About Nesta

Nesta is an innovation foundation. For us, innovation means turning bold ideas into reality and changing lives for the better. We use our expertise, skills and funding in areas where there are big challenges facing society.

Melani Oliver

Alumni

Abi Burrett Adam Fletcher Adam Lang Adam Price Alexandra Burns Alex Bishop Alex Porter Alice Casey Alice Clay Alicia Alli Alicia Weekes Alli Suddaby Amy Richards Amy Solder Ana Florescu Andrew Schein Andrew Whitby Andy Stevenson Angharad Dalton Anna Baty Anna Dinnen Anna Keleher Anna Keuchenius Anna Nicholl Anna Schlimm Anna Williams Annette Holman Annie Finnis Antonio Lima Antony Declercq Assaf Frances Athina Balopoulou Augustina Sol Eskenazi Babs Lewis Bas Leurs Bea Karol Burks Belinda Moreau-Jones Ben Gill Benjamin Norsworthy Benjamin Reid Bhavik Doshi Brenton Caffin Caitlin Turner Camilla Bertoncin Carla Ross Carole Keating Caroline Back Caroline van den Berg Carrie Deacon Catherine Chambers Catherine Russell Cath Sleeman Celeste Salas Celia Hannon Charles McIvor Charli Dickenson Charlotte Goujon Charlotte Macken Chris Gorst Christina Cornwell Christina Cromeyer Dieke Christine Owen Christopher Burnett Christopher Haley Christopher Williamson Chrysostomos Meli Claire Churchill Claire Renard Cleo Fatoorehchi Constance Agyeman Damian Hebron Daniel Berman Daniel Corredera Daniel Farag Daniel Kraemer Danielle O'Riordan Dan James Dan Jones Darryl Chamberlain David Altabev David Pitt-Watson Denise Van Blitterswijk Dimitris Sarsentis Dominika Cazamea Donna Gaywood Eddie Copeland Ed Parkes Edward Butcher Edward Wray Egle Juospaityte Eibhlin Ni Ogain Elani Buchan Eleanor Dowding Elena Oyon Elena Sabatini Eleonora Corsini Elina Gaillard Eliza Easton Ella Dorfman Ella Duffy Elle Wolfhagen Elliot Trevithick Elsie Till Emily Bicks Emily Morrison Emma Clarence Emma McFarland Emma Quinn Emma Renowden Emma Selinger Emma Sutherland Emma Taylor-Collins Emyr Williams Esther Flanagan Eva Grobbink Felix Szabó Filippo Bianchi Fiona Anderson Fionnuala O’Reilly Florence Engasser Francesca Bria Francesca Cignola Fran Sanderson Gail Dawes Gary Fawdrey Geetika Kejriwal Geoff Mulgan George Windsor Georgia Midson Georgia Ward Dyer Georgie Whiteley Georgina Innes Gigi Tennant Gillian Easson Giulio Quaggiotto Glen Mehn Glen Walker Greg Falconer Haidee Bell Halima Khan Hamdah Abdi Hannah Owen Hannah Picton Harry Armstrong Harry Farmer Haru Majengwa Hasan Bakhshi Helen Drury Helen Gironi Helen Goulden Helen Sadler Helen Wales Heshani Jayaratne Hessy Elliott Hilary Simpson Hollie Brennan Hugh Adams Huma Haque Ian Danby Imran Nazerali India Kerle Irina Ulcica Isaac Stanley Isabella Blatter Isabel Newman Isabel Stewart Isa Kolehmainen Isobel Roberts Isobel Scott-Barrett Issy Gill Izzy Romilly Jackie Brennan Jackie McKenzie Jack Orlik Jack Pilkington Jacqueline del Castillo James Gardiner James Hynard James Oriel Jason Mollring Jed Cinnamon Jennifer Clayton Jenni Lloyd Jenny Gibson Jenny Prosser Jen Rae Jeremy Kingsley Jesper Christiansen Jess Daggers Jess Hoare Jessica Bland Jessica Clark Jessica Febvre Jo Casebourne Jocelyne N'guessan Joel Klinger Joe Ludlow Johanna Ejbye John Davies John Gibson Jonathan Bamber Jonathan Breckon Jon Kingsbury Josh McNorton Joshua Ryan-Saha Josie Gurney-Read Joysy John Juan Casasbuenas Juan Mateos-Garcia Julia Suter Julie Simon Julie Taylor Juliet Ollard Jullie Tran Graham Jyldyz Djumalieva Karen Blackwell Karoliina Helkkula Kasia Murphy Katarina Furlan Kate Adams Kate Bower Kate Farrell Kate Simpson Kate Sutton Katherine Stevenson Katherine Zscharnagk Kathleen Stokes Kathryn Geels Katie Mountain Katja Bego Katy Rutherford Kelly Duggan Kersten England Khyati Modgil Kimberley Ballantyne Kim Shillinglaw Kirsten Bound Konstantinos Stathoulopoulos Ksenia Zheltoukhova Kuranda Morgan Kyle Usher Larry Ryan Laura Bunt Laura Murria Laura Quinton Laura Scruby Lauren Orso Lena Patel Liam Collins Libby Kinsey Lily Fish Lindsay