Mel Fyfe (Moderator)

Co-Founder & CEO, Blakthumb

Sydney

Mel is a Co-Founder and the CEO of Blakthumb which provides an end-to-end controlled-environment agricultural (CEA) model. Blakthumb exists to build food security and urban resilience by integrating commercial-scale, sustainable food production into urban environments.

With Blakthumb, Mel leads the company and leverages her expertise in policy and planning, major projects, food systems and infrastructure development to create the framework to effectively enable controlled-environment agriculture in urban environments. Recently, Mel led the development of Blakthumb’s research report, Cities that Feed Us, which was developed to create an action plan to help Australia become global leaders in urban food production.

Mel has over 15 years in government and private sector Senior Executive roles. Her public sector career spans over local and state governments with roles in strategy, urban renewal, major project interfaces and leading major transport and infrastructure portfolios.

Mel holds a Bachelor of Arts and an Executive Master in Public Administration from the University of Sydney, and a Master of Planning from UNSW.