Investor, Growth Architect & M&A Strategist
Melissa Pegus is a Partner at the Future Economy Fund, where she invests in high-growth companies across commerce technology, healthcare, workforce development, and emerging industries. She also leads strategic advisory at Reitler Labs and supports the UpVentures Capital portfolio, sourcing opportunities that align with its mission of investing in people and companies that create more good jobs.
Before transitioning fully into investing and advisory, Melissa Pegus spent more than a decade scaling startups from pre-revenue to Series C growth, leading to eight successful exits.
She has deep experience as an investor, having served as Managing Director for Techstars Atlanta and New Orleans powered by J.P. Morgan, where she invested in and supported a portfolio of 80+ early-stage companies across commerce technology, consumer technology, and climate tech. Previously, she was a member of the investment team at Tech Square Ventures (TSV), where she sourced and executed new deals, provided GTM and fundraising guidance to a portfolio of 50+ B2B SaaS companies, and managed investment activity for the Engage accelerator in partnership with 15 Fortune 100 corporate partners.
Her expertise spans venture investing, M&A, go-to-market strategy, and strategic partnerships.
Beyond investing, Melissa is committed to fostering entrepreneurship and innovation. She serves on the Board of Directors for Entrepreneurs Across Borders, Music Heals International, and the Boyd Innovation Center.
She holds a B.A. in Government from Georgetown University.