Melanie Yugo, a Filipina-Canadian, is a multidisciplinary artist, cultural strategist, and educator, based in Ottawa. With over 15 years of experience, she has advised top government institutions and organizations such as Global Affairs Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, and Canadian Heritage on policy, research, and leadership development with a focus on cultural diplomacy, citizen engagement, public arts funding, and social change. A recipient of multiple provincial and municipal arts grants, she is also an active artist and co-founded community-driven arts initiatives such as Possible Worlds and Spins & Needles. Melanie is a fellow of the Global Cultural Leadership Program and the founding coordinator of the Canadian hub of the Salzburg Global Seminar for Young Cultural Innovators. With an M.Sc. in Social and Cultural Psychology from The London School of Economics and Political Science and a B.Sc. in Psychology from McGill University, Melanie has exhibited work, curated shows, developed programming, facilitated workshops, and participated in residencies across the world.