Melissa Nong

With a background in entrepreneurship, technology, and mission-driven research and innovation, Melissa loves to turn big ideas into real-world impact. As Co-Founder of Panbo AI, Melissa pioneered a community loyalty platform across Philadelphia, assisting over 70 small businesses from emerging community markets to established commercial corridors. Beyond the software, her startup also worked with businesses 1:1 in digital transformation, branding, marketing, and data analytics, combining cutting-edge technology with the understanding that effective solutions must speak the language of shop owners who are too busy serving customers to decode technical jargon.

Her perspective is shaped by an international education in Vietnam, South Africa, and Argentina, and research on climate change and sustainable food systems in the Galápagos; these experiences prepared her for her role as intern Director of Community Relations at The Community Grocer, where she forged over 30 partnerships with community organizations, demonstrating her ability to build coalitions, foster empathy across different cultures and communities, and translate vision into action.

A first-generation Vietnamese-American, her mission is inspired by her family's neighborhood nail salon business, built in pursuit of the American dream. This childhood shaped her calling: to translate across the economic divide, making digital tools accessible so small business owners can thrive with dignity, independence, and the freedom to create life on their own terms.

Melissa graduated in the Class of 2024 summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a major in Global Health and minors in Political Science and Anthropology. Her work has been recognized as Temple University's "Better Philadelphia" 1st Place Winner and as a finalist for Penn's President's Innovation Prize. Her favorite things to do in the world are learning how to cook different cuisines, backpacking around the world, and snorkeling with sea lions.