Melissa Cullens

Melissa Cullens is a seasoned design leader and entrepreneur with over 19 years of experience in the field of experience design and product strategy.12 She is the founder and CEO of Charette, a design and strategy studio that helps leaders achieve sustainable growth by creating products that connect with customers through resonant messages.1

Professional Background

Melissa's career spans various high-profile roles and projects:

CEO and Founder of Charette:: She established this design and strategy studio to help businesses create impactful products and experiences.12

Head of Design at Clearing:: In this role, her ethnographic research on chronic pain was published in the Dove Press Journal of Medicine.1

Chief Experience Officer at Ellevest:: As a founding member, she helped scale the company to $1 billion in assets under management (AUM) while winning awards for brand, user experience, and product from FastCompany and InterBrand.12

Earlier Work::

• Led the design and product reinvention of Vogue.com
• Shaped the digital experience of SiriusXM
• Contributed to early iterations of AmericanExpress.com12

Achievements and Recognition

Melissa's work has garnered significant recognition in the industry:

• Featured on the cover of Money Magazine
• Named an Industry Innovator by AdWeek1
• Received awards for UX and website design
• Profiled as an innovator
• Ellevest was recognized as a "Brand to Watch" under her leadership2

Skills and Expertise

Melissa is known for her expertise in:

• Behavioral research
• Experience design
• Product strategy
• Brand vision
• Team leadership12

Her approach involves connecting behavior, emotion, and mindset with innovative experiences to help companies grow and reach product-market fit.2