Melanie Muñoz is driven by her purpose in the work of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, a passion that spreads to every realm of her life. In her own words, "DEI isn't what I do, but more who I am." As a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant and strategic advisor she strives to create opportunities for all and support her clients to develop innovative creative solutions that result in impactful change.
Melanie currently serves as the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Crate and Barrel Holdings overseeing DEI strategic efforts across the enterprise including the Crate and Barrel, CB2 and Hudson Grace brands. Her role is rooted in the company mission to inspire homes of purpose with an inclusive lens including program management, building strategic partnerships, talent strategy and bringing innovative solutions to driving diverse representation through product assortment. She was formerly a Sr. DEI Consultant at The Kaleidoscope Group, a full-service DEI consulting firm with clients such as Major League Baseball, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Groupon, Federal Reserve Bank System, Ulta Beauty and many more.
In addition to advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts with her clients she formerly served as President for Prospanica Chicago, whose mission is to empower and enable Latinx professionals to achieve their full educational, economic and social potential. Prospanica Chicago has a strong connection with the Latino professional community through creative innovation programming, professional development opportunities, and connections with top employers allowing Melanie to advance DEI for her community.
Through her work at Prospanica, she has philanthropic efforts for Latino-focused advancement programs, creating collaborative efforts between the business community and communities of color. She led Prospanica's annual Summer Enrichment Program, providing professional development and college readiness for Black and Latinx students in the Chicagoland area.
In between leading the world of DEI in role, Melanie also leads DEI efforts in the context of her faith-based community at People Church Chicago, a progressive, multi-ethnic church where she launched PIXELS, a social impact effort that supports faith-based organizations and churches address issues or racial reconciliation, inclusion and equitable community development.
She has received several awards including the Power of The Future Award by The Forum on Workplace Inclusion, Diversity MBA's 50 under 50, Chicago's 40 Latinos Under 40, and named one of the top twelve leaders in the U.S. as "Coors Light Lider" of 2020.
She has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from The University of Toledo and a Master of Arts degree in Psychology, focusing on Diversity leadership, and Organizational Change at Cleveland State University. Melanie is also a Certified Diversity Practitioner from Cleveland State University & Gestalt Institute of Cleveland.
Melanie's previous and current roles reflect exemplary leadership competences and most importantly, her true passion for the advancement of DEI.