Melissa Saavedra serves as the Director of the Office of Entrepreneurship within the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), where she leads statewide efforts to strengthen Nevada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and support business growth. In this role, she is focused on expanding access to resources, fostering innovation, and creating pathways for entrepreneurs to successfully start and scale their enterprises.

Prior to joining GOED, Melissa served as Deputy Director of the Office of Small Business Advocacy (OSBA) within the Nevada Lieutenant Governor’s Office, where she played a key role in supporting Nevada’s small business community. During her tenure, she served as the primary point of contact for Northern Nevada and assisted more than 500 small businesses in navigating licensing, funding, and regulatory processes.

Melissa brings over a decade of experience in publishing and media, having previously served as Associate Publisher and Senior Business Development Manager for the Northern Nevada Business Weekly (NNBW). There, she led Nevada’s only business-to-business newspaper while building strong partnerships with regional organizations and agencies.