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Peter Mello – Managing Director & coCEO

Peter Mello

I am the Managing Director at WaterFire Providence & coCEO.

I believe in the power of art to change people’s lives and add vibrancy to communities and feel fortunate to work at WaterFire Providence, one of the most visible manifestations of the Creative Capital. Each year WaterFire creates $113 million in economic impact for the community, generates $9.3 million of direct tax revenue for the State of RI and City of Providence, and supports 1,294 jobs for local residents. WaterFire is art that builds community!

I joined the WaterFire Providence staff in March 2011 to co-lead the organization with Barnaby Evans, creator, and executive artistic director. After 20 years as a business executive with experience working in NYC, Boston, San Francisco, St. Louis and London, I entered the nonprofit sector as the executive director of Tall Ships America, where I launched the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE, a series of tall ships races and port festivals that annually rotates around ports on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts and Great Lakes of North America. On my watch, the CHALLENGE visited 36 North American cities attracting over 10 million spectators to waterfront neighborhoods and creating over $400 million of economic impact for host communities. I founded Sea-Fever Consulting LLC a leadership development and strategy consulting firm, and am also the founder and editor of Weekly Leader, a blog and podcast about the latest leadership news, views, and best practices.

I am a life-long mariner, photographer and hockey player.