Melissa Lukach

At Intellectual Ventures (IV), Melissa Lukach is known for shaping stories that resonate—inside the company and out. As Head of Corporate Communications, she partners with leaders of IV’s funds and business units to amplify achievements, clarify complex work, and connect IV’s inventive spirit to the audiences that matter. “IV hires smart people who check their egos at the door,” she says. “It’s a place where people roll up their sleeves, get great work done, and support each other.” 

Melissa’s impact shows up in moments of meaningful change, most recently leading a small, cross‑functional team to create a new website for the IV Lab and handling communications efforts for an office migration. Whether it's copy positioning or visual direction, Melissa helps IV tell its story with precision and momentum, demonstrating her blend of creative instincts and operational follow‑through. 

Her path to communications leadership reflects a deep, lifelong passion for media and brand storytelling. After early roles at top New York ad agencies, Melissa fulfilled a longtime dream in magazine publishing. She produced concerts for Rolling Stone, wrote celebrity interviews published in Us Weekly, played a pivotal role in the redesign of Garden Design to modernize its voice and aesthetic, and helped Saveur drive substantial growth and recognition. Those experiences taught her how to fuse editorial vision with brand strategy and deliver measurable business outcomes. 

Melissa’s craft was shaped at Syracuse University, where she majored in advertising and minored in psychology and art history—an interdisciplinary mix that sharpened both the analytical and aesthetic sides of her storytelling. Syracuse’s strong networking culture pushed her to seek out informational interviews and industry mentors early, habits she still values. Later, a move to Seattle brought her to Modernist Cuisine just as its groundbreaking five‑volume book was redefining culinary publishing—a “rocket ship” moment that deepened her love of nonfiction narratives and storytelling. 

At IV, Melissa embraces change with curiosity and pragmatism. She sees AI not as a threat to journalism but as a tool that, used responsibly, can enhance writing. Her leadership philosophy centers on empowerment and open ideation: “Create an atmosphere where every idea is welcome,” she says. She expects her team to challenge precedent, practice critical thinking, and pitch solutions to problems, to uncover the best approach. 

A lifelong learner, Melissa stays sharp by reading widely, listening to podcasts, and seeking out new processes and collaborators. She credits managers and mentors who have stayed in touch throughout her career for candid guidance and perspective—proof that great relationships compound over time. 

Her advice to aspiring leaders: “Go to your manager with suggestions and ideas. Even if they don’t come to fruition, it demonstrates you are thinking about the business beyond what has been asked of you. And, ask for what you want. Convey your interest in working on projects that excite you, even if you aren’t the obvious choice to work on them.” 

Beyond work, Melissa has fallen in love with Seattle’s food scene where she enthusiastically supports local restaurants and small businesses. She can be found swimming in the closet body of water, designing living spaces, and enjoying time outdoors with her family and dog, Laser Pizza—a name that exemplifies her humor and creativity. Melissa brings the same curiosity and creativity to her life outside the office as she does to her work, always seeking fresh experiences and new ways to tell a story.