in helping to produce the firm’s Social Innovation Summit).
Previously, he was Senior Director of Marketing & Communications as part of the leadership team at Achievement First, a high-performing network of public charter schools in Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island. Prior to Achievement First, Mel was Vice President of Corporate Affairs and a co-founder at BridgePath, an enterprise software provider to the staffing industry that was acquired by Bullhorn. Past experience also includes work with a U.S. congressman in Washington, D.C., with the Bay Area Discovery Museum, and with top consumer brands at Kraft Foods/Oscar Mayer and Schwartz Communications (a high-tech PR agency). From a civic perspective, Mel sits on the Board of Advisors for WorldQuant University, the Board of Directors for the Lower Eastside Girls Club, and the Board of Directors for Partners For Justice. He holds a bachelor’s degree with majors in History and Rhetoric from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business, where he was a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship.
