Melonie Tharpe

Melonie Tharpe is an Atlantan dedicated to reimagining our economy to be better for our people and our planet. She loves helping organizations think through bringing their mission to life and crafting programs that move people to action. For five years she served on the founding team of the Center for Civic Innovation as their Director of Programs & Advocacy, where she designed workshops, programs, and community education initiatives aimed at empowering residents to shape their city. 

In past lives she has knocked on hundreds of doors and made thousands of calls in South Carolina for a presidential candidate, spent a couple of months living in a big red van driving across the Southeast as a researcher and logistics manager for a documentary project, had tea with an Ethiopian President, MCed a fashion show at an international coffee conference, and learned about biodigesters in the Costa Rican forest.  

In her spare time she can be found hunting for her own meat and making it into delicious dinners, walking her dogs, or helping out at various community gatherings. She holds a Bachelors in Political Science & Anthropology from Georgia State University and a Masters in Public Administration from George Mason University.