Melissa Gonzalez

Transforming promising companies into extraordinary ones.

Design Entrepreneurs NYC is a free hand selected “mini MBA” program created in 2011 through a partnership between FIT and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). It provides designers with the business acumen, resources and community to grow their companies.

XRC Labs is an innovation accelerator for the next generation of disruptors in the retail and consumer goods sectors.

A joint venture between Founding Sponsor organizations Kurt Salmon and the Parsons School of Design at the New School, we have created a first of its kind design-centric innovation ecosystem for the retail and consumer goods industries.

Reimagining the future of commerce with insights and predictions from external thought leaders. Exploring new technology, discoveries and attitudes driving disruption and innovation. #NewWaytoEngage

Founded to increase the recruitment and retention of women students in the Smeal College and to create an environment in which the women of the Smeal College can come together to discuss personal and professional issues pertinent to women in the corporate world.

Gramercy District, the Intelligent Living Platform, is planned for multiple uses that include: residential, retail, office, hotel and a hightech business center. The 22 CityLink Smart City In-a-Box platform will be embedded in the fabric of the development. The project is a $500+ million mixed-use development with 2.5 million square feet of space. It is the first “smart city” in the region and one of the first in the country. The goal is to merge technology with real estate and create an… Show more

Gramercy District, the Intelligent Living Platform, is planned for multiple uses that include: residential, retail, office, hotel and a hightech business center. The 22 CityLink Smart City In-a-Box platform will be embedded in the fabric of the development. The project is a $500+ million mixed-use development with 2.5 million square feet of space. It is the first “smart city” in the region and one of the first in the country. The goal is to merge technology with real estate and create an environment that continuously adapts to the people who are living, learning, working, shopping and playing there. Shoppers’ smart phones may automatically feed them curated deals in the nearby shops; restaurants may automatically recognize and reward their best customers; and business intelligence could be applied instantly to help solve any problem that may arise—the possibilities are endless. Especially as multiple technology companies including Microsoft have agreed to partner on the Smart City development.

Recent press:
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2016/11/28/freshgramercy-district-renderings-and-a-new-big.html? Show less

An experience technology company that revolutionizes the way brands and consumers connect with each other.

Storefront.com is an online marketplace for short-term retail space, enabling brands to launch short-term pop-up shops, by unlocking the best of the 1.6 billion vacant square feet of retail space in the continental U.S.

Recent press: http://techcrunch.com/2014/04/14/storefront-7-3m-spark-capital/

For Fall-Winter Fashion Week 2014, Mash+Studio & Native LDN tapped the Lionesque Group as the event planner for the first beauty-industry pop-up shop that only accepted social posts as currency. Who's who in fashion influence visited the shop, including Song of Style and Louise Roe. Over its three-day run, the Tweet Shop garnered thousands of social posts, created 40+ million impressions, and got covered by dozens of top-tier media publications, including Elle, Vogue, TIME Magazine and… Show more

For Fall-Winter Fashion Week 2014, Mash+Studio & Native LDN tapped the Lionesque Group as the event planner for the first beauty-industry pop-up shop that only accepted social posts as currency. Who's who in fashion influence visited the shop, including Song of Style and Louise Roe. Over its three-day run, the Tweet Shop garnered thousands of social posts, created 40+ million impressions, and got covered by dozens of top-tier media publications, including Elle, Vogue, TIME Magazine and Mashable. The Marc Jacobs Tweet Shop was awarded Fashion2.0 2014 Best Twitter and the 2014 CLIO image award for Experiential Engagement.

Relevant Links:
http://www.adweek.com/sa-article/clio-image-creative-vision-always-style-157423
Show less

Lionesque Group teamed up with Sunshine Sachs for the Ariana Rockefeller Retail Experience Store. The All-American women's lifestyle brand founded in 2011 by Ariana Rockefeller is defined by Ariana’s personal style, which she describes as “effortless, classic and comfortable.” Over it's one week run, the shop garnered coverage from the elite in fashion and lifestyle including WWD, Elle, Gotham and more.

During our 18 month project, LionesqueStyle.com launched over 60 emerging brands in the fashion & beauty verticles. We delivered a marketplace, via an exclusive and proprietary vendor app, the gave access to what's fresh and unique in independent design. Some of our top selling brands included Susan Hanover Jewelry, Heather Belle Handbags, The One Dress and Sandra Baquero designs.

Relevant Press:
Time Out NY "Top 10 Online Shops"… Show more

During our 18 month project, LionesqueStyle.com launched over 60 emerging brands in the fashion & beauty verticles. We delivered a marketplace, via an exclusive and proprietary vendor app, the gave access to what's fresh and unique in independent design. Some of our top selling brands included Susan Hanover Jewelry, Heather Belle Handbags, The One Dress and Sandra Baquero designs.

Relevant Press:
Time Out NY "Top 10 Online Shops"
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/shopping/top-ten-local-e-commerce-sites

ABC Chicago features "Melissa's Must Have Accessories"
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=resources/lifestyle_community&id=8239178

WPIX features Melissa Gonzalez for "Favorite Brands Made in America, 2012 & 2011"
http://www.wpix.com/news/morningnews/wpix-made-in-america-070412,0,7011380.story Show less