Why Madison Is the Right Fit:

• She’s part of the community. Madison actively plays Pokémon GO and is attending a major Pokémon event in Miami next week, giving her direct insight into the culture, dynamics, and pressures Community Ambassadors experience.
• Expert in burnout prevention & sustainable leadership. Her work centers on helping people lead with clarity, compassion, and boundaries—precisely what volunteer ambassadors need as they navigate high expectations and community pressure.
• High-energy, interactive facilitator. Madison is known for creating dynamic, engaging sessions that blend storytelling, audience participation, and tactical tools—perfect for a global group looking for actionable takeaways.
• Specializes in psychological safety and human connection. She builds environments where people feel seen, supported, and empowered, which aligns directly with Scopely’s goals for its ambassador program.
• Proven thought leader. Featured in The New York Times, WSJ, Business Insider, Rolling Stone, and more, Madison brings credibility and a modern perspective on leadership and wellbeing.
• A natural fit for a first-time outside speaker. Madison’s warm, relatable style makes her ideal for groups who may not be used to professional speakers—she meets people where they are and makes the experience feel personal.
• Tools Ambassadors can use immediately. Her “Soft Leader Framework” offers practical, realistic habits that help volunteers protect their joy, energy, and mental wellbeing—supporting sustained engagement throughout the year.

Format: Moderated Conversation

Customized Session Title and Description:

Soft Leadership for Community Ambassadors: Preventing Burnout, Protecting Joy & Leading with Ease

Community leadership shouldn’t cost you your mental health.

Ambassadors often carry the weight of managing large, passionate groups while trying to “do more” for everyone else. That pressure can build up fast, especially when you’re volunteering your time.

In this session, participants will learn:

• How to identify early signs of burnout before it derails your motivation
• Strategies for leading diverse communities with clarity, confidence, and compassion
• How to set healthy expectations with your community,  without guilt
• Realistic self-care practices for volunteers (that don’t require a week off or a personality transplant)
• The “Soft Leader Framework”: small habits that protect your joy, your time, and your mental well-being
• How to stay inspired and engaged in the long term

This session blends storytelling, audience interaction, and tactical tools Ambassadors can use immediately, leaving them feeling energized, aligned, and ready to build healthier, more sustainable community experiences.

Why Melissa Is the Right Fit

• Deep expertise in burnout prevention and culture change. Melissa specializes in helping organizations and communities break out of “hero culture”—the exact dynamic contributing to volunteer burnout in the Community Ambassador program.
• Her approach matches Scopely’s needs exactly. She examines both explicit and implicit policies that fuel exhaustion, offering practical tools Ambassadors can use to reset expectations and reconnect with joy.
• High-energy, relatable, and memorable. Melissa is known for her dynamic, movement-based presentation style (yes, sometimes in roller skates!), making her ideal for a group looking for a fun, fresh, interactive session during a digital summit.
• Experienced with community-driven audiences. Her recent delivery of an abridged version of this talk at IAAPA—which also centers on high-pressure, high-engagement community environments—demonstrates her ability to connect with people who give a lot of themselves.
• Proven global communicator. Melissa has spoken to audiences from South Africa to San Diego and consistently earns praise for her warm, motivational presence and ability to create safe, energizing spaces.
• Highly credentialed leadership and coaching expert. With certifications spanning enterprise coaching, team coaching, Kanban, PMP, Dare to Lead, and more, she offers both professional depth and real-world tools that ambassadors can immediately apply.
• Human, humorous, and authentic. Melissa blends story, humor, and practical insights, helping volunteer leaders feel seen, supported, and inspired rather than overwhelmed by expectations.
• Tailors deeply to each audience. She has requested a short pre-session interview with a few CAs to ensure the talk speaks directly to their lived reality—something especially valuable for a group that has never brought in an external speaker before.
• Helps people reconnect to the “why.” Her work focuses on restoring clarity, courage, and connection—key ingredients for keeping Community Ambassadors engaged and enjoying the game and community they love.

Format: Keynote

Customized Session Description:

Exhaustion Is Not a Status Symbol

In many community-focused roles, there’s an unspoken idea that the more you take on and the more exhausted you are—the more committed or valuable you seem. That “hero culture” often grows out of implicit policies and expectations, even when no one says it out loud. Over time, it can turn volunteering or community leadership into something that feels heavy instead of energizing.

This session looks at burnout from the ground up by examining the explicit and implicit policies that shape our habits at the organizational, team, and individual level. We’ll explore how certain norms like constantly being available, saying yes to everything, or stepping in as the “fixer” can quietly reinforce exhaustion as a kind of status symbol.

Participants will leave with practical ways to reset expectations, create healthier rhythms, and shift away from hero culture toward sustainable, enjoyable leadership. We’ll talk through simple tools and mindset shifts that help maintain energy and protect the fun that drew you to this work in the first place.