Melanie was raised in the rural Central Valley of California, later studying Cultural Anthropology and Art at the University of California, Davis, where she learned to silkscreen with Malaquias Montoya, who became her mentor in the craft.

Melanie has worked in both agency and enterprise as a UX Designer and founded the Race After Technology Book Club. She has lived and worked in Honduras, Israel, China, and Australia, and is now based in California.