Melissa Heffner is the associate director for Georgia Tech's VentureLab and a co-director of the CREATE-X Female Founders program. As coach for CREATE-X Startup Launch, an adjunct instructor for the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps program, and a lead instructor for Georgia Tech's I-Corps South Node, she has taught the lean methodology to over 400 startup teams. In 2020, Melissa co-developed and co-founded the Female Founders program to provide a space for women-led entrepreneurial teams to explore a first business model, engage with an all-female coaching team, interact with successful female entrepreneurs, and receive non-diluted funding. The Female Founders initiative is in response to the need for more equitable opportunities for women entrepreneurs on campus.