Vanessa Melendez

Vanessa Melendez is an institutional investor with over 20 years of experience investing for U.S. endowments, foundations, and private institutions. Her background includes senior investment roles at multi-billion-dollar endowments such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the University System of Maryland Foundation, and currently special investment work for the Cook Children’s Health Care System and private family offices. Vanessa is building institutional-grade blockchain investment solutions designed to integrate with traditional portfolios for institutional clients. 

Beyond endowment investing, Vanessa brings experience in investment decisions from every vantage point. She shaped capital strategy and sat on the Investment Committee as a Founding Partner at Zetland Capital, guided investment policy as a member of the Investment and Finance Committees of the Children’s Aid Society, and founded Accent Partners to serve companies, endowments, foundations, and private investment groups in the U.S. and Europe. She was recognized by Institutional Investor as a Rising Star of Foundations & Endowments, named a Milken Scholar by Michael Milken, and holds an AB from Harvard University.

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