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CEO and Co-founder | Green Loop Marketing
Melanie Allen oversees Green Loop Marketing’s creative team and is responsible for client success. She grew Green Loop’s revenue 146% during the pandemic, and the company recently landed its fifth out-of-state client. But Allen’s idea of success includes maintaining a hyper-local focus to fulfill her passion for helping Indianapolis’ creative economy and serving culture-centric clients in the same breath. “Marketing can sometimes feel like an unappreciated industry, but what keeps me going is the blend of creativity, strategy and building relationships with outstanding clients doing meaningful work,” she said. Those making an impact locally with Green Loop’s help include the Parks Alliance, IndyHub, Devour Indy and the Indy Arts Council. “Melanie is a dynamic, innovative and passionate business owner. Referring to her business as ‘small’ is a misnomer. It is a powerhouse, just like her,” said state Sen. Andrea Hunley.
Getting here: Allen cut her teeth in startup and not-for-profit spaces, developing “the grit and scrappiness to run my own business.” During the first few years of operations, she focused on client relations and management. When her business partner stepped away from Green Loop, Allen took over as CEO. Her deep commitment to community involvement keeps her connected to the like-minded people she wants to work with.
First job: Cashier at a lawn and garden center
Givebacks: Board member, PATTERN and Indianapolis Cultural Trail; director of communications, CreativeMornings; volunteer, 2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials Host Committee; advisory board member, Create.Connect.Collab.
Influential moment: “The memory of a former boss reacting to news of an employee’s pregnancy has consistently influenced my approach to leadership,” she said. “This brief moment more than a decade ago showed me the exact type of leader I didn’t want to become. Instead, I approach my colleagues with kindness and consideration, and I’m careful to respond rather than react.”
Advice: “No one knows your capabilities except for yourself. There will always be naysayers who doubt you, discourage you and are determined to minimize you. But at the end of the day, you’re who is in control.”•
Check out more Forty Under 40 honorees.
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