American scientist, entrepreneur, published author, and corporate business strategist. Dr. Melanie Okoro is an expert in creating and building innovative business service offerings; as a strategist, powerhouse collaborator, and values-driven leader. Dr. Okoro leverages 20 years of experience as a scientist/entrepreneur, from co-founding and serving as CEO of Eco-Alpha Environmental and Engineering Services, Inc., a privately held firm, to launching the fastest-growing minority-women owned facilities services company in the U.S., Eco-Alpha. The brand boasts significant accolades as the Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award 2024.
A multi-hyphenate and UMBC GRIT-X speaker (Global. Research. Innovation. Trends. Excellence). Dr. Okoro is a highly sought-after voice in conversations about disruptive thinking strategies, accelerating growth without sacrificing values, inclusive organizational strategy, transformative leadership, and how to make a lasting and meaningful community impact.
Dr. Okoro has been featured in NPR KQED Perspective, American Scientist Perspectives, Scientific America Featured “You Should Know Scientist, among countless others. A committed thought leader and DEI advocate, Dr. Okoro served as a reviewer for the National Science Foundation (NSF), as an Early Career Scientist on the American Geophysical Union (AGU) council, and the board of Directors for the Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN). Currently, Dr. Okoro serves as Board of Trustee for the several non-profit organizations – Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce, Sacramento Splash, and Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth and Space Science (MS, PHD’s).
Dr. Okoro holds a doctorate in Marine Estuarine and Environmental Science from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Johnson C. Smith University, a Historically Black College / University.