Meet Melissa Harris

Facing a mountain of MBA student debt and with a newborn infant, Melissa Harris took the greatest risk of her life: She left the world of private equity to start her own company. Three years later, M. Harris & Co. has become one of the fastest-growing marketing firms in the Midwest, with more than 40 clients across the nation, from Stanford University to the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Melissa began her career as a journalist, capping 15 years in media as an award-winning business columnist for the Chicago Tribune. While earning her MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Melissa joined a real estate private equity firm, where as vice president of marketing she helped raise more than $70 million and launched its online investing platform. She can be reached at melissa@mharris.com.

Q+A

What inspires you?
Successful entrepreneurs. It's one of the reasons I left journalism for Origin Investments. As a business columnist at the Tribune, I was always writing about other people doing great things. And I eventually concluded that writing was a poor substitute for doing. 

Who do you admire?
My mother, Cheryl Harris, who at age 58 is getting her master's degree in nursing while working full-time managing a large hospital department. Former Chicago Tribune managing editor Jane Hirt, for taking a one-year "radical sabbatical" from work and during that period saying "yes" to every invitation she received. And my husband, Eric Lomonaco, who has so many passions, from running marathons to brewing kombucha. Participating alongside him in those activities when I can brings me a lot of joy.

What is your favorite place to travel to?
The Faroe Islands. My husband and I discovered them thanks to our subscription to National Geographic Traveler, which ranked the islands the best in the world in 2007. (Article attached.) The islands are a Danish archipelago located between Iceland and Norway, and its Nordic culture is as majestic as the landscape. My dream is for my daughter to one day spend a summer abroad here.

What scares you?
Quite frankly, missing a student loan payment. Getting an MBA was one of the smartest decisions I ever made -- I highly recommend it -- but student loans do alter one's appetite for risk, at least in the short term.

Who helped get you here?
Many people but among the most important is Tim Franklin, now CEO of the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank and owner of the Tampa Bay Times. Tim hired me three times, once each as editor in chief of the Indianapolis Star, the Orlando Sentinel and the Baltimore Sun. And he recommended me for my job at the Chicago Tribune, where he previously managed the sports and business departments. I encourage all women to find "their Tim" -- their sponsor, someone with the power to hire -- as early as they can in their careers.

Want more? Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.