Melissa Howell

Melissa Howell has a diverse work experience spanning various roles and industries. In 2007, they co-founded Global Elevation, and later became a board member for the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art (MoCADA) in 2013. From 2012 to 2020, Melissa served as the Senior Director of Global Programs at The Africa-America Institute, where they led the strategic design, implementation, and evaluation of education programs across multiple African countries. Additionally, they worked as an advisor for the U.S. Department of State's Women in Public Service Project from 2012 to 2014. Melissa also served as a Leadership Fellow at the Council on Foundations in 2020, focusing on career pathways. Starting in 2015, they co-founded Anansi Ventures and in 2021, they joined Section, a start-up company founded by professor Scott Galloway, where they worked in platform strategy and teaching. In 2021, Melissa founded grpthnk and currently serves as the Founder and Strategy Lead. Most recently, in 2022, they became an Entrepreneur In Residence - Uganda at Founder Institute. Throughout their career, Melissa has collaborated with various organizations and foundations, such as the Bill + Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation, among others, to build community, economic mobility, and business leaders.

Melissa Howell has a diverse education history. Melissa completed their Masters in Sociology/Anthropology with a focus on Migration and Diaspora Studies at SOAS University of London. Melissa also holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Prior to that, they obtained a Bachelor's degree from the same university, majoring in Business Administration and Spanish as a dual major. Furthermore, Melissa has obtained several certifications, including Artificial Intelligence - AI For Everyone from Coursera, Certification in Export Trade from the U.S. Small Business Administration, Certifications in Platform Strategy, Data + Analytics, and Innovation Strategy from Section4, and an Entrepreneurship Teaching Certification from the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE).