Melissa Garcia
Pronouns: She/Her
Languages: English, American Sign Language
Melissa Garcia is a Founding Partner at Collective Entertainment. As a talent manager and consultant, she develops careers, and strategizes marketing initiatives in order to leverage her clients’ brands to grow their audiences.
Since 2011, she’s worked with numerous clients and companies across the music, sports, and skydiving industries as a project manager, day-to-day manager, tour manager, marketing/social media consultant, and marketing generalist. From 2020-2022, she served as Chief Marketing Officer of nonprofit organization #iVoted Festival where she worked with a team of over 200 volunteers to produce the largest digital concert in history, all in support of voter turnout.
A musician at heart, Melissa began playing the piano at the age of 6. She made the Florida All-State Band on the flute in high school and went on to study Music Performance at the University of Florida on both flute and piano where she performed in various ensembles and recitals as well as UF’s Orchestra and Symphonic Band. She sang in the Jacare Brazilian ensemble and was also a member of the Carillon studio, performing weekly at the top of the Century Tower on campus.
Music has played an integral part in Melissa’s life as a means to not only experience new things, but to also hone in on newfound skills and immerse herself in the process of learning. This led her to the sport of skydiving where she made her first jump in 2008 becoming a licensed skydiver through the United States Parachute Association. Still an avid skydiver today, it’s a passion that has translated over to indoor skydiving. Melissa also holds an FAA Senior Parachute Rigger certificate and worked as a test jumper for the research and development of new parachutes.
With a love for skydiving and a background in artist management, she began working with professional skydivers Performance Designs Factory Team in 2017. Originally founded in 2002, the PD Factory Team comprises some of the most renowned, decorated, and talented skydivers in the world. In 2022, Melissa served as Producer for their 20th Anniversary documentary and authored an article for the Parachutist about the project. Their 2014 documentary, Sky Jumpers, is available to watch on Amazon Prime.
Beyond music and skydiving, Melissa is a big proponent of mental health. In 2017, she completed a 300-hour yoga teacher training course, earning an instructor certificate from the Southern Institute for Yoga Instructors. She has since taught several classes such as Meditation, Yoga Nidra, Restorative Yoga, Alignment I and II, Alignment Flow, Myofascial Workshops, Pranayama, Core Yoga, TRX Yoga, Yoga Philosophy, and many more. To supplement her own practice, she took anatomy and physiology courses at Daytona State College to better understand body movement and function. In 2023, she received a Yoga Anatomy Certification through Yoga Medicine in partnership with Yoga International and also launched the Yoga on the Move podcast. This podcast offers meditations, yogic philosophy, flows, and interviews with industry experts to help listeners “find stillness in a world of movement.”
Melissa holds a Master’s degree in Music Business from NYU and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from UF.
Photo Credit: Robert J Carmody
