Design Economics Podcast (Season 2 | Episode 1)
Join host Vinny Tafuro and guest Dr. Melanie Sue Hicks, a workforce and employee experience expert with more than two decades of experience in organizational development and culture, for a conversation about workplace dysfunction and its broader economic impact. Today’s conversation focuses on the hidden costs of employee disengagement, drawing from Dr. Hicks’ research on psychological contracts and generational workplace dynamics. Dr. Hicks introduces the concept of “invisible snake bites” – the accumulated damage from unmet workplace expectations that costs the global economy $9 trillion annually.
About Dr Melanie Sue Hicks
Dr. Melanie Sue Hicks is a workforce and employee experience expert, author, TEDx speaker, and corporate trainer with a passion for helping organizations and individuals unlock their full potential. She currently serves as the Vice President of Programs for the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation. Over the course of her career, she has worked with hundreds of clients—including small to midsized businesses, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations—providing experiential, innovative solutions in strategy, organizational development, and workforce optimization. Her expertise has earned her recognition in major media outlets such as Forbes, NBC, and CBS, solidifying her reputation as a thought leader in her field.
Beyond her professional work, Dr. Hicks is a dedicated global philanthropist, driven by a deep commitment to fostering human connection and resilience. Her extensive travels have taken her to more than 45 countries, spanning over 120,000 miles, where she has contributed more than 2,500 hours to service projects ranging from educational initiatives to community development programs. These experiences have profoundly shaped her perspective on leadership, adaptability, and the power of service-driven transformation.
Dr. Hicks is the author of Incongruent: Travel, Trauma, Transformation, a travel memoir that explores resilience through the lens of adventure and service work. She is also the curator of Shaking Off the Ashes, a resilience-focused poetry collection. A writer from an early age—completing her first book at just 10 years old—she has since been published in numerous esteemed publications, including Forbes.com, Marie Claire, Authority Magazine, See Beyond Magazine, The District, and Doctor’s Life Magazine, among others.
About the Design Economics Podcast
The Design Economics Podcast explores how design thinking can revolutionize economics for the 21st century. Learn about the Institute for Economic Evolution’s three tenets of design economics and meet the pioneering thinkers who are shaping this approach. From challenging economic orthodoxy to creating human-centered solutions, explore how design economics is evolving economics to better serve humanity and the environment.
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