Melissa-Marie K

Experienced executive support professional with a background spanning fast-paced startup environments, donor relations, and cross-continental stakeholder coordination across East Africa and Europe. I've supported senior leadership through high-growth phases, including a 5x team scale-up following a $23M seed round - and have managed complex, competing priorities across time zones, cultures, and organizational functions.

At my last role working at a Series-A Ethiopian-Dutch deep tech startup, I supported funder engagement that helped secure over €500,000 in donor funding, translating technical and operational detail into clear communications for external stakeholders. I currently serve as Chief Impact Officer at Klimani, where I manage partnerships, coordinate across technical and commercial teams, and represent the organization in investor and stakeholder settings giving me direct, current experience anticipating leadership needs and keeping fast-moving priorities on track.

I bring strong written and verbal communication, discretion with confidential information, and comfort operating independently in ambiguous, high-stakes environments.

Co-Founder & Chief Impact Officer, Klimani (2025–Present)

• Manage partnerships and cross-functional coordination between technical, commercial, and stakeholder teams

• Represent the organization in investor, funder, and stakeholder engagements

• Selected for Carbon13's 9th venture cohort (Cambridge, 2025–2026)

• Supported funder relations and donor engagement, contributing to €500,000+ in secured funding

• Translated technical/operational detail into clear communications for external stakeholders

• Achieved 60% conference follow-up conversion rate (SCA25)

• Supported leadership through 5x team growth following a $23M seed round

• Coordinated priorities and communications across a rapidly scaling organization

MA, Sustainability and Development Studies, University of York - Global Impact Master's Scholarship Awardee

I'm currently pursuing an MA in Sustainability and Development Studies at the University of York. I was awarded a Global Impact Master's Scholarship to pursue my postgraduate studies.