CodePath

Special Projects, Office of the CEO

Elevation Chief of Staff Training

Sharing my Chief of Staff expertise and experience via an online, self-paced certification program to help others enter and excel in the profession as well.

Founder

ArlanWasHere

As the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of ArlanWasHere, I spearheaded the strategic coordination and management of Arlan Hamilton's array of endeavors, including her book tour, online learning platform, 2,000+ attendee live conference, and media productions. My primary responsibility was to ensure that each project not only aligned with Arlan's overarching vision but also operated smoothly and effectively, maximizing impact and audience engagement.

Beyond operations, I played a pivotal role in shaping Arlan’s personal brand and thought leadership presence. I developed and executed strategic communications plans that amplified her influence across multiple platforms, ensuring her messaging remained compelling, consistent, and aligned with her mission. I worked closely with media partners, crafted high-impact narratives, and curated key opportunities to elevate her voice in venture capital, entrepreneurship, and social impact spaces.

From audience engagement strategies to positioning her brand for long-term visibility, I ensured that every initiative resonated with her community while reinforcing her status as a trailblazing leader. Through integrating strategic storytelling with operational execution, I helped transform vision into tangible influence, cementing ArlanWasHere as a powerhouse of education, empowerment, and advocacy.

Chief Operating Officer

Promise

As the Chief of Staff at Promise, I served as a key strategic advisor and trusted partner to the executive team. My role involved:

- Strategic Planning: Collaborating with senior leaders to develop and implement the company’s strategic initiatives.
- Operational Efficiency: Overseeing daily operations to ensure alignment with the company’s goals and enhancing organizational efficiency.
- Leadership Support: Acting as a liaison between the executive team and various departments, facilitating effective communication and decision-making.
- Project Management: Leading and coordinating critical projects, ensuring they were completed on time and within scope.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Building and maintaining strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support the company’s objectives.
- Problem-Solving: Addressing complex challenges with innovative solutions to drive continuous improvement and growth.

In this capacity, I leveraged my expertise in leadership, strategic thinking, and operational management to support Promise in achieving its mission and vision.

Chief of Staff

Backstage Capital

Chief of Staff to Arlan Hamilton— an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and media personality who built a venture capital firm dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential, underestimated founders.

- Served as a thought partner and strategic advisor, including being her proxy in meetings and following up accordingly
- Provided analysis, recommendations, and options regarding high impact decisions
- Tracked high priority initiatives and identified any potential obstacles
- Facilitated and oversaw special projects and ensured action items were tracked and completed, provided actionable recommendations for improvement
- Supported at a tactical, strategic, and operational level
- Served as an extension of Arlan, and information funnel, filter, and facilitator with internal and external stakeholders
- Assessed inquiries directed to Arlan and determined priority and the proper course of action

Hire Runner

Head of Customer Success & Growth

As a founding team member and Head of Customer Success at Runner, a fast-paced venture-backed startup, I was entrusted with shaping the company's customer-centric ethos from the ground up. I developed foundational strategies while also directly engaging with customers, crafting messaging, and managing brand presence to maximize engagement and visibility.

Key Responsibilities:
- Developed and executed Runner’s inaugural brand and customer success strategy, defining how the company engages with and adds value to its customer base.
- Hired and led the customer success team, ensuring a seamless user experience from onboarding to advanced platform utilization.
- Established key metrics and KPIs to measure and improve customer satisfaction, analyzed data and implemented real-time improvements.
- Crafted and implemented tailored customer success plans to optimize value and retention while also setting long-term engagement strategies.
- Integrated customer insights into core business strategies, serving as both a hands-on contributor and a strategic leader in shaping company decisions.

Achievements:
- Launched impactful customer success initiatives such as quarterly business reviews and customer training sessions that became standard practices.
- Secured strategic partnerships with organizations such as Microsoft and Hello Alice, effectively amplifying Runner’s credibility and market presence.

Skills Developed:
- Hands-on execution in customer success, brand communication, and social media strategy
- Early-stage startup leadership and strategic decision-making
- Data-driven customer engagement and retention strategies
- Scaling and developing teams in high-growth environments
- Stakeholder management in a venture-backed setting

Director of Customer Success

Black Girl Ventures

The Change Agent Fellowship by BGV is a 9-month leadership skills development program created specifically to expand the capacity of early-stage entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders to strengthen the ecosystems of Black/Brown women founders!
 
