Meet Melanie (Mel) Fellay
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Mel is leading the revolution to shatter the glass ceiling and unleash the full potential of every employee.
Described as having “unshakeable grit and a thirst for solving complex problems,” Mel has devoted her professional life to advancing a vision of a world where every employee has access to the knowledge they need to be successful, exactly when and where they need it.
Fascinated with the science behind how we learn and absorb information, Mel uncovered glaring gaps between how employees are traditionally trained in the workplace and how humans actually retain knowledge.
She co-founded Spekit to solve this challenge, creating the only platform designed around how people learn – in the moment of need. Flipping the script on the outdated LMS courses, PDFs, and lengthy training sessions of the past, Spekit automatically surfaces answers and training directly within the applications or workflows where questions arise. Never again must an employee leave what they’re doing to get the resource, guidance, or support they need.
Today, the world’s most innovative companies, including Uber Freight, iHeartMedia, Southwest Airlines, and Invesco, rely on Spekit to maximize the growth and impact of their employees. The company has raised $60M in venture funding from a suite of notable investors, including Craft Ventures, Felicis, Operator Collective, Matchstick Ventures, Renegade Partners, Foundry Group, Bonfire Ventures, and Dan Scheinmann.
Along the journey to reinvent learning at work, Mel actively shares the trials and tribulations of scaling an organization as a female founder. From overcoming imposter syndrome to embracing radical candor to leading a team with your heart first – she is redefining what it means to be a “boss lady” in a male-dominated world.
This unconventional and transparent approach to leadership has garnered international attention, including the honor of being named a Forbes 30 under 30 recipient, Entrepreneur’s Top 100 Women of Influence, and features across Crunchbase, Fast Company, Business Insider, and more.
To learn more, follow Mel and Spekit on their mission to elevate women in technology while disrupting the billion-dollar learning industry.
Forbes 30 Under 30 Standout
Meet the entrepreneur who wants to make you great at your job. Melanie Fellay sits down with Forbes for the 30 Under 30 list of 2022.
Getting to know Mel
I was born in Geneva, Switzerland, and spent my entire childhood roaming the same village with my two younger sisters, Izzy and Audrey. We spoke French at school but, my mom being a Colorado native, spoke English at home and practiced during our trips to visit American family in the summer.
At 15 years old, my dad accepted a work opportunity in the Bahamas and we uprooted to Nassau. I attribute my leadership style to the blend of these two unique cultures: Swiss perfectionism and quality obsession paired with the joie de vivre and deep family values of Bahamians.
With my mom’s family close by, I attended the University of Colorado, Boulder, for college where I studied Finance and Accounting and double minored in Spanish for the Professions and Economics.
In addition to now being able to speak three languages, I attribute much of my personality to this exposure to such different cultures throughout my childhood and during my travels thereafter.
It’s incredibly difficult to challenge “the way things have always been done.”
Technology leadership roles have been predominantly male-dominated since the beginning of time.
Companies have relied on bulky PowerPoints, stagnant PDFs, and lengthy LMS courses to train employees since the advent of the internet.
It’s not enough to tell people how things should change, you have to show them why the time for this change is now.
This is what I’m most passionate about.
Being the best leader I can be, building a company with customers who are obsessed with our product, scaling an iconic team, and sharing our story along the way.
Odesza – jam with me!