Melissa Kiguwa's background spans three continents—  Europe, the United States, and Africa, but she is currently based in Los Angeles where she is CEO of Obánj, the luxury sustainability company she founded in 2020.

Before founding her company, Melissa worked as a radio and television host; a producer for both commercial and broadcast radio including the BBC World Service; and for Get Lifted, John Legend's production company. She currently hosts the podcast, Grit & Grace, in collaboration with the London School of Economics Accelerator for Women Founders where she interviews brilliant women with an audacious vision for the world.

She is also building a reputation as one of the best emerging writing talents from the African continent. Her first collection of poetry, Reveries of Longing, was published in 2014 and selected as one of "This is Africa’s 100 best books in fiction, poetry, memoir and non-fiction." She has also been recognized as an influential African artist to know and celebrate. Melissa is a 2020 PEN America Emerging Voices Fellow and is working on an adventure memoir about her international exploits.

She graduated from the London School of Economics with her MSc in Media, Communication, and Development in 2015.

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