Melissa Faloncer

Founder of M. Falconer

Melissa first picked up painting as a hobby in 2014 while studying economics. In what she describes as Black pop art based on Black culture, Melissa’s goal is to see more Black art and artists in the mainstream art industry. By 2017, she launched her business, M. Falconer, full-time – offering her paintings for sale.

But she needed a plan to monetize her work. Sure, she could sell paintings on canvas, but what else could she do to make her business model stronger? In 2018, Melissa enrolled in the BITS Boot Camp program, and with the help of her BITS mentor, she decided to also sell prints and apparel along with her paintings to diversify her income streams.

In 2019, Melissa was awarded the $5,000 BITS Bucks grant. This gave her much-needed capital to buy inventory, expand her offerings, and ultimately increase sales! Within a year, she was able to buy a specialized printer and hire a studio assistant to take care of in-house printing. Melissa now focuses her energy on her original mission: making more art that showcases representation and positivity.