JONES BRIGGS + COMPANY
Creatives | Consultants | Partners
UNIVERSITY LECTURER
Melissa co-teaches OB333: Acting with Power at Stanford's GSB with Professor Benoît Monin. She worked with Dr. Deborah Gruenfeld & Master Acting Teacher Kay Kostopoulos to develop the course in 2008. This extremely popular second year MBA elective uses theatre technique to address students' issues with power, authority and status.
She develops curricula at Stanford and beyond that combines the craft of acting with research from the fields of sociology, psychology & anthropology to provide actionable insight into how one’s behaviors and nonverbal cues affect everyday interactions.
SPEAKER
Melissa speaks & leads workshops at academic, non-profit and corporate conferences and offices around the globe. Popular topics include Roles We Play: Status & Power in Everyday Life, Acting with Power, and "Authentic" Performance.
Her approach is playful and interactive. She often leads workshops with exceptional teams of academics and performance professionals to maximize audience participation. Participants are actively engaged throughout and leave with ready-to-implement tools.
She is especially interested breaking down barriers to women's advancement and promoting gender equity in the workplace and beyond.
EXECUTIVE COACH
Personalized coaching allows clients to fully expand their authentic range. Executive coaching methodology paired with intensive physical and vocal training offers leaders the tools and insight they need to significantly grow their influence.
Client goals range from executive leadership development & role transition management to honing public communication skills & minimizing anxiety in daily interactions.
Private clients include executives, educators, actors, medical professionals, academics and thought leaders. Melissa also consults with corporations, nonprofits and academic institutions.