Melanie Sue Hicks is an author, speaker, and global philanthropist who has traveled the world studying resilience and human connection. She has traveled more than 120K miles to 45 countries doing hands on service work. She dedicates her life to creating an impact on her own or amplifying the impact of others every single day.

Dr. Hicks is a dynamic speaker and trainer offering soul-provoking topics that engage audiences in a multidimensional, interactive adventure. She electrifies the in-person or virtual room with her energetic passion and deep authenticity.

She is the author of Incongruent: Travel, Trauma, Transformation, a memoir about loving the life you have, even in the midst of life's wreckage. Writing her first book at 10 years old, she has now been published in numerous magazines and websites. Her works have been featured on popular magazines and websites including Forbes.com, Marie Claire, Authority Magazine, See Beyond Magazine, The District, Doctor’s Life Magazine, Journal for Research Administration and Moc Ideja, a grassroots policy manual for lawmakers in Bosnia funded by the US Department of State.

As an empathy driven thought leader and founder of InPursuit, a boutique consulting firm, Dr. Hicks has helped organizations across the globe create successful future strategies that align their actions with their values and purpose. She has managed high performance teams, spearheaded high profit, high growth initiatives and advocated for policy changes nationally.

Dr. Hicks holds a doctorate from the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy at Florida State University. She holds a Senior Certified Professional certification from the Society for Human Resource Management, a Business Analytics Certification from Harvard University, a Six Sigma Yellow Belt from the University of South Florida and two Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Certifications.

Her awards include the Rod Rose Paper of the Year Award for the Journal of Research Administration, the Joyce Keller Volunteer of the Year Award, the Florence Bayuk Scholarship for academic excellence; the University of Miami Outstanding Scholastic and Public Service Achievement Award.