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

Annual Financial Planning Best Practices for Startups with Debbie Rosler
In this Mucker Growth Session, Debbie Rosler from Burkland reviews best practices for building a startup annual financial plan. Objectives of Financial Planning for Startups There are 6 key objectives...

Creative GenAI Applications to Fuel Early Stage Startup Growth with Rosemary Brisco and Bob Mitton
In this Mucker Growth Session, Rosemary Brisco and Bob Mitton, renowned consultants in the AI field, focus on how startups can utilize AI to enhance growth and efficiency across various...

How To Identify Key Product Metrics To Unlock Value For Product-Led Startups with David Jesse
In this Mucker Growth Session, David Jesse, Senior Product Advisor & Coach at Prodify with prior product leadership experience at DoorDash, Groupon, and eBay, focuses on aligning your product metrics...

Managing Complex B2B Sales Motions for Startup Founder-Led Sales with Luke Welch
In this Mucker Growth Session, Luke Welch, owner of Luke Welch GTM Consulting and former VP of Global Marketing Solution Sales at Salesforce, focuses on the challenges and best practices...

How to Kickstart Content Marketing at Early-Stage Companies with Dennis Shiao
In this Mucker Growth Session, Dennis Shiao, founder of marketing agency Attention Retention, walks through how to make an impact with content marketing even when you have limited budget and...

How to Improve Your Team’s Performance and Prevent Burnout with Glenn Gow
In this Mucker Growth Session, CEO coach Glenn Gow discusses improving your team’s performance and preventing burnout. PDF of Glenn’s presentation slides Right Now, Things are Hard On any given...