Melissa Taunton

Melissa Taunton is a Partner at New Enterprise Associates (NEA), one of the world’s largest venture capital firms. At NEA, she specializes in executive talent strategy, working closely with founders and CEOs to build and retain leadership teams and boards, and she launched the firm’s CEO leadership program, Invictus, to support top executives across the portfolio. Her sector focus spans technology and healthcare, leveraging deep operating experience in both industries to cultivate leadership for companies driving global impact.

Previously, Melissa held executive roles as Operating Partner at Khosla Ventures and as President of Drip Drop, Inc., an innovative oral rehydration business, after beginning her career in technology with positions at Qualcomm, Hewlett Packard, and Netopia. Her approach combines strategic talent management with operational insight, especially at the intersection of tech and life sciences, supporting growth-stage ventures scaling breakthrough innovations.

Melissa’s educational background includes an MBA (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of San Diego, undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and further coursework in international business and negotiations. Her notable achievements include developing NEA’s executive coaching initiatives and supporting the professionalization of entrepreneurial leadership in technology and healthcare sectors.