Melissa Brogdon is Co-Founder and CEO of FourthParty, a justice technology company that increases access to mediation services so that people can resolve legal conflicts outside of court.

Proud to hail from Oakland, Melissa was raised by an incredible role model - her great grandmother. Despite opportunities to stay local for college at Berkeley, she followed the urging of a mentor and went to Spelman, a premier HBCU in Atlanta. Emerging from undergrad with confidence and curiosity, Melissa was initially a teacher, but ultimately pursued a successful career in the nonprofit sector. But then came the opportunity to work with her partner and husband to build his law practice. It was there that Melissa saw firsthand the impact of mediation, AND the clear needs mediators had. And so FourthParty was born.

Melissa has a great story. You’ll want to listen in.

In this episode Melissa and Dan discussed:

Growing up in Oakland
Her journey from teaching to philanthropy to entrepreneurship
How the pandemic drove an explosion in the need for mediation
When she found out she was part of the first Google for Startups class
Why "first" isn't always best

OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:

Founders Live

the global venue for entrepreneurs to experience events, content, and community.

Check out founderslive.com to join and to find a live event near you.