Before co-founding TrueBridge Capital, Mel was a founding member of the UNC Management Company which manages the endowment of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and various other North Carolina based institutions. At UNCMC, Mel was a Vice President in charge of portfolio management for several portfolios including the firm's venture capital, private equity, real estate, energy and natural resources, and distressed debt portfolios.

Prior to his career at UNCMC, Mel spent several years in the private equity industry as a successful venture-backed entrepreneur and an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Commonwealth Capital Ventures in Boston.

He began his career as a graduate of GE Capital's Financial Management Program and served as a member of GE's Corporate Audit Staff.

Mel received his MBA from Harvard after receiving a BA in Economics with Honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.