Melody Short

Melody Short Email and Phone Number

Founder | Small Business Advocate | Community Builder | Connector @ RUNWAY – A Financial Innovation Firm
Melody Short's Location
Richmond, Virginia, United States, United States
Melody Short's Contact Details
About Melody Short

I fell in love with small business development during my first job out of college, at Sony Music. Fast forward to my work today, and I still love it. My work is steeped in identifying resources, creating opportunities, and advocating on behalf of Black-owned businesses.In my career of over 20 years as a marketing executive focused on business and brand development for small, women, and minority-owned businesses, I have a proven track record of identifying and securing new revenue streams and developing community partnerships. Nothing excites me more than seeing a project through from beginning to end. Ideation, strategy, tactics, and marketing; I’ve been fortunate to spearhead projects that have positively impacted hundreds of business owners. Yes, that’s right, I’m a marketer too! I develop, implement, and manage comprehensive marketing, advertising, and recruitment campaigns that attract and maintain business owners. If you need support or have any questions about business development, creating a fund for small, women, and minority-owned businesses, securing support from locally-elected officials or increasing the impact of community partnerships, please reach out to me. You can find my email and phone number in my “Contact Info.” I look forward to hearing from you! Accomplishments: - Part of a team that approved $500 million in funding for small businesses impacted by the pandemic in the State of Virginia. -Distributed $250K to small, women and minority-owned businesses in the Metropolitan Business League Resilience Fund-Secured media placement for small businesses in Essence, Forbes, and Entrepreneur Magazines, and the New York Times-Oversaw the creation of a small business e-commerce website. Resulted in a 20% increase in revenue

