To tell you about Melissa Capellan is to tell you about her brand. At the age of 16, programs like HOBY Youth Leadership and The Posse Foundation, invested in her human capital by identifying her incredible leadership potential.

Over the past 20+ years, she has made it a priority to invest in the students she serves, leaders she coaches, and colleagues she supports. Melissa has built innovative solutions at KIPP NYC, The Posse Foundation, and Opportunity College (now known as Prelude) that position young adults, emerging adults, and those in early adulthood to become the leaders our world needs.

She thrives in settings that reflect the cultural and economic diversity of our nation. She brings institutional knowledge from her time as an instructor and coach at University of Miami Herbert Business School and Westchester Community College, the first SUNY designated Hispanic Serving Institution.

A practitioner of adult learning, she leans into her academic training at DePauw University and Teachers College, Columbia University to listen, really listen to the needs of those in her care. Melissa has been called upon by Newman’s Own, City of White Plains Youth Bureau, and Esquilin Consulting for Equity & Inclusion to position teams to make data-driven operational decisions that impact communities across our nation.

Melissa, a product of NYC Public Schools is driven by the teachers who coached and led her to reach her full potential. In her free time, you can find her outdoors with her husband and sons.