Melissa Robaina

Melissa Robaina, MBA is the Chief Operations Officer for the Center for Appreciative Inquiry, an international leadership development organization. For over 10 years, Melissa has collaborated with numerous subject matter experts to research, organize, and develop content that invites discussion, nurtures creativity, and encourages inclusivity. During this time, Melissa has had the opportunity to work alongside individuals, clients, and communities worldwide using Appreciative Inquiry to create sustainable change that enhances and enriches engagement, dialogue, innovation, and connectivity.

Melissa is the co-author of two articles, “Creating a Legacy to Live Into: The Macon Miracle” and “The Macon Miracle: A Community [Re]Designing Education to Capture the Hearts and Minds of Students”; highlighting her Company’s work in Appreciative Inquiry and positive change facilitation. These articles are published in two separate books: Exceeding Expectations: An Anthology of Appreciative Inquiry Stories in Education from Around the World and Advances in Appreciative Inquiry, Volume 4. She is currently co-authoring an article for the Appreciative Inquiry Practitioner titled, Embodying Wholeness is Virtual Collaborations, which highlights how she and Core Team members came together and exemplified the Wholeness Principle during the digital transformation of her company’s flagship program, the Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Training (AIFT) during the pandemic. This certification program is now available online.

Developing graphics and videos for the AIFT was new to Melissa, but she found joy in exploring new avenues of creativity. In 2020, Melissa and her best friend launched Pivotal Moments HQ – a podcast that shares, explores & celebrates stories of change through mindset and wellness, and their impact on relationships. Melissa’s intention of sharing and highlighting these stories is to 1) give a voice to underrepresented and marginalized communities and 2) to help the listener through storytelling in whatever changes they may be contemplating.

Melissa’s ability to meld content with bold visuals allowed her to engage and connect with individuals and groups worldwide. As demand for her work grew, Melissa founded Pug Productions, LLC – a content creation company inspired by her favorite work companion, her pug, Hallie.