Just start! Listen to today's teaser episode with Melissa Mitchell, one of our guest speakers at The Black Women Thrive Summit happening on June 8th. www.blkwomenthrive.com Melissa A. Mitchell is a powerhouse and a prominent artist closing critical gaps in art, technology, and fashion worldwide. In just eight short years, the self-taught artist has earned international recognition and the attention of many high-powered and leading brands. As an artist and designer, she utilizes her ideas and creations to heal people through the happiness that only creating can bring. A global deal with Foot Locker, winning a Ford Explorer from a global contest/campaign, a global deal with SPANX, and features in Forbes and Vogue (design worn by Lupita Nyong’o) only scratch the surface of her accomplishments. Her company, Abeille Creations (ABL), is unique and easy to identify, and Melissa’s impact is undeniable. She is a proud graduate of Florida A&M University, holding a bachelor’s degree in public relations and a minor in graphic design. She also earned a master’s degree in public management from the elite institution. She cultivates her philanthropic reach through the college and as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Born in Miami, Florida, her childhood consisted of finding her voice and being free to express herself through fashion and creativity, even as one of three children of two pastors. Her parents were always very supportive, and her father celebrated her style and influence up until his last days. She began to paint as a way to grieve and come out of a dark space, and the result has been light and good energy for her customers. She has created over five hundred original art pieces and forty larger-than-life murals. Other notable features and partnerships include ESSENCE Magazine, Black Enterprise, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Huffington Post, Peloton, Cadillac, Microsoft, Pepsi, CNN, The Home Depot, MARTA, and countless others. Her signature headwraps are textiles that still hold beautiful life and have been worn on Tabitha Brown, Amara La Negra, Yandy Smith, Karen Civil, Rebecca Gross, and more. She is also the author of a coffee table book, Views from My Kaleidoscope and an interactive coloring book, Color & Manifest.
Melissa has collaborated with Champs Sports and Nike Ill-ustrated for a sneaker exhibition during Miami Art Basel, Jack Daniels’ Art, Beats and Lyrics showcase, and ESSENCE Magazine’s ‘My City, 4 Ways' tour stop in Atlanta to display her talent and eagerness to help others live in true color. She has been called to distinctly curate collections through collaborations with Cantu Beauty, Village Market ATL, MyKilim, Natt Taylor, Art Meso, and others. From her stellar wins and opportunities and desire to take Abeille Creations much further, she was also the 2021 inaugural member of Hennessey’s “Never Stop Never Settle Society,” an initiative for Black entrepreneurs to gain deserved recognition for creating change. Additionally, she released a thirteen-piece apparel collection with Foot Locker, sold in select stores and online.
The masses listen to any message she gives because she produces greatness almost daily while being kind and expressing gratitude constantly. Along with her other phenomenal business ventures, Melissa is an official TED TALK speaker through TEDx CollierHeights. The mind of Melissa is sharp and sure to continue to magnify the excellence placed in her to be a household and international name. The heart of Melissa is one of the best, and she pours it so graciously into her work and people, producing a needed change in this world.
