Melissa’s creative talent was apparent at a young age and her mother adeptly harnessed this talent by teaching her to design and sew at the age of six. A native of Richland, Washington, Melissa was later drawn to the Wenatchee Valley with a fast pitch scholarship offered by Wenatchee Valley College. After completing her business degree at Eastern Washington University, she returned to the area and began sewing and designing bags as a hobby. When demand for her creations grew, she began selling her products online and doing home parties.

When not designing bags, Melissa can be found tackling many of the business functions behind Borsa Bella, or on the ice, lending her athletic ability to the Wenatchee Banshee’s ice hockey team. Melissa also dedicates volunteer hours to her son’s classroom and enjoys scrapbooking, making jewelry, quilting and cooking.