Melissa Mahler is an attorney, international strategist and development leader with more than two decades of experience advising executives, boards, businesses, nonprofit organizations and institutional stakeholders on complex legal, commercial and strategic matters. She serves as General Counsel of NEGE, where she advises on international development initiatives, cross-border transactions and partnerships, governance, institutional relationships and the legal frameworks supporting the organization’s global activities.

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Melissa also serves as Global Head of the Palm Tree Memorial Project and Global Legal Director of Universal Palm Tree Women. In that capacity, she is helping lead an ambitious international initiative in the Democratic Republic of Congo centered on remembrance, human dignity, economic and community development, and the advancement and protection of women and children. The initiative includes the proposed Memorial City project in Kinshasa and brings together Congolese, U.S. and international stakeholders across the governmental, business, nonprofit and development sectors.

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Her work includes developing the legal, governance and institutional frameworks required to move complex international projects from concept to execution; structuring relationships among participating organizations; negotiating and developing agreements; protecting intellectual property and institutional assets; establishing funding and financial-control structures; and helping navigate relationships across different legal systems, cultures and institutional environments.

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Melissa is currently Managing Partner of Mahler Law Group PLLC and founder of People Purpose Impact and Great Good Tech LLC. Throughout her career, she has advised C-suite executives and boards of directors on complex transactions, corporate and organizational strategy, governance, commercial relationships, emerging technologies, financing, intellectual property and the management of sophisticated stakeholder relationships. Her work has included transactions and initiatives involving Fortune 100 companies, universities, governments, NGOs and mission-driven organizations.