About William

William Melendez is a Puerto Rican-born, Orlando-raised multilingual (Spanish, English, French) global marketer, career coach and purpose-driven leader with 20+ years of experience across consumer packaged goods, education, nonprofit and talent development. William also spent 5 years building his storytelling skills as a standup comic, writer and producer in Los Angeles making his childhood passion project a reality. Most recently, William serves as a career coach at Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), a nonprofit founded by John Rice focused on improving economic mobility for underrepresented communities. He coaches undergraduate and graduate students on how to navigate career paths in corporate management, healthcare, tech, engineering, public service, media and entertainment. This work deepened his passion for mentorship, inclusive leadership, and professional development. It also sharpened his coaching, communication, and storytelling skills-skills he now applies to both individuals and organizations. His career spans Unilever, The Clorox Company and Parallel, where he led brand-building and innovation growth strategies for beloved beauty and personal care brand icons like Suave, Nexxus Hair Care and Burt's Bees and entered startup life in the cannabis space. Before marketing, Will taught English to primary students in France, worked in nonprofit public education, and served as an analyst at the NYC Department of Education. A former stand up comic, Will honed mastery in public speaking under pressure, live audience engagement, and storytelling with precision through five years of performing and producing comedy resulting in competitive festival selections like San Diego, DC and Big Pine. What started as a way of overcoming the fear of public speaking turned into a masterclass in storytelling, live audience feedback and crises management.