Mel Brennan

Change Agent, Concerned citizen, Educator/Teacher, Global soul, Idea generator, Parent, Social entrepreneur

Mel has led women and men for over thirty years, in higher education and in impact non-profit organizations; From university teaching to location-based entertainment, from court compliance to service design thinking that focuses nonprofits on real KPIs as well as critical global governance reform, he brings local-to-global experience from across multiple business sectors to bear in the forging of great results, culture, partnerships, insights and solutions. Mel’s leadership has been both diverse and deep, leading as a member of the executive teams of cutting edge nonprofits like Thread, Inc. in Baltimore, and serving in the C-Suite of institutional ones like the YMCA Movement in MD and NJ; he served as Deputy Director of the Office of Compliance Consultants at Rikers Island, as statewide VP of the programs and networks for Maryland Food Bank and as CEO of the Fuel Fund of Maryland. He began his professional career with The City of New York as a Confidential Investigator with the Civilian Complaint Review Board, then spent time in general management for for-profit endeavors like Sega GameWorks, WWFE and the Walt Disney Company, where he focused of games, attractions and restaurant development. A transition to governance, academia and thought leadership saw global opportunities to help those in need and critique the worldwide workings of sport while working for FIFA, CONCACAF, and the University of Stirling (Scotland, UK). Mel returned to the USA in 2005 to teach at Towson University and curate the first TEDTalk in Baltimore City, TEDxBaltimore, in 2011. He earned degrees in Political Science and History from McDaniel College in 1996 and pursued a PhD (ABD) focusing on sport and human rights while attending and teaching at the University of Stirling. Mel lives and loves at home with his wife Laurel, three children, and one rescued dog; his motto was handed to him by his father: “every single thing educates; are you student enough to listen and learn?”

The National Basics. We Don't Have Them. Demand a Permanent Platform; a Nation That Works.

Forget popular public personalities. Forget political parties. What are the fundamentals - the national basics - that make up the reasons to have a nation at all? All these comprise A Permanent Platform, and our focus is on elevating all who commit to the National Basics for all. Let's Make A World that Works.

Ken Robinson, Majora Carter and James Howard Kunstler...then I couldn't get enough! That led to becoming the Lead and Curator for TEDxBaltimore in 2011...I hope to get to a TED some day.

working with AI