Melissa is a Mindfulness Teacher, Retreat Leader and Consultant, and Advocate for Diversity and Inclusion who has earned Masters Degrees in Counseling Psychology as well as Computer Science and Engineering. She guides people in living balanced, authentic, and happy. Melissa was an engineer and IT project manager in Silicon Valley before traveling to over 50 countries on a backpacking journey around the world interacting with people of diverse cultures and engaging in indigenous spiritual practices. Connecting with the courage to live with deep meaning and purpose in her own life allows her to effectively and heartfully guide others in doing the same. Melissa has been offering life changing retreats since 2011. She has led mindfulness workshops at many organizations including Google as well as retreat centers including Esalen Institute and teaches Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at Kaiser. Melissa is the Founder and Director of Happiness at Dragonfly Healing Center.