Melissa Richardson Banks is a powerhouse in the realms of strategic marketing, event production, and cultural consultancy. Her firm, CauseConnect, founded in 2001, reflects her commitment to creating and implementing innovative projects focused on the arts, education, and the environment. With a rich background in producing and marketing diverse events such as festivals, concerts, exhibitions, conferences, symposia, and galas, she has honed her expertise over nearly three decades.One of her notable collaborations is with Cheech Marin, managing his renowned Chicano art collection and overseeing various projects in the arts with him since 2003. Together, she has organized, marketed and managed numerous exhibitions from Marin's collection, touring them to museums in the United States and Europe.As an arts publicist, Richardson Banks also supports cultural institutions such Riverside Art Museum and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture. As a museum consultant, she has also organized and managed touring exhibitions that have been on view at more than 100 museums in the U.S.Beyond her work with Marin, Richardson Banks has spearheaded initiatives and provided services for esteemed institutions like the Rothko Chapel, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Autry Museum of the American West, and the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, playing pivotal roles in event production and in launching marketing programs. She has also left her mark on community engagement initiatives, managing large-scale volunteer events for Toyota Motors North America and overseeing national projects like City National Bank's Reading is the Way Up, Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest, and the SpixArt Youth Art Contest for the Spix Foundation. She has supported cultural programs for the City of Los Angeles, the City of Riverside, the City of Houston, and Orange County in Santa Ana, California, including the Cuban Music Festival in Los Angeles and Plaza de la Raza's Feria de la Familia, which was also sponsored by the Target Corporation.With a keen eye for innovation and a dedication to fostering meaningful connections within the cultural landscape, Melissa Richardson Banks continues to be a driving force in shaping impactful projects and experiences in the arts and beyond. While currently based in Houston, Texas, most of her clients are in Southern California where she resided for over 25 years and now often commutes there for business.