‍Melissa Bernstein is an entrepreneur, creative, and working mother of 6. As co-founder of the wildly successful toy company Melissa & Doug, she has spent the last 30 years helping children discover themselves, their passions, and their purpose. In 2020, after her own personal journey of self-discovery and acceptance, Melissa founded Lifelines. Through Lifelines, she is using her creativity and imagination to reinvent well-being products and experiences to help adults strengthen their resilience, stay grounded, and unlock their full potential. Melissa has also recently published her memoir, LifeLines: An Inspirational Journey from Profound Darkness to Radiant Light.

In this episode of Intersections, Prof. Hitendra Wadhwa has a conversation with Melissa Bernstein on the topic “Building a Billion Dollar Business While Dealing with Depression.”

When we face inner turmoil, some of us go on a downward spiral, shutting down all possibilities of finding inner peace, balance and happiness.

Is there an alternative way, a way where we turn such moments of vulnerability into unique strength? Could a time of depression translate into our greatest creative expression, in service of ourselves and our community? How does one build a billion dollar business while struggling with existential depression for three decades?

“I have been in an existential meaning crisis my entire life. I have been trying to find a way that I can leave the world a little bit better than when I entered it…and that salvation came in turning my internal chaos into tangible form by creating things.”

Melissa Bernstein

This episode offers key insights on:

• The source of our greatest creative expression, even in times of our greatest depression

• What brings true meaning and purpose in life, and how to channel our inner turmoil into inner strength and happiness

• And the key to forging a winning path in our entrepreneurial journey, even in the most unfavorable conditions