Hi. I’m Melina. Call me Mel (she/they).
I support individuals and teams around the world in tackling challenges and moving through conflict so they can find sustainable paths forward with agency and purpose.
Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of doing diverse, inspiring work with many incredible humans across Australia, Asia, and the United States. I started a café and a bicycle tour social enterprise in Cambodia and transitioned both to local ownership. I helped World Vision, the City of Melbourne, and the Australian Government develop programs in startup ecosystem development and social entrepreneurship.
While growing Kinyei Cafe and Soksabike in Cambodia, I developed a deep understanding of grassroots organizing and impact. Walking alongside the communities I worked with to transform those businesses gave me unique insight into the relational wealth needed to create change on the ground. I now bring those learnings to systems-level work, including recent projects funded by Pivotal Ventures (a Melinda French Gates' company), The Rockefeller Foundation and DonkeyWheel House. My experience has given me a keen grasp of innovation ecosystems across cultures and the skills to help others adapt, stay open, and maximize impact.
Soksabike tour group, Cambodia
I see my role as one rooted deeply in listening and accompaniment. By meeting clients where they are, we can, together, identify opportunities for growth and actionable next steps—toward their own development and social and environmental impact.
This requires consideration of the systems in which we live, who needs to be at the table, and how we’re all connected. The complexities and tensions these variables inevitably bring—when held responsibly and compassionately—are agents of transformation.
More simply put, I’m a sounding board, your thought partner and co-creator. Playful but unafraid of hard truths, I can help you name what feels invisible or impossible to name. If you’re in a bind, I’ll journey alongside you, help you design your way out, and give you the tools to both sustain progress and pass on your learnings.
Plus, we’ll have fun doing it!
