Melanie Bender

Melanie bridges purpose and scale to grow businesses that perform for people, planet and profit. She is the CEO of rhode, the new philosophy on skincare developed by Hailey Bieber.Melanie was previously the Founding President of Versed, which she built into the #1 clean skincare brand in mass channels, leading strategy, vision and growth from inception. Prior to Versed, Melanie was Vice President of Marketing and Brand Development at Who What Wear, helping build a $150M annual retail business while incubating Versed and Merit.Originally from Kailua, Hawai’i, Melanie spans two decades with purpose-driven businesses, and has earned a B.S. in sustainability and accreditation for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Melanie is also the leader of CodeRed4Climate, the collective action supported by 250 beauty brands and the White House, and is an active board member and advisor.Honors include:Fast Company’s Most Creative PeopleWWD’s Beauty VanguardGlossy's 50Beauty Independent’s Brand Builder of the YearFast Company's Brands That Matter (Versed)2x WWD's Most Powerful Brands (Versed)Being mom to Mila (12)