Melanie Lang

Melanie Lang is Principal at Melanie Lang Consulting and was the Founding Executive Director of The John F. Wood Centre for Business and Student Enterprise at the University of Guelph. She has more than 15 years’ experience as a strategic and collaborative academic and business leader while serving her community and creating economic development initiatives through diverse forms of scholarship, collaborative research projects, and community-engaged programs. She has developed educational programs, secured innovative sources of funding, and demonstrated community leadership.

Throughout her career, she has played a pivotal role in advancing an innovative and entrepreneurial culture, while creating authentic partnerships with individuals, community partners, government agencies, and industry. She is an engaged business professional and an academic sector advocate who has earned a reputation of being industry-oriented and socially progressive. Melanie’s expertise comes from years of experience combined with an instinct that can’t be taught. She’s an experienced facilitator, offers customized management consulting services, works with individuals and teams to help identify organizational pain points, and helps develop business and strategic plans. Melanie is able to identify the core problem and find the solution through customized curriculum and workshops with an emphasis on clarity, simplicity, and elegant problem-solving.

Within the Guelph-Wellington area, she has served on many boards and committees, including Give some Foundation, the Guelph Chamber of Commerce (including Board Chair); Center Wellington Community Foundation; Guelph Wellington Business Enterprise Centre; IMPACT! The Co-operators Youth Program for Sustainability Leadership; 4H Ontario Board; and Centre Wellington Co-operative Preschool. Melanie was named one of the City of Guelph’s ‘Top 40 Under 40’ in 2012 for her role as an educator and community developer and was recognized as a 2015 and 2016 YMCA-YWCA Woman of Distinction nominee for Education and Training and Business and Entrepreneurship. Her innovative and entrepreneurial approach to program and economic development, along with her ability to seek outside-the-box solutions, has paved the road for creating a strong and active presence in the local community. Throughout her years of service, Melanie’s vision, passion, and initiative have helped enhance experiential learning opportunities for students, while contributing to the healthy growth and development of businesses and organizations in the surrounding community.