Melissa (Mel) Zisengwe, Program Manager

Cape Town, South Africa (via Zimbabwe)

Melissa manages the development and implementation of People Powered’s capacity-building programs. Mel is responsible for planning, designing, and managing accelerator programs’ content and activities, as well as integrating People Powered’s resources, tools, and materials into these programs. Her work focuses on programs and activities that help and empower governments and organizations globally adopt more equitable and inclusive participatory democracy programs. Mel draws on her background and expertise in digital democracy and civic tech to help governments and organizations adopt and improve their digital participation efforts. 

Before joining People Powered, Melissa worked as a program officer for the Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN), a network that brings together the African civic tech community. She has also worked as a program assistant and collaborations coordinator for Code for All, and as a research fellow at the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA). Melissa holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and linguistics from Rhodes University and a master’s degree in tech policy and regulation from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Outside of her work, Melissa enjoys swimming, dancing (Bachata), learning new languages, and reading.