Mrs. Giles was born and raised on Lake Helen Reserve, an hour Northeast of Thunder Bay, ON.  She is married to Paul Giles and a mother to 3 adult children. She is a graduate of Executive Office Administration and Human Resource Management. She has several years of experience as a Senior Administrator and as a Human Resource Practitioner. Her interests have included kickboxing, marathons, mud runs, women’s cycling team and most other athletics.  In addition to owning/operating two businesses, she spends her ‘spare’ time, as a volunteer in the Kidsmin at Redwood Church, as Board Director of Magnus Theatre, a member Anti-Racism Accord – Chamber working group and most recently a Board Member of Thunder Bay Ventures.

Melissa and her husband Paul started Hardy Giles Consulting, a First Nations consulting and training company over 11 years ago.  The company specializes in developing “outside the box” innovative approaches and solutions for training, planning and other specialized projects.  They built on that experience to create ORIGIN a company that works together with job seekers, Aboriginal communities and employers in Northern Ontario to enable Indigenous workforce participation. Our work involves engaging, connecting, enabling and transitioning Indigenous people and employers for current and future labour market opportunities in diverse sectors. ORIGIN’s “First-People-First” process, involves engaging, enabling, connecting and transitioning Indigenous people and communities for current and future labour market opportunities.

ORIGIN just recently launched their National Advisory Council as well as their innovative, experiential learning VR Modules. These 360 modules are a tool used give the individual the opportunity to experience what it’s actually like to ‘work’ in that given choice of career, underground mining and line technician for example. Melissa is excited to see their modules nationwide.

Melissa has a passion to help women find and love their ‘true selves’.  Once in a position as a single mother and limited education, she appreciates some of the barriers women face today.  Melissa believes women must always be there for each other and not break one another down. There are enough barriers out there for women without having to fight each other. “Together we are strong”. She wants to help carry on her late grandmother, Agnes Hardy’s love of her people and empowerment of people whenever, however she can.