Melissa Simkins
President and CEO, Velvet Suite; Founder, The She-Suite; Founder and Author of Athleadership · Velvet Suite, Inc.
Leadership Development · EdTech · Personal BrandingForum: Forum Outside the ChapterBeyond Local4 yrs in EO
The rest of Melissa's story is inside the speakeasy.
Bio, fun facts, conversation starters, and the best ways to connect.
About
Melissa Dawn Simkins is the President and CEO of Velvet Suite and Founder of The She-Suite, a leadership and lifestyle platform for women and their managers. Public bios describe Velvet Suite as an Inc. 5000 ed-tech firm focused on leadership conditioning, personal brand strategy, and performance for Fortune 100 leaders, athletes, brands, and organizations.
Who You Should Meet
Your top suggested 1:1s, matched on complementary needs, shared ground, and proximity.
Abdul-Malik Muhammad
- You can help Abdul-Malik with: introductions to education and youth-development leaders
- Abdul-Malik can help with what you're looking for: collaboration on leadership-conditioning content or an EO session
- Both building in coaching consulting
Erica Jordan Thomas
- You can help Erica with: connections with education or coaching EO members
- Erica can help with what you're looking for: collaboration on leadership-conditioning content or an EO session
- Both building in coaching consulting
Patrick Thean
- Patrick can help with what you're looking for: collaboration on leadership-conditioning content or an EO session
- You can help Patrick with: exploring AI integration into execution systems
- Both building in coaching consulting
Daniel Marcos
- Daniel can help with what you're looking for: collaboration on leadership-conditioning content or an EO session
- Both building in coaching consulting
- Both building in education training
Richard Mulholland
- Richard can help with what you're looking for: collaboration on leadership-conditioning content or an EO session
- Both building in coaching consulting
- Both building in education training
On LinkedIn
11.1Kconnections
12.8Kfollowers
PremiumCreator16 posts this monthOn LinkedIn since 2007
Lead ChangeTalent ManagementSoftware as a Service (SaaS)Women In Leadership DevelopmentExecutive CoachingLeadershipEntrepreneurshipMarketing
Every 90 days, I disappear. For the last three years, I've kept one commitment on my calendar that rarely gets moved. I call it The Reset. At the end of every quarter, I intentionally step away and do three things: recha…
Only 10–20% of employees actually turn their performance around after being placed on a formal review. Many just quit. But guess who puts herself on a PIP every week? Venus Williams. Like Venus, great leaders don’t wait …
Honored to be recognized by Fast Company alongside Michelle Obama, Jeffrey L. Bowman, and other inspiring authors whose books are helping professionals thrive, lead, and grow. Grateful to be part of this incredible group…
The value of a conference isn't measured by the sessions you attend. It's measured by the conversations you start, the people you meet, the questions you ask, the ideas you bring home, and the courage to introduce yourse…
Fun Facts
- Her Agenda describes her as a wife, mom, CEO, workout lover, vacation/spa/Reese’s-cup fan, and someone deeply driven by purpose and service. Public profiles call her the First Lady of Personal Branding.
Conversation Starters
- Ask what “leadership conditioning” means and why she believes leaders need conditioning, not just training. Ask about the Why Women Stay report and what employers miss about sustainable careers for women. Ask how Athleadership connects elite athletic mindset with leadership mastery.