Melanie Lang is a second year PhD student in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development in the Ontario Agriculture College at the University of Guelph. Her work is focused on intra-firm agency within rural innovation systems, community development and rural entrepreneurship. Melanie has spent her academic and professional career at Guelph with degrees from Marketing Management (BComm) and Marketing and Consumer Studies (MSc.) and is the Executive Director of The John F. Wood Centre for Business and Student Enterprise, housed within the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics.

Through her role as Executive Director, she mentors and coaches’ students to investigate and propose innovative and sustainable solutions to economic, social and environmental problems across all sectors of society. This in turn, empowers a new generation of business leaders committed to community engagement and a sustainable future.

Within the Guelph area, she has served on many boards and committees, including: Guelph Chamber of Commerce (currently Past Board Chair); Center Wellington Community Foundation; Givesome, Guelph Wellington Business Enterprise Centre; IMPACT! The Co-operators Youth Program for Sustainability Leadership; 4H Ontario Board; and Centre Wellington Co-operative Preschool. Melanie was named one of the City of Guelph’s ‘Top 40 Under 40’ in 2012 for her role as an educator and community developer and was recognized as a 2015 and 2016 YMCA-YWCA Woman of Distinction nominee for Education and Training and Business and Entrepreneurship.