About me
Melissa Griffiths is a transgender authority and advocate who lives in Melbourne. She is also a media commentator, well sought after Mistress of Ceremonies (MC) keynote/inspirational speaker and panelist for panel discussions.
Melissa is also a diversity and inclusion consultant who has managed to get a gender identity policy introduced at various horse racing clubs including the BRC, MRC and VRC. She consulted to Cricket Australia in development of their Guidelines for inclusion of Gender Diverse and Transgender People in Cricket.
She was previously a board director of Elder Rights Advocacy Victoria and JustSociale a Sydney based Non-Profit Organisation. She is also an ambassador for Flutterbys in the UK as well as Global Goodwill Ambassador (GGA) – LinkedIn and was an Ambassador for Ygap’s 2017 Polished Man campaign.
Melissa is also a co-author of The Power to Rise above which is an empowering book with stories written by women from all over the world sharing how they overcome their challenges in life to be successful. She was a board director of Sydney based non-profit organisation JustSociale and previously a board director of Elder Rights Advocacy in Victoria.
Melissa has overcome many challenges in her journey as a transgender female. She has had to overcome the obstacles of transitioning in the workplace; society’s attitudes towards her as well as the many challenges that come with living day-to-day as a transgender female.
A recognised Thought Leader who draws upon her experiences and expertise to consult to business and mentor individuals as well as speak out and be a voice for those in her community who do not have a voice.
Melissa is a recipient of an Australia Day Achievement Award. Melissa was the keynote speaker at RMIT for International Womens Day speaking about Organisational Gender Diversity and Policy. She also spoke at the National Employment Solutions Conference in 2018 presenting Transgender from All Angles talking about how all issues around a transgender person transitioning in the workplace.
Melissa raises awareness about bully, harassment, diversity, inclusion, and making workplaces more inclusive for transgender people through the media and various social media platforms.
She is regularly interviewed by media including tv, radio, podcasts and for various media publications. Melissa has been previously been interviewed by Fox FM and Weekend Sunrise in 2022 and in 2020 was interviewed for online TV show The Informer. She has also been featured on ABC News in 2018 and on TV show Studio 10 in 2017.
Melissa has been on the front cover of Sofya Style Magazine in the UK in 2018 as well being featured in the popular magazine – MINDFOOD in October 2019. Melissa also is a freelance journalist who writes articles for various online publications and websites including channel nine.
Melissa recently been awarded Most Dedicated & Inclusive Transgender Advocate 2023 – (Victoria) in Acquisition International’s Influential Businesswoman Awards 2023.
In 2023 Melissa was a finalist for the Victorian Pride Awards in the Outstanding Media Category.
Melissa won the Best Transgender Issues & Inclusion Consultant 2022 (Australia) award in the Global Health & Pharma’s Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Awards 2022.
In 2019 Melissa received an Australia Day Achievement Award as well as the Rex Karmaveer Global Fellowship and Karmaveer Chakra Award instituted by ICONGO & the UN from India.
She was a finalist in the 2019 Australian LGBTI Awards in the Hero Category and a finalist in 2018 Womens Agenda Women in Leadership Awards for Agenda Setter of the year. Melissa completed the first ever LGBTI Leadership Program in 2018 and was a finalist as LGBTI person of the year in the 2017 Victorian LGBTI Awards.
She is a brave, courageous, strong and resilient person who has become a Leader in her own right who draws upon her experiences to #ChooseToChallenge to make the world a better place
Check out Melissa Griffiths’ website here to learn more!
Check out Melissa’s book here
Editor Sandy Davies has gathered 30 women from around the globe to shine a light on the various ways in which life circumstances can destroy a person. These women also share how they found their own light, despite those circumstances, and have grown up to become powerful voices, best-selling authors, award winning leaders, and amazing healers for others in their community.
This book shows you the remarkable power to rise above any circumstance that is inherent within our spirit, if only we let ourselves rise.
When a woman pens a story that connects her to her deepest truth, she not only heals herself from any residual pain from her past to create her own bold new future but she also has the potential to right the wrongs done to generations before her.
These women from Australia, Nigeria, Micronesia, the Philippines, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Peru, the UK, Indonesia, the Hawaiian Islands, and the United States mainland prove your past lived experiences do not define you.
The authors of The Power to Rise Above take all our hurts and help us to heal, to rise as one. These incredible women rekindled their resilience as a reminder to each of us that no one can extinguish our fire, the inner light which burns deep within us, ultimately refusing to be silenced and finding joy.
The Power to Rise Above has a profound message: you are the creator of your destiny and you have the power to envision the life that was meant for you.
Contributors include Dr Tererai Trent, Sandy Davies, Becky Paroz, Tahlia Burchill OBrien, Lisa Cox, Jehzan Exclusive, Sally Bartlett, Dana Saulter, Donita Richards, Faith Agugu, Donna Ghoussain, Chelsey Cruz, Sandy Lowres, Nicola Mills, Jasmine Marshall, Lucy Cooper, Sarah Klaiber, Lana Vissers, Danielle Novytarger, Vanessa Atienza Hipolito, Tara Coyote, Melissa Griffiths, Deslynn Jaquias, Lesley Van Staveren, Ally Kelly, Annette Densham, Elizabeth Grace, Susan Jarvis, Sandy Soerjadhi, Karen Gibson, Rena Scott, and Laura Peña.