Levkoff Lynn Liz North Lorna Edwards Lou-Davina Stouffs Louisa Shanks Louise Endersby Louise Foreman Louise Marston Lubaina Manji Luca Bonavita Lucile Stengel Lucy Bayliss Lucy Hawkins Lucy Heady Lucy Makinson Lydia Nicholas Lydia Ragoonanan Lynette Lucas Maeve Croghan Mahmoda Ali Mairi McKay Mandeep Hothi Manish Miglani Marc Newall Mariam Mohamed Salah Marieke Goettsch Mark Griffiths Mary Cruse Mat Hickman Mathilde Gouin Matthew Gatehouse Matthew Hull Matt Mead Matt Payne Matt Stokes Meera Chadha Meesha Patel Meghan Benton Melissa Wong Michael Harris Michael Mann Michael Soto Michelle Eaton Mike Herd Mireya Alvarez Molly Williamson Morbhen Rattray Nadia Bettega Nandra Anissa Naomi Davies Natalya Wells Nathan Kably Nevena Dragicevic Niall Shannon Nick Moore Nick Webb Nicola Tulk Nicole Barling-Luke Nihad Ahmed Nyangala Zolho Oliver Cansdell Oliver Patel Oliver Quinlan Olivia Allen Olivia Chapman Oli Whittington Olly Arber Omolara Olusola Orpa Haque Oscar Townsley Parth Avlani Patricia J Lucas Patrick Taylor Paulina Gonzalez-Ortega Paul Mackay Pedro Beirao Perrie Ballantyne Peter McColl Peter O'Neill Philip Colligan Piers Linney Pippa Coutts Pippa Smith Polly Redfern Rachael Bull Rachel Chatterjee Rachel Green Rachel Nye Rachel Shapcott Raj Chande Rajwinder Cheema Richard Duffy Roberta Sgariglia Robert Jamieson Robin Speedie Rosalinda Baker Rosalyn Old Rose Minshall Rosie Farrer Rosie Reynolds Rowena Young Russell Winch Ruth Kern Ruth Puttick Ruth Watson Ryan Schecter Sally Bridgeland Sally Zlotowitz Sam Mitchell Sarah Holliday Sarah McGeehan Sarah Mcloughlin Sarah Reardon Seemanti Ghosh Seva Phillips Shae Harmon Shane Murphy Shoubhik Bandopadhyay Siddharth Bannerjee Simona Bielli Simon Brindle Simon Morrison Sinead Mac Manus Sir John Chisholm Sohum Patel Sonia Tanna Sonja Dahl Sophie Kendall Sophie Mckechnie Sophie Reynolds Stefana Broadbent Stefan Kelly Stef Garasto Stella Rosen Stephen Bradley Stian Westlake Svetlana Karadimova Sylvia Lowe Tamar Ghosh Tandi Williams Tara Hackett Tatham Crawford-Lennox Thea Snow Theo Bass Theo Keane Theo Knott Theo Stopard Thomas Beevers Tim Plyming Toby Baker Tom Kenyon Tom Saunders Tracy Long Triin Edovald Trishna Nath Valerie Mocker Veronika Dohnalova Vicki Purewal Vicki Sellick Victor Gimenez Victoria Boelman Vijay Thakrar Vincent Straub Wallis Grant Wayne Holmes Will Bibby Xan Goetzee-Barral Yannis Pierrakis Zoe Jacob Zofia Jackiewicz

Melani is a Director in the Innovation Lab specialising in local government and public service innovation.

Before joining she worked as a senior manager in education and children services in various local authorities, most recently in Reading Borough Council which is typified by high levels of intergenerational poverty and worklessness sitting alongside prosperous wealthy communities.

She has managed a broad range of services including adult education, early years, youth services, parenting and early intervention, schools services and has led on large projects such as restructuring councils departments. 

Between 2010 and 2012, Melani led Reading Council's work with Nesta and the Innovation Unit as part of the Transforming Early Years programme, applying the Radical Efficiency approach to deliver better outcomes at lower costs.  This developed from a focus on early years services to a wider plan to transform the council's relationship with citizens. 

Melani trained as a social worker in the late 1980s early 1990s having been inspired by research she had carried out in Liverpool after the riots in the early 1980's.  Melani completed a Masters in Leadership in Public Organisations with Distinction in 2011.

She is particularly interested in early intervention, and how by changing professionals behaviour and attitudes can result in improved success in breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty.  She has advised a wide range of councils and other organisations on transformation and innovation.