Hi, I’m Melissa, co-founder of Design & Cultivate, a women-owned graphic design studio based in the NYC metro area. I founded the studio in 2020 with my partner, Julia, after we first met working together at Madison Square Garden.
With over 16 years of experience, I’ve worked across in-house and freelance roles with clients including A+E Networks, The Players’ Tribune, Ad Age, FanDuel, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, GLORY Kickboxing, and Excel Sports Management. My work is rooted in the belief that great design isn’t just beautiful—it solves problems, tells a story, and drives results.
Before founding Design & Cultivate, I was Lead Designer for Global Partnerships at AS Roma, helping shape the club’s creative vision on a global stage. Prior to that, I spent seven years at Madison Square Garden as a Creative Director, building high-impact sales and marketing materials for the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Liberty, MSG Sports, and MSG Entertainment.I hold a BFA in Communication Design from the University at Buffalo.