Social entrepreneur Melina Schamroth is in the business of making a difference.
Founder of m.a.d.woman (making a difference), creator of the unique Single Volunteers dating program, Grateful in April, Gals Doin' Good networking events, motivational speaker and author, Melina runs programs and events to connect people with each other and with their communities.
m.a.d.woman is the winner of the National Telstra Business Awards, Yellow Pages Social Responsibility Award (as well as the Victorian State winner) . Melina was co-named RMIT Communicator of the Year with acclaimed human rights activist The Hon. Michael Kirby. She was also a finalist in the Premier's Community Volunteering Leadership Awards, Highly Commended in the Anthill Cool Company Awards, a Finalist in the BrainLink Women of Achievements Awards and Finalist in the Yarra Sustainable Business Awards. Melina is also the Vice President of the National Speakers Association of Australia's Victorian division.
Be it bushfire relief, helping the hungry and homeless or supporting neglected animals, Melina is continually finding innovative ways to motivate and engage people.
In the past couple of years alone, m.a.d.woman achievements include cooking more than 70,000 meals for hungry and homeless Australians. Other projects have aided thousands of people - Black Saturday bushfire victims, disabled and disadvantaged youth, long-term unemployed and more.
Melina's unique corporate team building events also make a difference. From small groups to large teams, m.a.d.woman events unite participants - all while producing tangible outcomes for projects in need.
Prior to starting m.a.d.woman, Melina spent 18 years working in journalism, communication, marketing and PR roles for a variety of global companies and leading organisations in Australia and New Zealand. These include top 100 companies, Government, not for profit groups, private companies and emerging businesses.
Melina studied Philanthropy and Social Investment at Swinburne University in addition to extensive pro bono work for not for profit organisations in Australasia.
Melina's books 'How to be m.a.d. (making a difference)' and 'm.a.d. (making a difference) in a green way' provide people with clever, practical and creative ways they can contribute to their communities, help others and reduce their environmental impact. Her socially responsible product range includes sticker m.a.d. and paper m.a.d. products.
Melina is also the author of Beneath Dark Skies - a collection of Black Saturday bushfire stories.
Testimonials
Melina Schamroth is an inspirational speaker who wowed our audience with her sincerity and stories. She explained how the concept of social responsibility can be one that is achievable and enjoyable for all involved.
At our 'Women in Business' lunch, attendees were enthralled by her energy and outlook on life.... If you want laughter, light and intelligent conversation over lunch Melina is the best by far!
- Business Development, City of Darebin
Melina is a professional speaker who presents with flair and confidence. She is very engaging and interacts well with all audiences. Our members are appreciative of Melina's warm, friendly and honest presentations.
- Manager Women's Markets, Westpac
I have seen Melina present a few times and I'm really impressed with how she delivers information and also engages audiences into supporting her personal and passionate message. Melina makes a HUGE difference to our community.
- Director, Kreatrix
