Melinda Yee Franklin is a member of a global network of corporate, government, public, and private sector influencers and leaders. She has been twice named one of the most influential women in Bay Area business by the San Francisco Business Times.

She currently serves as the managing director of the Siena Group, a global consulting firm focused on business development and strategic partnerships. Before joining the Siena Group, she was the west region executive director of community engagement at J.P. Morgan Chase and managing director of corporate and government affairs at United Airlines, where she steered western regional corporate policy and crisis management. Her early career included ten years in federal and city government roles, including service in the Clinton White House and as senior advisor to the chief of staff, Office of the Secretary for the US Department of Commerce.

She serves on the boards of Apricus Energy Partners, the San Francisco Opera, the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, and Invest Ahead. She is an advisor to Hyde and Nerbio, both early-stage start-ups.

She holds a master of public administration from the University of Southern California and a bachelor of arts in communications from the University of California San Diego.