Melody Short's Current Company Details
RUNWAY – A Financial Innovation Firm

Runway – A Financial Innovation Firm

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Founder | Small Business Advocate | Community Builder | Connector
Melody Short Work Experience Details
  • Runway – A Financial Innovation Firm
    Community Experience
    Runway – A Financial Innovation Firm Oct 2023 - Present
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  • Bridging Virginia
    Business & Community Engagement Director
    Bridging Virginia Sep 2023 - Present
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  • The Richmond Night Market
    Co-Founder
    The Richmond Night Market Aug 2011 - Present
    Identify, secure, and manage community partnerships. Lead the cooperative direct mail campaigns that target supporters of the local arts community. Create comprehensive marketing plans to include local and national media coverage, social media penetration, internet and outbound marketing. Work closely with graphic designers and community partners to manage the creative process of developing marketing collateral and print advertisements to promote special events.Manage the artist recruitment process in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions. Source local minority-owned business owners to provide food, music, and security for all special events. Solicit donations for organizational funding and event sponsorship. Oversee the fulfillment of e-commerce purchases.
  • The Metropolitan Business League
    Director, Marketing & Communications
    The Metropolitan Business League Jan 2020 - Nov 2021
    Richmond, Virginia, Us
    Managed the Metropolitan Business League Resilience Fund from inception to fund disbursement; a fund developed in support of small, women, and minority-owned businesses impacted by COVID-19. Developed fund application, created and implemented targeted marketing campaign to increase the number of applicants, identified selection committee composed of city leaders, pre-screened 80 applicants to prepare for the selection committee, and administered award packages. $45K disbursed. Spearhead member engagement activities that increase organization visibility, membership, and connect members with prospective clients. Designed and implemented a Virtual Town Hall Series that informed the small business community about the business impacts of COVID-19; over 600 attendees, including small business owners, local and state officials, and local nonprofit leaders. Use Google and Facebook Ads to manage digital marketing efforts in support of programming and general operations.Use Chamber Master to identify supplier diversity opportunities.
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  • Akwaaba Bed And Breakfast
    Director Of Operations And Marketing
    Akwaaba Bed And Breakfast Mar 2015 - Apr 2020
    Washington, Gb
    Implemented strategies to secure new business. Scheduled site visits and breakfast tours of the properties for corporate and direct billing clients to experience services. New business valued at $250K.Oversaw the process of identifying new revenue streams and business development opportunities. Collaborated with the CEO to create an e-commerce website; resulting in a 20% increase in revenue. Planned and executed a fair to strengthen relationships with local universities. After great feedback about the fair, Temple University, The University of Pennsylvania, and Drexel University added Akwaaba as a preferred vendor for off campus meetings, retreats, and housing for visiting faculty and staff. Served as a brand ambassador for the company. Communicated vision, cultivated professional relationships, and supported long-term client growth amongst government agencies and small businesses. Managed all press and media coverage for the brand. Earned media coverage in Essence, Black Enterprise, Entrepreneur, and Forbes Magazines; and The New York Times.
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  • Unboundrva
    Small Business Director
    Unboundrva Aug 2016 - Mar 2018
    Participated in the development, recommendation, and administration of policies, procedures and processes in the support of organizational growth and development, transforming the organization’s public perception from unfavorable to a trusted source for the pathway to entrepreneurship. Cultivated and managed relationships with key stakeholders, external agencies, local businesses, and other business technical assistance providers. Developed and successfully launched UnBoundRVA businesses. Created common business systems including administrative, pricing, CRM management, customer feedback, and sales to support entrepreneurs and their businesses. Recruited local business leaders to support the entrepreneurs as branding, accounting and advisory board partners.Led, coached and developed UnBoundRVA entrepreneurs. Scheduled one-on-one weekly meetings with entrepreneurs, and quarterly meetings with each entrepreneur’s advisory board. Due to coaching, 40% of businesses doubled their business contracts.Oversaw the process of entrepreneurs securing their business and zoning licenses, filing for incorporation and securing Tax ID numbers, and acquiring business insurance. Supported them during the process of securing a business loan and bank account. Used Excel to coordinate and manage comprehensive reporting of clients served. Presented findings to senior leadership and the board. Data from the reports was used to secure program funding from foundations and individual donors, and attract community partners.
  • Drivetime
    Sales Manager
    Drivetime Feb 2013 - Jul 2016
    Tempe, Az, Us
    Created annual sales forecasts by estimating total vehicle sales, gross and operating profits as well as expenses. Reports assisted senior management in setting quarterly sales goals for the location.Planned and implemented tactics that helped reach sales and gross profit goals. Evaluated the sales process, decreased the amount of time required to close a deal, and provided the necessary tools to close gaps. Team productivity and capacity increased. Prepared contractual agreements upon approval of financing received from financial institutions. Worked directly with the general manager to make recommendations for both short and long-range advertising plans, sales promotions, staffing needs and leasing programs. Resulted in 5% increase in sales.
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  • Aka White House
    Operations Manager
    Aka White House Feb 2007 - Jan 2013
    Plymouth Meeting, Pa, Us
