Here's my story.
I’m Melissa (She/Her).
I am both…
analytical & creative
a thinker & a feeler
detail-oriented & big-picture focused
logical & intuitive
convergent & divergent.
I’ve often felt torn between the analyst and the creative, the thinker and the feeler. With 10+ years of experience, I’ve come to embrace a fluid approach that transcends fixed silos and linear paths.
Adaptability and an interdisciplinary approach have been invaluable assets in both my professional and personal life.
I began my career trained in scientific rigor and user experience principles to advance scholarship and human-digital interactions. While research data grounded me, I eventually wanted to make a more direct impact on people’s lives.
Growing up in a working-class, single-mother household in the East Bay Area, CA, and being a first-generation college student, I developed a strong commitment to advancing equity for marginalized communities.
Becoming a counselor for people facing homelessness and mental health issues ignited a lifelong commitment to systems thinking, empathy, and transformative, purpose-driven work. I care about impact, whether for people, products, services, experiences, or the broader systems at large.
I owe my current success to those early foundations.
Now thriving at the intersection of data, empathy, and transformation, I work with business and product leaders as a strategic partner and lead researcher to build scalable solutions to tackle 21st. century challenges, with people, the planet, and business innovation at the forefront, whether it’s advancing D.E.I., demystifying the future of work, advancing sustainability, and more.
If you share a passion for research, innovation, and social impact, let’s collaborate!
When I’m not solving complex people or business problems, here are some things that bring me joy…

Visiting Guanajuato, MX

Playing in the snow in Yosemite, CA

Watching the sunset at the top of the Oakland Hills, CA

Catching the Northern Lights in Portland, OR