Melissa Grillo Aruz

WORK HISTORY

ABOUT MELISSA GRILLO ARUZ

Melissa Grillo Aruz has worked with agencies, brands, and venture capital firms, giving her a unique perspective on what it takes for companies to succeed.Most recently, Melissa spent 6+ years at Forerunner Ventures as the Head of Talent & Business Development where she worked closely with portfolio companies such as Glossier, The Farmer’s Dog, Prose and Ritual. During her time there she was responsible for supporting the portfolio of brands across marketing initiatives, partner relationships, talent, community building, events & overall networking.Over the past 10+ years Melissa has worked independently with notable brands such as J.Crew, Warby Parker, Sealy, Bonobos, Moda Operandi & many more on their marketing initiatives including growth, brands & social efforts. A testament to her ability and collaborative nature, 100% of Melissa\'s consulting roles are through referrals.Prior to VC, Melissa was a senior operator for 15 years and was the first Director of Growth & Marketing at Gilt Groupe during its explosive growth period. The first half of her career was spent on the agency side at Ogilvy & Razorfish creating best in class marketing campaigns for both retail and healthcare brand. For the last 2 years Melissa has supported early and later stage brands with marketing and recruiting, taking on the role once again as an operator. Her ability to pivot between financial institutions, brands and agencies lets her to see business from all perspectives, allowing a more holistic view on what it takes to be successful in today\'s environment.As someone who had to work hard to create her own network, Melissa is dedicated to using her ecosystem to further the careers and opportunities of people who may not have access to this privilege.Melissa has been featured on Marie Claire’s New Guard List and the Create & Cultivate 100. She is a founding member of The Board, an advisor for Rebecca Minkoff\'s The North and a Senior Advisor on Consumer for BDA Partners.