Company: Zipline, San Francisco, CA
Nomination Submitted by: VSC
Company Description: Zipline is the only platform purpose-built to drive field team enablement. Powered by communication and real-time insights, Zipline helps field teams understand company priorities and take action on urgent initiatives. while also surfacing data that coaches employees to better performance.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Female Entrepreneur – Business Products –11 to 2,500 Employees
 Nomination Title: Melissa Wong, CEO
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the achievements since July 1, 2020 of the nominated woman, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the spaces below:
- Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 194 words used.
Melissa Wong is the Co-Founder and CEO of Zipline, the all-in-one field operations and communications platform powering retail’s top brands such as Sephora, Speedway, American Eagle Outfitters, Gap Inc. and dozens more.
After working in corporate communications at Gap Inc. and Old Navy for over a decade, and experiencing firsthand the communications blind spot that exists between HQ and field stores, Melissa created Zipline to drive efficiency for brands and higher levels of engagement for associates.
Melissa’s vision to support millions of retail workers has been backed by leading venture capitalists, including Emergence, Serena Williams’ venture firm, Serena Ventures, and Fifth Wall. To date, Zipline has raised $30M Series B and is used by over 70 retail brands worldwide. Named one of Inc. 5000’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies of 2021, Zipline has helped customers experience a 130% increase in sales execution and millions of dollars in labor savings annually.
Today, only 8.2% of CEOs in the Fortune 500 are women. As a female founder of color, Melissa is passionate about fostering diversity. Zipline is Great Place to Work-Certified in both the US and Canada and 100% of Zipline’s employees trust her as a leader.
- Outline the nominee's achievements since July 1 2020 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 247 words used.
For the past two decades, Melissa Wong has been passionate about changing the way retail workers navigate their jobs. Melissa knows, from experience, that working in retail can be challenging, so she created this technology to help people achieve their goals. By giving employees the information they need to execute, Zipline streamlines a frontline employee’s daily work and brings them closer to the company’s vision, driving efficiency and impact across all store locations.
In proactive business moves, Melissa helped Zipline raise a $30 million Series B finance round in March 2021, led by Fifth Wall. This came after a momentous year of more than doubling Zipline’s customer count with zero churn, converting 100% of pilot accounts and expanding into new regions and languages.
In September 2021, Melissa was named one of RIS Influentials’ Top Movers and Shakers of 2021. This award honored the Top 10 Movers and Shakers in Retail, highlighting executives that shaped the industry and their companies through the strategic use of technology.
Because of Melissa’s commitment to fostering diversity in the workplace, Zipline was also named a finalist for Digiday’s Worklife Award for Most Collaborative Culture in October 2021, which honored Zipline’s commitment to diversity in the heart of the pandemic.
Melissa embodies a philosophy focused on communication and engagement—the same principles built into the Zipline platform—employees feel a closer connection with their brand and mission and find more success at work. Her leadership style incorporates a communication-based approach, fueling Zipline’s ongoing successful innovations.
- Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 241 words used.
Creating Zipline based on her personal experience working in retail, Melissa recognizes the plight of the store associate and the complexity of the industry. Today, she strives to create clarity and alignment in an industry where these factors are crucial to employee happiness and brand success.
Zipline understands associates bring their best selves to work when they know their company’s vision and how their individual work impacts company goals. That’s why Zipline connects the work that store employees are being asked to do to the greater goals of the brand. But, connecting employees to a mission or vision can be elusive for companies, especially those with distributed brick-and-mortar locations. It requires a perfect blend of organizational alignment, agility and employee engagement. These elements have been baked into Zipline’s mobile operations platform to make the lives of retail employees more zen.
Over the past year, Melissa’s dedication to improving retail workers' lives resulted in tangible outcomes for the employees and their businesses' bottom line. Righting these wrongs was central to Melissa’s development of Zipline. With Zipline's platform, retailers including Gap, Sephora and Rite Aid made clear investments in their workforce to nurture them to success.
In November 2021, under Melissa’s leadership, several of Zipline’s customers were recognized on Fast Company's Brands that Matter list. Among these include Allbirds, Warby Parker, Old Navy and Nike, which were all able to effectively pursue impact-driven campaigns amid the pandemic while retaining and empowering their workforce.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 32 words used.
2021 Inc. 5000: https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=277962
2021 Fast Company World Changing Ideas: https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=273507
2021 Digiday Worklife Finalist for Most Collaborative Culture: https://digiday.com/awards/the-2021-digiday-worklife-awards-shortlist/
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