Melissa Woolford founded Nous in 2006 as an architecture gallery which has now become the Museum of Architecture. Nous Collaborative is a consultancy that grew out of an observation that architecture has the potential to grow out of the traditional working method into areas such as branding, marketing, design strategy and place-making. Woolford has worked with prominent brands and organisations such as Dove, Ocean Spray and Wild Turkey Bourbon.
Woolford has a M.Arch from Pratt Institute and an Undergraduate degree in architecture from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She worked as an architectural designer for Zaha Hadid Architects in London for three and a half years. Her knowledge of the profession, business acumen and her ever growing network of architects and designers allows her to create unique and successful projects. She continues to develop new business models and methods, working to expand the field of architecture by creating new opportunities and strategies.