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
California
DTC (Direct-to-Consumer), HealthTech & BioTech, Other
Brand developmentmarketing

Operating Expert Rating

Articles by Melina Polly

Compensation benchmarks and equity insights for early-stage startups

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

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...

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...

Scroll to Top