BGV incubates Black/Brown woman-identifying founders and ecosystem builders across multiple local ecosystems as a means to amplify women leaders and to create an “each one, teach one” model for growing the long-term entrepreneurial knowledge and sustainability of underrepresented founders. Black Girl Ventures cultivates local leaders, who in-turn cultivate their community as a service to the greater good of creating equal opportunity to thrive at the intersection of being a Black/Brown woman and an entrepreneur. Together, we will create access to social and financial capital for Black and Brown Woman-Identifying Founders!

Change Agent Fellow

Community Dental Partners

In my role at Community Dental Partners, I spearheaded initiatives aimed at business expansion, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction. My multidisciplinary approach combined data analysis, market research, and collaborative leadership to achieve key performance indicators.

Key Responsibilities:
- Managed and executed growth-focused projects, including new practice openings, service line expansions, and partnership development.
- Conducted in-depth market research and data analysis to identify growth opportunities and areas for operational improvement.
- Strategically marketed the company's partnership opportunities to dentists, dental practices, and dental students.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams, including Marketing, Sales, Compliance, and Operations, to develop and implement growth strategies.
- Oversaw financial planning for growth projects, including budgeting, forecasting, and ROI analysis.
- Maintained strong relationships with dental professionals, vendors, and stakeholders to ensure project success and long-term growth.

Achievements:
- Successfully launched 7 new dental practices, resulting in a 23% increase in annual revenue.
- Enhanced customer retention rates by 12% through the implementation of a targeted customer satisfaction program.
- Achieved an average ROI of 34% on growth projects through effective budget management and strategy execution.
- Was awarded CDP's 2016 Employee of the Year for my ability to strategize, develop, lead, and implement successful growth projects for the company

Skills Developed:
- Strategic planning and execution
- Financial modeling and analysis
- Team leadership and collaboration
- Vendor and stakeholder management
- Data-driven decision-making

Project Manager (de facto Chief of Staff)

Associa

- Served as the main point of contact in all matters related to my portfolio of clients’ concerns and needs
- Built and strengthened client relationships to achieve long-term partnerships 
- Maintained client records, kept track of any contract updates and renewals
- Worked with sales and other internal teams to develop strategic marketing plans and ensure KPIs were being met
- Developed a thorough understanding of our products and service offerings to better upsell and cross-sell to clients
- Handled inquiries and requests from customers and addressed their needs
- Met regularly with other team members to discuss progress and find new ways to improve business
- Generated progress reports for clients and senior leaders within the organization
- Identified upsell, cross-sell, and renewal opportunities and communicated them with the sales team

Senior Account Manager

Worth Ross Management Co., AAMC

- Organized ideas, projects, people, time, and resources necessary to keep the company moving forward
- Communicated the vision, ideas, projects, and process (via content creation and providing context) to the necessary stakeholders and staff members
- Assisted in delegating projects and tasks to the appropriate people, then tracked progress, supported them, and held them accountable to the results

The Chief of Staff Coach™ | 3x Chief of Staff helping others get into and excel in the profession 🚀 | Founder of Elevation Chief of Staff Training | CEO at ArlanWasHere

👋🏾 Hi! I’m Melanie Jones, a 4x former Chief of Staff and founder of Elevation Chief of Staff Training. 

Throughout my career, I’ve led strategic operations, managed complex projects, and conducted in-depth research to support executive decision-making. My expertise spans project management and special initiatives, where I’ve built scalable systems, aligned cross-functional teams, and delivered high-impact results in fast-paced, dynamic environments.

My experience as a Chief of Staff (since 2010!) led me to becoming a passionate advocate of the Chief of Staff profession. 

It’s one of the most impactful roles in any company— one of the fastest growing professions, an incredible launchpad for further success in your career, and WAY too many people have never even heard of it! 

That’s why I’m committed to:

🪄 demystifying the misconceptions about the role

🧱 breaking down the barriers to entry to this incredible career path

📚 and teaching others how to excel in the role through coaching and through the online Chief of Staff certification course at www.ElevationChiefofStaff.com

Let’s connect!! 🤗 

🔔 Follow me for more insights as I carry out my mission to empower others to become rockstar Chiefs of Staff too ✨

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