    Managed and coached staff of 30 people, including guest service, housekeeping, lounge and engineering departments. Led weekly meetings, developed staff schedules, administered operating standards mandated by the corporate office, and performed annual performance reviews.Ensured complete satisfaction of all vendors by providing excellent service. Recognized lodging needs, fulfilled special requests, and maintained consistent communications during their stay. Managed the compliance of contracts by establishing plans and procedures to evaluate contractual activity, implementing quality controls, and ensuring the timeliness of the work performed. Served as special events liaison for properties located within the region. Attended meetings produced by Destination DC as a brand ambassador. Supported the Sales Team to build and drive a culture of client excellence. Equipped the team with tools that efficiently closed deals, and located professional development training that strengthened their capacity to quickly address potential clients’ needs. Managed the accounts receivable department of the facility. Oversaw the in-house accounting system, settled daily transactions with the processor vendor, collected outstanding accounts, and handled direct billing for accounts. Transformed customer retention strategy. Directed staff to provide seamless customer service and created a reward system for customer feedback. Increased client retention, loyalty, and aided in the acquisition of new clients.
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  • Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Properties
    Property Manager
    Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Properties Sep 2005 - Jan 2007
    Facilitated organizational meetings with 100 event sponsors and 300 vendors to ensure event logistics were in compliance with facility operations. Produced written reports to include sales forecasting, marketing and communications plans.Created partnerships with local businesses and media for added value opportunities. Prepared budget requests and monitored budget of $1.5M for property operations. Managed contractual agreements with vendors, served as the liaison for Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast properties to address guest requests, facility and maintenance needs, complaints regarding custodial services, and small renovation. 70% of vendors were minority-owned businesses. Identified and recommended operation procedural changes to the property owner, including monthly team meetings across all locations to review property updates, insight on marketing efforts, upcoming media features, property improvements, promotions and the guest experience. Fostered a more cohesive staff, improved staff communications and improved property management.Developed and implemented the Standard Operational Procedures and Operational Plans for five properties in the Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast portfolio. Managed accounts payable and accounts receivables, prepared requisitions and purchase orders. Monitored and controlled expenditures.
  • Young Women'S Christian Association Of The City Of New York New York, Ny
    Manager, Foundation Relations
    Young Women'S Christian Association Of The City Of New York New York, Ny Dec 2004 - Aug 2005
    Identified and solicited new revenue producing sources from individuals and foundations by matching programmatic interests with funding prospects.Researched and produced written reports to include grant proposals in support of operating and restricted funds. Served as communications liaison for current and prospective donors. Tracked, monitored, and reported on the status of grants and proposals. Compiled budgets and financial reports for the finance and programming departments.
  • Young Women'S Christian Association Of The City Of New York New York, Ny
    Membership Associate
    Young Women'S Christian Association Of The City Of New York New York, Ny Feb 2004 - Nov 2004
    Created affinity-based membership and neighborhood partners program. Increased membership revenue by $250K in nine months of creating and managing the new membership program. Cultivated the relationships with members through liaison-based efforts to include the creation of marketing collateral, implementation of various campaigns and special events, and by improving overall organization communication. Produced all membership correspondence to include acquisition, thank you, and renewal letters. Drafted reports to provide data analysis on membership revenue and statistics to senior management and board members. Supported the launch and management of the first Young Professionals Group for the YWCA-NYC.
  • Sony Music Entertainment
    Urban Marketing Manager
    Sony Music Entertainment Oct 1999 - Apr 2003
    New York, Ny, Us
    Developed and managed special events in an effort to increase product/service awareness. Created and implemented marketing strategies for national recording artists within retail accounts. Served as liaison to the independent retail accounts, managing the allocated artists' budgets for the Southwest region. Coordinated media buys and created media plans. Oversaw artist in-store appearances in conjunction with sales and marketing managers for the respective record labels. Provided sales team with support and recommendations to identify new marketing opportunities. Advised graphics department in conceptualizing and creating marketing tools.
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Melody Short Skills

Event Management Marketing Event Planning Management Marketing Strategy Customer Service Social Media Negotiation Social Media Marketing Sales Budgets Leadership Social Networking Entertainment Online Marketing Public Relations Customer Satisfaction Grant Writing Digital Marketing Online Advertising

Melody Short Education Details

  • Morgan State University - Graves School Of Business & Management
    Morgan State University - Graves School Of Business & Management
    Marketing

Frequently Asked Questions about Melody Short

What company does Melody Short work for?

Melody Short works for Runway – A Financial Innovation Firm

What is Melody Short's role at the current company?

Melody Short's current role is Founder | Small Business Advocate | Community Builder | Connector.

What is Melody Short's email address?

Melody Short's email address is me****@****ejo.com

What schools did Melody Short attend?

Melody Short attended Morgan State University - Graves School Of Business & Management.

What are some of Melody Short's interests?

Melody Short has interest in Human Rights, Children, Arts And Culture.

What skills is Melody Short known for?

Melody Short has skills like Event Management, Marketing, Event Planning, Management, Marketing Strategy, Customer Service, Social Media, Negotiation, Social Media Marketing, Sales, Budgets, Leadership.

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