Network = Networth
Join the "Network = Networth" podcast as The Networking Queen, Dalene Allen, interviews successful business professionals who share their stories of how chance encounters have led to meaningful relationships. Our aim is to highlight the importance of building connections and expanding your network, not only for business growth but also for personal fulfillment.
During each episode, our guests will discuss their background, what drew them to their careers, and the pivotal moments and connections that have shaped their success. We ask our guests to share their top tips for networking and building strong relationships to close each episode. Tune in to gain insights and inspiration for taking your own career and personal life to the next level!
Network = Networth
Engineering Connection: The Story Behind Gander Social
Melody Lumen is a seasoned software developer and entrepreneur who exemplifies the power of meaningful connections in transforming careers. Currently serving as Lead Software Engineer for Gander Social—a groundbreaking project to migrate the BlueSky codebase to a data sovereign platform in Canada—Melody brings over 8 years of technical expertise in backend development, having held senior roles at companies like Veritree Technology Inc., Guild Software Inc., and Alongside Inc.
But Melody's journey to tech leadership took an unconventional path that perfectly illustrates how relationships can reshape destinies. Starting her working life without higher education, she built her career through authentic connections and a commitment to excellence that consistently opened doors to unexpected opportunities.
Her entrepreneurial spirit led to founding MRL Digital Studio, a software development company focused on creating AI-enhanced applications in the neurodivergent assistant space. This venture emerged from a chance reconnection with a high school acquaintance—proving that meaningful relationships can resurface at just the right moment to catalyze new ventures.
Melody's career highlights include spearheading the transformation of a traditional security company into a progressive industry leader—the first guard service in North America to achieve ISO 9002 registration—while growing the organization from 50 to 500 employees. Her technical expertise spans PHP, Laravel, Node.js, TypeScript, Java, GO and modern development practices, but it's her ability to build authentic relationships and mentor others that truly sets her apart.
Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Melody continues to champion the philosophy that "who you know is more important than what you know," while proving that when you combine genuine connections with unwavering dedication to excellence, extraordinary career transformations become possible.
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