Company Info for emusic.com | IcebreakerMembers
Experienced CEO, COO, CTO, board member, product leader, and entrepreneur. Combat-decorated Air Force officer and pilot; skilled in team leadership, detailed planning and execution, crisis and risk management, and “getting things done”. Comprehensive background in software/internet technology, product development, software as a service, UX/UI, machine learning, localization, digital media, sales, team building. leadership and management. 
Melissa brings over 25 years of marketing expertise, spanning across diverse sectors including consumer, B2B, DTC and creative agency realms, with a primary focus on pioneering technologies and entertainment. Her illustrious career path includes pivotal roles at renowned consumer brands like Superfly, DIRECTV, A&E, and eMusic. However, Melissa's true acclaim stems from her exceptional track record in revitalizing and propelling the marketing strategies of numerous startups, notably Buddy Media, which was acquired by Salesforce.com for a staggering $689M.
In 2018, Melissa joined forces with Laura Maiurano to establish Fivefoottwo, a groundbreaking Marketing Collective dedicated to nurturing early-stage startups. Building on this success, Melissa ventured further in 2023 with the launch of Fierce Foundry, the first-ever Femtech Venture Studio designed to reduce and equalize the deficit in funding for female founders. Through her unwavering dedication and visionary leadership, Melissa continues to shape the landscape of women in tech, leaving an indelible mark on the industry. 
Global Senior Executive, Forward-Thinking Leader & Business Builder with extensive experience in giving independent artists the voice and tech-enabled tools they need to thrive in the midst of platform innovation and industry complexity. Bilingual communicator with multinational experience.
THE SOUNDBYTES:
Provides the vision, creates the culture, and puts the right talent in place to build organizations that drive artist-member acquisition/engagement.
Trusted Advisor to Board of Directors, C-level colleagues, management teams, employees, and strategic partners in taking on new challenges to creatively resolve business and artist problems.
Skilled negotiator who blends a unique artist-side/label-side perspective (label relations, A&R, artist management, publishing/licensing, band member) with business development and C-level leadership to move deals forward.
Comfortably serves as the face of the business to artists, labels, media, and management.
Embraces the unique strengths of individuals and empowers teams to excel; identifies and develops future leaders.
Connector who drives change and unites disparate groups through positive influence and collaboration.
Recognized as a respected voice in the growing conversation on diversity and inclusion in the music business.
Industry thought leader and architect of strategies to strengthen advocacy with government agencies (e.g., FTC, FCC, DOJ, DOC, and members of Congress) to address issues related to copyright, music licensing, and the representation of independent artists as a vital segment of the music ecosystem 
Hi, I'm Kris. I have 12+ years of experience providing elegant solutions for complex digital products. I'm a visual communicator with an eye for clean, precise and intuitive user interface design with a focus on human-centered design solutions. Over the span of my career I have defined UX and the creation of design systems for a diverse range of products from fintech to healthcare.
Specialties: figma advanced prototyping, design systems, components, UI/UX design, user-centered design, wireframing, usability testing, heuristic evaluation, information architecture, design process management 
