Melissa Koester

Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships

Project HOPE

Melissa Koester is the Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships at Project HOPE. In this role, she develops and manages corporate and foundation partnerships, supports emergency response efforts, and fosters collaboration across Africa, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the United States. Through strategic fundraising and partnership development, her work connects partners with purpose-driven initiatives that turn social investment into measurable health and humanitarian outcomes.

Melissa has more than 20 years of experience as an accomplished leader in corporate social responsibility and international development, with roles at Give to Get, Project C.U.R.E., and Crocs Shoes. Her passion for this work began early in her career at Crocs, Inc., where she built and managed the company’s first global social responsibility program, which distributed over 4 million pairs of shoes across 40+ countries and partnered with nonprofits, corporations, and influential public figures to amplify Crocs’ global reach.

Melissa specializes in aligning corporate values with community needs to strengthen health systems, support emergency response initiatives, advance equity, enhance brand reputation, and drive sustainable change.

A seasoned traveler who has spent time in more than 30 countries, Melissa brings a deep commitment to humanitarian impact and cross-cultural collaboration. She holds a B.S. in Physiology with a Minor in Communications from Purdue University.