Prior to launching 2ndGenPartners, Melanie served as an operating partner and a trusted strategic growth advisor to four family-owned enterprises in the lower middle markets, two funded by private equity and four self-funding enterprises (2 mom-led and 2 dad-led). 

Earlier in her career, Melanie served as Assistant General Counsel at Aramark and as CXO at Burlington Stores, post take-private by Bain Capital which exited via IPO in 2013. Prior to gaining valuable operational and management consulting experience, Melanie gained significant professional corporate finance and counseling experience as an M&A, securities, restructuring attorney at Morgan Lewis in Philadelphia and in organization and reputation management from Goldman Sachs in New York.

Throughout her career,  Melanie has been a trusted adviser to publicly-traded corporate boards, family and institutional private equity owned businesses. Melanie earned her JD from UVA and her BA from Rutgers College where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and served as president of the student body. 

Melanie currently serves as a Trustee of the Virtua Healthcare Foundation and the advisory board of School Improvement Partnership, Steward Asset Management and True Elements. Melanie speaks on ESG investing and women’s leadership. Melanie enjoys outdoor adventures with her 4 children.