Meet Our Hiring Experts
Do Good Connections is supported by collaboration with the following leaders and project partners:
Melissa Madzel
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Melissa is the Founder and Principal of Do Good Connections, a boutique talent advisory focused on strengthening nonprofit and philanthropic boards and leaders through strategic recruiting. This work is built on the foundation of Melissa’s experience leading and supporting executive searches during tenures with Koya Partners/Diversified Search Group and Axis Talent Partners over the past decade.
Melissa is a frequent speaker, writer, and advisor, often serving as one of few executive search voices in partnership with nonprofit leaders and funders around intentional and effective transitions to support leaders of color. Melissa’s search roster has included board placements with organizations including Proteus Fund, Public Welfare Foundation, and Nathan Cummings Foundation, as well as CEO/Executive Director and executive staff placements with organizations including Building Movement Project, CHANGE Philanthropy, Decolonizing Wealth Project, Hewlett Foundation, and Foundation for a Just Society.
Earlier work in Melissa’s experience includes roles with UNICEF USA, Safe Horizon, and City Year New York. She proudly sits on the Board of Directors for Stonewall Community Foundation, currently in the office of Vice President.
Melissa holds a Masters in Social Work from the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services and Theater Performance from Northeastern University. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her wife and two children.
Shavon Bell
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Shavon is a candidate-centered talent sourcing consultant with over a decade of experience connecting talented professionals who represent the global majority with transformative roles in mission-driven organizations. Her commitment to equity and excellence has made her a sought-after partner for organizations aiming to build teams that reflect the diversity and values of the communities they serve.
Shavon launched her career at Berklee College of Music, where she developed a passion for talent discovery and recruitment. Her journey includes leadership roles such as Vice President, Executive Search at Koya Leadership Partners, Executive Recruiter at HubSpot, and Senior Talent Advisor at Offor Talent Group, demonstrating her versatility and expertise across sectors and organizations.
In her consultancy practice, Shavon curates highly qualified candidate pools that set the stage for impactful hiring decisions. Her zone of genius is crafting innovative, equity-driven sourcing strategies that transform the recruitment process, ensuring that clients gain access to top-tier talent while optimizing time and resources.
Melanie Damm
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Melanie is a multi-faceted recruitment operations expert committed to leveraging her experience for good. Having worked within the nonprofit sector since 2006, Melanie has managed large-scale recruitment and employment initiatives at the Taproot Foundation, Summer Search, and Relay Resources. She also previously worked as a Search Consultant at Koya Leadership Partners.
During the 2020 protests following the murder of George Floyd, Melanie initially launched her consulting practice as a mutual aid collective, after meeting scores of like-minded individuals and employers who lacked the resources to connect to each other during a time of great economic disruption.
Today Melanie works specifically with smaller social, racial, and environmental justice organizations seeking their next generation of leadership. She understands that recruiting is never one-size-fits-all and enjoys challenging traditional norms and beliefs around the hiring process.
Abe Taleb
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Abe has over a decade of experience in nonprofit talent, first as a founder of ReWork, then as a Managing Director at Koya Leadership Partners. His professional interests meet at the intersection of social enterprise, policy innovation, and racial justice. Abe has placed over 250 professionals at organizations, including Acumen, iCivics, The Omidyar Group, Sierra Club, Supermajority among many others. Abe focuses on non-executive search, from Analysts to Director of Operations, and everything in between.
Let’s find your next leader
Do Good Connections offers a high-touch, people-centered approach to recruiting executive directors and CEOs, board members, and other key leaders.