Organizations & Initiatives Founded by Melissa
A look at the organizations Melissa has founded and led to serve women veterans, women founders, and the broader veteran community.
Why These Organizations Exist
After more than a decade in corporate recruiting and human resources, Melissa reinvented her career and eventually returned to entrepreneurship with a renewed purpose: ensuring women veterans were seen, supported, and connected outside of traditional systems. What began as that single mission grew into a family of organizations and initiatives, each built to meet a specific need in the veteran and women’s leadership community.
Women Veterans Alliance — Founded 2015
In 2015, Melissa founded Women Veterans Alliance, now a global network focused on empowering women veterans through community, collaboration, and leadership development. WVA remains the flagship organization behind her work supporting women veterans nationwide.
Women Veterans Giving
Melissa later established Women Veterans Giving, the nonprofit wing of Women Veterans Alliance. It provides support and recognition to women veteran owned businesses and has awarded over $35,000 in business funding to date.
Women Veterans Magazine
Melissa is the co-founder and publisher of Women Veterans Magazine, the first publication of its kind dedicated to the issues, achievements, and resources impacting women veterans.
Veteran Events — Founded 2023
In 2023, Melissa launched Veteran Events, a nationwide platform that provides a centralized event calendar, speaker directory, and event services for organizations that serve the military and veteran community. This venture reflects her passion for creating infrastructure that makes it easier for missions to grow and communities to stay connected.
Continue Exploring
These organizations continue to grow as their own initiatives, each carrying forward the mission Melissa built them to serve. To learn more about her full story, or to explore how she can support your organization directly, visit the pages below.