Keynotes, workshops and consulting for audiences of all sizes. Let’s collaborate for your next event.
Choose an option that works best for your organization
Keynotes and workshops
Motivation, innovation and ideas for corporate events or conferences
Training
Personalized education for individuals, small groups or teams
Consulting
Assessment and creation of strategies for business growth
Thanks for the resources from your presentation last week. It truly was the best session I attended at the conference.
Janeen W., Director, Phyllis Wheatley Community Center
Melissa Harrison, marketing strategist and consultant
Speaker, trainer and 20-year agency leader
Melissa Harrison is a powerhouse in strategic marketing with 20 years of experience helping high-trust and regulated brands in healthcare, manufacturing, higher education, government and professional services stand out and scale smart. She cuts through complexity to deliver bold, clear strategies that increase visibility and drive measurable results.
Melissa makes audiences laugh and inspires them with real situations and answers to dive into the things that are often scary, but necessary for growth. She teaches business leaders how to embrace change and engage through an audience-first approach. Melissa connects on a personal level because she’s been there before—building up companies through recessions and turnovers. She rolls up her sleeves right with you and gets to work.
Melissa’s accolades include:
- 2026 NAWBO Women Business Owner of the Year Top 10 Class
- 2023 Enterprising Woman of the Year Award (Enterprising Women Magazine)
- 2022 Notable Marketing Leader (Twin Cities Business)
- Top Content Marketer (Content Marketing Institute)
- Top Young Entrepreneur (Minnesota Business Magazine)
- 4-time recipient of the Hermes Creative Award
- Top 100 Women to Watch in the U.S. (The Inspirational Woman Project)
- SBA Emerging Leader
Featured in
Great planning starts here
Grab a copy of Melissa’s digital speaker kit and let’s connect for your next event.
Featured speaking and workshop topics
Melissa Harrison speaks at conferences, professional events and workshops on marketing strategy, audience engagement, client experience, entrepreneurship and navigating the messy middle of business and life. Explore featured topics below or download Melissa’s speaker kit for additional sessions and booking information.
Rebuilding Trust Through Buyer-Centric Marketing
Build stronger customer relationships by aligning marketing, messaging and the buyer experience around what audiences actually need.
Less Content, More Strategy: The Secret to Effective Marketing
Move beyond the pressure to create more and build a focused content marketing strategy tied to audience needs and business goals.
Know Your Audience: Better Personas, Stronger Messaging
Move beyond assumptions to identify priority audiences, understand what matters to them and develop messaging that connects.
From Prompt to Public: Using AI Without Losing the Plot
Use AI as a practical marketing tool while protecting strategy, brand voice, human judgment and responsible decision-making.
Sandwich Season Leadership: Staying Steady When Life Gets Loud
A candid look at leading, working and making decisions when professional demands collide with the realities of life outside of work.
The Messy Middle: Success Isn’t Linear
A candid conversation for women navigating the middle chapters of careers, businesses and lives when responsibilities are many and the definition of success may change.
I had the pleasure of attending Melissa Harrison’s fantastic content marketing session at IABC World Conference in San Francisco. I’ve been full of great ideas since and I can’t wait to implement what I’ve learned.
Kim L., Communications Officer, Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Trusted by
We loved the presentation! It was up-to-date with things that most all of our members didn’t know about yet, educational, with practical tips that people could go and implement.
Michelle O’Connor, Executive Director, American Advertising Federation (AAF-South Dakota)
2026 speaking engagements
From international conferences and industry events to workshops and virtual sessions, Melissa brings practical marketing strategy, candid perspective and 20 years of experience to the stage. Here’s where you can find her in 2026.
CMAA World Conference
Anaheim, CA
Indiana Health & Safety Conference
Indianapolis, IN
PVCMA Lunch & Learn
Philadelphia, PA
WeMN Conference
Plymouth, MN
MCN Nonprofit Leadership Conference
Minneapolis, MN
MCN Nonprofit Fundraising Conference
St. Paul, MN
Together Digital Mastermind
Virtual
FemFoundry: Built in the Foundry
Virtual
Association of Professional Genealogists Professional Management Conference
Virtual
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Annual Conference
St. Paul, MN
American Public Works Association Fall Conference
Prior Lake, MN
Bring Melissa to your next event
Looking for a conference speaker, workshop facilitator or trainer? Let’s talk about what would work best for your audience.
Previous engagements
American Advertising Federation-North Dakota Lunch & Learn
American Advertising Federation-South Dakota Lunch & Learn
AAM Summit at AICPA ENGAGE
ASAE Marketing, Membership & Communications Conference
Associations North Annual Conference
Associations North Marketing & Tech Summit
Association of Accounting Marketing MN Chapter Event
BizBash
Business Women Circle Annual Forum
Carlson School of Management Annual Women’s Leadership Conference
Carver County Library Training Series
CMAA Communications Summit
Content Marketing World
Coverings Conference
Enterprising Women Conference
EXHIBITOR Conference
First Friday Women Lunch & Learn
Hospitality Minnesota Annual Conference
IABC Greater Cincinnati Chapter Event
IABC of MN Gift of Comms
IABC South Connect2Comms
IABC Southern Region Webinar
IABC World
International Esthetics Cosmetics & Spa Conference
Indiana Safety & Health Conference
International Association of Administrative Professionals Tech Conference
International Parking Institute Annual Conference
International Parking Institute Leadership Summit
JLC Live Residential Show
League of Minnesota Cities Annual Conference
LIGHTFAIR International Conference
Metro Regional Arts Council Annual Conference
MNCPA Annual Women’s Conference
NAGC Communications School
Northern Green Expo
PRSA Associations & Nonprofit Conference
SAME Federal Small Business Webinar
SBA SCORE Webinar Series
SharpHeels Small Business Summit
Triple Play REALTOR® Convention
Twin Cities Media Alliance Fall Forum
Twin Cities SCORE Webinar Series
Wellness Workdays Conference
WiE Annual Conference
World of Modular Convention
Thank you so much!!! Everyone LOVED your presentation! Your timing, energy, everything was perfect! Thanks for all your effort and time on this!
Lia Capaldini-Keseley, Client Services Coordinator, Authentic
Member of
