Melissa Bernstein & Doug Bernstein

Melissa and Doug Bernstein are co-founders of the toy company Melissa & Doug, which has created over 5,000 children’s products and sold billions of dollars of toys since its inception. Raised by educators, the Bernsteins started the business in their garage in Westport CT in 1988, and they’ve been on a mission ever since to provide open-ended, inventive, non-technology playthings for young children.

The Bernsteins also started Lifelines in 2020. Melissa has spent the last 30 years helping children discover themselves, their passions, and their purpose through open-ended play. Now, after her own personal journey of self-discovery and acceptance, she is using her unparalleled creativity and imagination to reinvent physical and experiential well-being products to help adults strengthen their resilience, stay grounded, and unearth their purpose.

Lifelines partners with companies and organizations to destigmatize mental health and create ecosystems where individuals can show up as their authentic selves. In doing so, they give individuals the tools they need to support their own well-being and the well-being of others.

Through an alignment with some of the world’s most renowned experts in this space, their immersive workshops and experiences combine Melissa’s authentic story with cutting-edge science to guide participants in developing a well-being practice. Participants learn more about themselves, connect to their purpose, and overcome barriers that are inhibiting them from achieving their full potential at work, and beyond.