Melissa Acosta is the Founder & CEO of Cultural Spark LLC, a boutique consulting firm. She delivers consulting, workshops and keynote sessions on cultural agility and competence.

Melissa has presented at MPI’s World Education Congress (WEC), MPI’s Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID), the Amex GBT Supplier Interaction Summit, the medical industry, and the Wedding International Professionals Association (WIPA).

Alongside her consulting and speaking work, Melissa holds active IATA accreditation, enabling her to source venues, negotiate contracts and manage both corporate and leisure travel. She brings more than 25 years’ experience in the global hospitality and meetings industry, including her time at American Express Global Business Travel as a global account executive, where she specialized in international venue sourcing and contracting.

Melissa also serves on the Board of Directors for MPI South Florida as Vice President of Education and President Elect for the 2026 board slate. She holds an MA in Business Administration and is a Certified Cultural Intelligence Facilitator. Outside work, she enjoys travel, cycling and family life with her husband and two children. Melissa is a Hispanic Latina of Honduran heritage and bilingual, with Spanish as her native language.