Melissa Kjolsing

Managing Director

Melissa Kjolsing is the Managing Director of AscendRural, where she leads the organization and shapes the strategic direction of its impact to support rural communities. She leads the organization’s vision and strategy, guiding programs and partnerships to advance equitable, affordable access to innovation and deliver sustainable solutions to rural America.

Prior to joining AscendRural, she served as an executive at Reema Health, a community-based behavioral health organization supporting Medicaid and D-SNP members through dedicated care teams and proprietary engagement technology. Reema Health partnered with national and regional health plans to reach and support some of the hardest-to-engage populations.

Previously, Melissa was Chief Commercial Officer at Cludo, a B2B SaaS company specializing in site search. She led global sales, partnerships, and marketing teams across the U.S., Denmark, and England, while also overseeing U.S. operations.

Her most formative professional experience was co-founding and leading Recovree, a behavioral health technology startup focused on engaging individuals with substance use disorder through a mobile platform. Recovree’s customers included the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and Schwan’s Food Company.

Melissa has played a significant role in advancing Minnesota’s startup ecosystem, with a focus on supporting underfunded and underrepresented entrepreneurs. She led MN Cup—the nation’s largest statewide startup competition—for five years, scaling the University of Minnesota program and positioning it as a cornerstone of Minnesota’s entrepreneurial community.