Travis M.

Travis Melvin

5.0

(2)

Finance Executive Helping Professionals Build Purpose-Driven Careers

The London School of Economics & Political Science Logo

Studied at The London School of Economics & Political Science

Hudson Advisors Logo

Worked at Hudson Advisors

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Travis's Offerings

Custom hourly · $175/hr

Get help with Career Planning, Job Search Strategies, and .

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Travis’s Career Coaching Qualifications

Experience level: Director

Careers are rarely linear, and the best opportunities often come from understanding how your experiences fit together into a larger story. Over the past decade, I've built a career across Wall Street, private equity, commercial real estate development, entrepreneurship, higher education, and public policy. My experience includes structured finance at Wells Fargo Securities, distressed investing at Lone Star Funds, commercial real estate development at Trammell Crow Company, leadership in affordable housing, and advising investors and organizations through my firm, Meridian Advisory. I also serve as Director of Financial Wellbeing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, teach Real Estate Capital Markets at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, and am completing an Executive Master of Public Administration at the London School of Economics. Throughout my career, I've interviewed with leading financial institutions, government agencies, universities, and private companies, while mentoring students, early-career professionals, and executives navigating pivotal career decisions. My coaching combines practical hiring insight with long-term career strategy. I work with professionals seeking promotions, career pivots, graduate school, leadership opportunities, or greater alignment between their work and their purpose. Together, we'll clarify your goals, refine your personal brand, strengthen your resume and interview strategy, and develop a career narrative that reflects both your accomplishments and your future potential. My approach is thoughtful, candid, and strategic. Rather than focusing solely on your next job, I help you build a career that compounds over time.

Travis can help with:

Career Planning

Job Search Strategies

Networking Strategy

Personal Branding

Professional Networking

Resume Review

View all of Travis’s categories

About Travis

I believe the best graduate school applications don't start with essays. They start with clarity. As a first-generation college graduate who grew up in public housing, I learned early that opportunities often come to those who can clearly communicate their potential. My own journey has taken me from the University of North Carolina to the Stanford Graduate School of Business, through careers in Wall Street, private equity, commercial real estate, entrepreneurship, and public policy. Professionally, I've worked in structured finance at Wells Fargo Securities, distressed investing at Lone Star Funds, commercial real estate development at Trammell Crow Company, and affordable housing. Today, I serve as Director of Financial Wellbeing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, teach Real Estate Capital Markets as an adjunct instructor at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, and advise investors and developers through my firm, Meridian Advisory. I am also completing an Executive Master of Public Administration at the London School of Economics. Throughout my career, I've interviewed with and worked alongside leaders across finance, consulting, government, and higher education. Those experiences have taught me that admissions committees are not simply evaluating resumes. They are evaluating leadership potential, intellectual curiosity, resilience, and the ability to make an impact. My coaching is designed to help applicants identify the story only they can tell. Whether you're applying to an MBA, MPA, or another graduate program, we'll work together to build an application that is authentic, strategically positioned, and reflective of your highest potential.

Why do I coach?

Business school changed the trajectory of my life, and I want to help others experience that same transformation. Throughout my career, mentors opened doors, challenged my thinking, and helped me see possibilities I couldn't yet see for myself. I know firsthand how intimidating the admissions process can feel, especially for first-generation students, career pivoters, and applicants whose experiences don't fit a traditional mold. I coach because I enjoy helping people discover the thread that connects their experiences into a compelling leadership story. Some of the most accomplished applicants struggle to explain why their experiences matter. That's where I can help. There is nothing more rewarding than watching someone gain confidence, articulate their purpose, and earn admission to a program that will change the course of their career. My goal isn't simply to help clients get into business school. It's to help them better understand themselves and the impact they want to have long after graduation.

Work Experience

UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Logo

Adjunct Instructor

UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School

June 2026 - Present

Real Estate Capital Markets

Meridian Advisory Logo

Principal

Meridian Advisory

January 2024 - Present

Hiring Manager

Meridian Advisory exists to help capital-intensive allocators, fiduciaries and operators correctly diagnose risk, value, and timing before irreversible decisions are made.

Trammell Crow Logo

Investment and Business Development

Trammell Crow

August 2020 - January 2024

Ground-up development of commercial real estate and land acquisition in Mid Atlantic region

Hudson Advisors Logo

Vice President - Specialist Applications, Hedge Fund Services

Hudson Advisors

September 2015 - May 2019

Portfolio manager driving investment strategy of $15 billion portfolio of non-performing whole loans, driving value through loan modification, (re)securitization and loan sales

Wells Fargo Logo

Senior Account Associate - Financial Institutions Group

Wells Fargo

June 2013 - September 2015

Debt and Equity Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions transactions in Financial Institutions Group for Financial Services companies, with a specialization in commercial real estate finance companies Expertise in Firm Commitment offerings ("bought deals") for commercial real estate finance companies Proficiency in S&P CapIQ, Factset, and similar software for valuation analysis

Wells Fargo Logo

Fixed Income Sales & Trading

Wells Fargo

June 2011 - June 2013

Traded $200M securities portfolio of non-agency, NCUA and subprime mortgage-backed securities Proficiency in Sales & Trading of RMBS, CMBS, ABS, Repo, CMOs, CLOs, CDO, Credit Default Swaps, HY, and HG bonds Proficiency in Bloomberg Terminal, Intex, Trepp, etc. for the valuation and underwriting of structured products

Travis was also given offers to work at

  • Training The Street Logo

    Training The Street

Education

The London School of Economics & Political Science Logo

The London School of Economics & Political Science

Master of Public Administration - MPA

Public Policy & Administration through the lends of finance and real estate

Stanford Graduate School of Business Logo

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Master of Science - MS, Management

Activities and societies: The Robert Toigo Foundation (Toigo) - Toigo Fellow, Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) - MBA Prep Fellow, Certificate in Public Management and Social Innovation

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Logo

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Bachelors, Business Administration

Travis was also personally admitted to

  • McCombs School of Business (UT Austin) Logo

    McCombs School of Business (UT Austin)

  • Morehouse College Logo

    Morehouse College

  • Haas School of Business (Berkeley) Logo

    Haas School of Business (Berkeley)

  • NYU Stern School of Business Logo

    NYU Stern School of Business

2 Reviews

Overall Rating

5.0


Travis has helped Leland clients get into University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Travis M.

Travis M.

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