Melissa Petros is Director of Philanthropy at the Milken Institute Asia Center based in Singapore. Prior to joining the Institute, Melissa was the Executive Director of Hagar International (Hong Kong), an international NGO dedicated to the recovery of women and children who have endured extreme abuses. She started Hagar’s Hong Kong office where she established new philanthropic partnerships with family foundations, multi-national corporations, and high net worth individuals in support of Hagar’s work in Asia. Before moving to Hong Kong, Melissa was the Industry and Corporate Relations Manager for the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, where she grew the Chamber’s membership and oversaw the strategic direction of the it’s 12 industry committees. Melissa started her career at the United Nations in Bangkok working on an anti-human trafficking project in the Greater Mekong Sub-region where she supported the regional communications team in creating publications, a project website, and a regional training program for government officials. She holds a Master of Public Administration degree in International Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy from New York University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.