
Travis Melvin
Finance Executive. Educator. LSE MPA Candidate. Helping Future Leaders
Studied at The London School of Economics & Political Science
Worked at Hudson Advisors
Successful clients at

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Travis's Offerings
Custom hourly · $175/hr
Get help with Application Strategy, Cover Letters, and
Travis’s MBA Qualifications
Business school has the potential to change the trajectory of your life. I know because it changed mine. As a first-generation college graduate who grew up in public housing, I learned early that talent alone isn't enough. Opportunities often come to those who can clearly communicate their potential, connect seemingly unrelated experiences into a compelling narrative, and articulate a vision for the future. That's exactly what admissions committees are looking for. My career has taken me from structured finance at Wells Fargo Securities to distressed investing at Lone Star Funds, real estate development at Trammell Crow Company, affordable housing and community development, entrepreneurship as the founder of Meridian Advisory, and public policy through my Executive Master's studies at the London School of Economics. I also serve as Director of Financial Wellbeing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and teach Real Estate Capital Markets as an adjunct instructor at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. Those experiences have shown me that the strongest applications aren't built around impressive resumes. They're built around authentic stories with a clear sense of purpose. As your coach, I'll help you identify what makes your journey distinctive, refine your leadership narrative, and present your experiences with clarity and confidence. Whether we're working on school selection, essays, resumes, interviews, or overall application strategy, my goal is to ensure your application reflects your highest potential, not what you think an admissions committee wants to hear. I work especially well with applicants who have complex or unconventional backgrounds, including first-generation students, career pivoters, finance and real estate professionals, public sector leaders, entrepreneurs, military veterans, and applicants seeking to connect technical expertise with a compelling leadership story. My coaching style is thoughtful, candid, and collaborative. I'll challenge your assumptions, ask difficult questions, and help you uncover the themes that connect your experiences into a narrative that is both authentic and memorable. Admissions committees aren't simply evaluating where you've been. They're investing in where you're going. My role is to help you tell that story in a way that reflects who you are and the impact you aspire to make.
Travis can help with:
Application Strategy
Cover Letters
Editing
Essays
General Exploration
Interviews
Networking Strategy
Recommendations
Resume
School Selection
Secondary Review
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

Adjunct Instructor
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
June 2026 - Present
Real Estate Capital Markets

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.

Investment and Business Development
Trammell Crow
August 2020 - January 2024
Ground-up development of commercial real estate and land acquisition in Mid Atlantic region

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

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

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
Education

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
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
Bachelors, Business Administration
Travis was also personally admitted to

McCombs School of Business (UT Austin)

Morehouse College

Haas School of Business (Berkeley)

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