Speaker's Profile

Melissa Wallace brings over 25 years of marketing and venture-building experience across consumer, B2B, and agency sectors, with deep expertise in emerging technologies and entertainment. Her career includes leading marketing for brands like Superfly (Bonnaroo, Outside Lands), DIRECTV, A&E, and eMusic, and driving the early success of Buddy Media, acquired by Salesforce for ~$800M just four years after launch.In 2018, Melissa co-founded Fivefoottwo, a Marketing Collective built to help early-stage startups find their footing, tell their story, and scale with purpose. In 2023, she launched Fierce Foundry, the first Female-Focused HealthTech Venture Studio in the U.S. dedicated to closing the gender funding gap by building and co-founding women-led health tech companies from idea to exit.Through her leadership, Melissa has helped more than 50 startups grow, 80% to profitability, 5 post Series A, and 3 to successful exits totaling more than $1B. Today, she continues to shape the future of women’s health innovation, championing a new model of venture building that creates both financial and economic returns.