Melina Polly
Marketing & Brand Consultant
at self
I build brands that drive business and shape culture. Over the past two decades, I’ve helped shape some of the most iconic names in tech and consumer — Apple, Airbnb, Adidas, and Headspace — and co-founded a purpose-led DTC startup from the ground up.
I’ve led marketing and creative organizations from startup to scale, teams from 2–350 people, managed global P&Ls, launched integrated campaigns, managed cross-functional teams, and guided companies through high-stakes moments including IPO. I’ve also built in-house agency models for Apple and Airbnb — bridging brand vision with operational execution and global delivery.
Career highlights include:
- Building and leading Apple’s international advertising through the iPhone and App Store era, creating a global agency network and leading all campaigns
- Leading Airbnb’s post-IPO brand transformation and scaling global marketing
- Co-founding Henry Rose, the first EWG and Cradle to Cradle certified fragrance brand (DTC/omnichannel)
- Repositioning Headspace to bring meditation into the cultural mainstream
Operating Expert Rating
Articles by Melina Polly

Building Product Without Knowing Code With Adam New Waterson
In a deep dive into AI-driven product development, Adam New-Waterson, a former CMO turned Chief Product Officer and now solopreneur, shared how non-technical founders can harness the power of AI...

How To Build An Automated Sales Outreach Engine For Startups with ColdIQ
Many B2B startups (and even larger organizations) are unable to be successful with their outbound sales strategy because they take a lazy, “batch-and-blast” approach. In a recent Mucker Growth Series...

Navigating the AI Sales Tools Landscape To Grow Your Startup With Blue Bowen
We had the privilege of hosting, Eugene “Blue” Bowen, Research Principal from G2, one of the leading software marketplaces and review sites that cover a broad range of B2B solutions....

Compensation Benchmarks for Early Stage Startups with Peter Walker
In this Mucker Growth Session, Peter Walker from Carta reviews insights and compensation benchmarks for early stage startups gathered from Carta’s extensive dataset of nearly 50,000 startups. In the evolving...

Legal 101 For Startups with Amanda Busch
In this Mucker Growth Session, Amanda Busch, General Counsel at Mucker, discusses the legal basics founders should consider when building their startup. Link to Slide Content: Mucker Growth Series –...

Buyer Journey Framework – The Secret To B2B Go-To-Market Success with Tony Yang
In this Mucker Growth Session, Tony Yang, Head of Growth at Mucker, walks through using a buyer’s journey framework to improve your customer’s experience and your conversion rates. Common Buyer...