Organizational Behavior Scholar & Leadership Expert; Vice Dean at UVA Darden School of Business; Author of "Inclusion Unlocked"

Charlottesville, VA, USA
Live Event: Please Contact Virtual Event: $30,000 - $50,000 More Fee Info

Melissa Thomas-Hunt Biography

Melissa Thomas-Hunt is a scholar, administrator, and leader whose career spans academia, corporate leadership, and public policy. She serves as vice dean and senior associate dean for the residential full-time MBA program at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, where she also holds the title of John D. Forbes Distinguished Professor of Business Administration. Additionally, Thomas-Hunt is a professor of public policy at the University of Virginia Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and a senior global fellow at the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School.

Thomas-Hunt's expertise centers on organizational behavior, leadership, team dynamics, and negotiations. With more than 25 years of experience, she has taught MBA students and executives at institutions including Cornell University Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management, Washington University Olin School of Business, Northwestern Kellogg School, and Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Her research examines the factors that enable and amplify the contributions of individuals—particularly women, underrepresented individuals, and numerical minorities—and has been published in journals such as "Organization Science," the "Journal of Applied Psychology," and "Management Science." Her scholarly work has been recognized with the Darden Wells Fargo Research Award.

In the corporate sector, Thomas-Hunt served as head of global diversity and belonging at Airbnb, where she led the strategy and execution of the company's global diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging programs. She previously held the role of vice provost for inclusive excellence at Vanderbilt University, advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion across the university community. At Darden, she served as global chief diversity officer, led the Women in Leadership executive education program, and was the founding academic director of the BRAD Lab. She continues to serve as an external senior advisor at Airbnb, focusing on research related to connection and belonging.

Thomas-Hunt is the co-author of "Inclusion Unlocked: A Guide for Leaders to Act," a book co-written with Dev Modi and Marc Woods that provides business leaders with a practical roadmap—including the Inclusive Leader Scorecard model—for building inclusive organizations. The book draws on firsthand accounts from CEOs, chief people officers, and chief diversity officers to offer strategies for fostering belonging, psychological safety, and innovation. Thomas-Hunt serves on the boards of UKG, Airbnb.org, and the Boys and Girls Club of Central Virginia, reflecting her ongoing commitment to community and inclusive leadership in business and education.

BOOK Melissa Thomas-Hunt

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 10/13/2026.

Melissa Thomas-Hunt Speaking Topics

  • Closing the Pay Gap

  • Bias in Corporate Management

Read More +

Melissa Thomas-Hunt Videos

Grounds to Listen -  Melissa Thomas-Hunt

Grounds to Listen - Melissa Thomas-Hunt

In this episode of Grounds to Listen, Dean Ian Solomon talks with Professor Melissa Thomas-Hunt about her new book, "Inclusion Unlocked - A Guide for...

Get to Know UVA Darden Professor Melissa Thomas-Hunt

Get to Know UVA Darden Professor Melissa Thomas-Hunt

University of Virginia Darden School of Business Professor Melissa Thomas-Hunt is an expert on leadership, team dynamics and negotiations and has...

Melissa Thomas-Hunt, Airbnb: Bringing together academics and practitioners

Melissa Thomas-Hunt, Airbnb: Bringing together academics and practitioners

In an interview at the 2020 Berkeley Haas Culture Conference, Melissa Thomas-Hunt, the Head of Global Diversity and Belonging at Airbnb, reflects on...

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Melissa Thomas-Hunt is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Closing the Pay Gap, Bias in Corporate Management, Bargaining & Negotiations and Ending Gender Discrimination at Work. The estimated speaking fee range to book Melissa Thomas-Hunt for your event is available upon request. Melissa Thomas-Hunt generally travels from Charlottesville, VA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Pat Wadors, Deanna Singh, Cynthia Marshall, Carin Taylor and Crystal Kadakia. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Melissa Thomas-Hunt for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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