Melanie Mills is senior director for social sector engagement at Big Society Capital, where she leads the organisation's work to support social enterprises to engage with social investment.

Formerly CEO of Social Enterprise West Midlands CIC, Melanie led it from a publicly funded project to a sustainable social enterprise through four years of trading and growth. With a background of 20 years in retail Melanie has also deployed her commercial skills to run her own consultancy working with community organisations and charities to raise funds and to look at new ways of sustainable income generation. Melanie is particularly focused on busting the myth that social investment is just a London-centric activity and leads on Big Society Capital's work across the Midlands and North.

Outside her day job Melanie supports the sector in other ways and is the Social Enterprise Champion for Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP, and Chair of Governors at a rural primary school in Leicestershire.