Building Your Brand - webinar Regional Business Centre
Creativity for All Industries
As a former business owner of over 14 years, RGD and a creative leader with a passion for design inclusivity, Melissa has transitioned her efforts into supporting new startups. As the Incubator Program Coordinator at the Regional Business Centre, Melissa provides leadership and support to early-stage innovative businesses through mentorship and training. She has had the opportunity to judge several worldwide advertising competitions and speak at many events in both French and English on topics ranging from inclusive design practices to entrepreneurship. As a sports coach and past college educator, her mentorship background paired with her entrepreneurial experience helps foster and develop business start-ups while promoting creativity.
Empowering a team is the number one way to get successful collaborative work.
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2024 Published children's colouring story book Kids like Me
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2024 DNA Paris award - Graphic Design/UX category*
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2023 RGD's Branding Awards - Integrated Award Winner*
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2022 Judge for The 3% Movement (Women in Creative Leadership) and The One Club for Creativity’s Next Creative Leaders
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2022 RGD SoGOOD Award - Sustainability, Ecology & Climate category*
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2021 Prix Denis Laframboise (president's award) at the Gala des PMEs with the Société économique de l’Ontario
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2021 Judge for the ADC Awards, the world’s oldest international award show (in its 101 year) judging works from around the globe, celebrating diversity in advertising, design, illustration, etc.
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2021 WOLDA (Worldwide Logo Design Awards) Silver award in Flexible Identity*
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2020 Finalist for the RelèveON, Young Entrepreneur Award by the Club Canadien de Toronto
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2020 Employer Award of Distinction Finalist, Cambrian College*
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2018 Influential Women of the Year Northern Ontario, Business of the Year*
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2017 Finalist for the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, Company of the Year*
*Awarded to Design de Plume, while Melissa was an owner of the company on projects she was directly involved in.
Accomplishments
Speaking Engagements & Interviews
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2025 DevFest - moderated the panel with the Google Development Group in Sudbury about Women in Tech & AI
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2025 speaker at the International Women's Day with Empower Her Rise (E.H.R 1.0) virtual women’s summit
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2025 panel speaker at the ReleveOn conference with the Club Canadien de Toronto, "Bilinguisme: atout stratégique pour les entreprises" (in French)
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2023 interview by GoSolo with Subkit
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2023 Interview with The Medium: Women in Business Series: Insights from Diverse Entrepreneurs on Overcoming Challenges and Seizing Opportunities
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2022 Speaker at RAV 2022 CONFÉRENCE Pluralité : Rétention et transmission (in French)
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2022 Speaker at the 3 Point Perspectives with the Sudbury Design Society
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2021 International speaker at the Toronto Global Forum, The Female Entrepreneurial Ecosystem In Canada (in French)
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Radio Canada – Entrevue Finaliste du prix Jeune entrepreneure RelèveON – Mélissa Deschênes, 2020 (in French)
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Radio Canada – L’entrepreneuriat au féminin avec Mélissa Deschênes et Channel Albert, 2019 (in French)
Volunteer Work & Memberships
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2021 - 2023 Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) mentor and member of the Review and Testing Committees
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Current Sports coach with NCRD (Nickel City Roller Derby)
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FrancoQueer member
I'm interested in connecting with likeminded professionals.
Hi. I'm Mel
I design, illustrate, write, coach, mentor, speak, train, and sometimes roller skate.
