Our
Team
We shape important messages, frame big ideas, and make complex offerings accessible.
Compelling content and authentic storytelling drive brand awareness like never before. Our accomplished all-star team includes former journalists from major media outlets and seasoned global communications advisors. Decades of experience inform how we approach our work, making us trusted and valued partners to our clients.
Our Executive Team
Melanie Wells
Melanie, founder and principal, is a trusted and insightful communications counselor and content advisor to CEOs, entrepreneurs, senior executives, and their teams. A versatile leader, Melanie has a proven track record of elevating brands and leaders across diverse industries. With a talent for crafting authentic narratives and positioning programs that establish lasting connections between organizations, executives and their audiences, Melanie is known for creating reputation-building thought-leadership programs. A former business journalist who rose to Executive Editor at Forbes and contributed to many top-tier media outlets as a writer, Melanie brings a wealth of experience to her work for public and private companies and their leadership teams, prominent investors, innovative startups, family offices, foundation leaders, and the rising stars who are tomorrow’s leaders.
Ashlyn Lipori-Russie
Ashlyn Lipori-Russie is an experienced content, social media and communications specialist who understands how to develop creative multi-platform strategies, including video storytelling and newsletters, to drive audience engagement and growth. Previously, Ashlyn worked as content manager for inewsource, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization and in media relations at Archer Education, an edtech company. Ashlyn got her start as a broadcast journalist, working as a producer at KGTV in San Diego and with the Investigative Unit at NBC Bay Area. She was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2018. A savvy digital content creator, Ashlyn breaks down news topics and promotes media literacy on social media and within an SMS text community.
Ellen Gonda
Ellen is a passionate and seasoned communications executive with extensive global experience across industries and situations. She has counseled individuals, startups and mid- to large-scale companies and is often tapped to develop communications at critical inflection points. In addition to holding top communications roles at Etsy, Hilton Worldwide, and The Carlyle Group, Ellen has worked with financial and consulting firms, tech and consumer companies, and entrepreneurs and foundations. In 2011 Ellen was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, and in 2022 became a member of the NEXUS Impact Society.
Huntley Paton
A gifted editor and storyteller, Huntley brings a varied skill set to our team as a longtime corporate media executive, publisher, editor, and business reporter. He is the former publisher of the San Diego Business Journal and the Dallas Business Journal. As executive editor online for American City Business Journals’ 40 publications, Huntley oversaw digital coverage, led its expansion into social media and helped develop content partnerships with advertisers.
Matthew Weiner
Matthew is a specialist in brand positioning, executive communications, and corporate social responsibility. He has written speeches and opinion pieces for CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, Cabinet secretaries, and Congressional leaders. Matthew has extensive experience helping executives and their organizations communicate their visions in personal, authentic, and compelling terms in a variety of media through speeches, op-ed articles, digital communications, research papers, and annual reports.
