Mellisa & the Iceberg
About Mellisa
Mellisa Heather Cain is the founder of Iceberg Consulting, LLC, where she works as a visual trainer, experiential educator, and facilitator. She designs and delivers creative, participatory workshops that center on group development, communication, engagement, and collective understanding. Mellisa brings a warm, inclusive presence to every space she facilitates, ensuring that participants of all backgrounds feel seen, heard, and empowered to contribute.
Her unique approach is shaped by a diverse background in community impact, conflict transformation, and the arts, blending structure with spontaneity and depth with play. She’s particularly skilled at helping groups move through complexity—making sense of big ideas through visual tools, shared language, and meaningful dialogue.
Mellisa has worked across cultures and sectors in more than a dozen countries, supporting educators, nonprofits, community organizations, and cross-functional teams. Since 2012, she has proudly called Burlington, Vermont home, where she continues to build bridges through creativity, collaboration, and visual thinking.
B.A.: Peace Studies, Manhattan College (Bronx, New York)
M.A.: Intercultural Service, Leadership & Management with a focus on Conflict Transformation, SIT Graduate Institute (Brattleboro, Vermont) *note: full-time, on campus
TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language): International Training Center (Prague, Czech Republic)
WOMEN’S SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM: Mercy Connections (Burlington, Vermont)
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS: Association of Experiential Education (AEE). Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), International Forum of Visual Practitioners
The Iceberg
The Iceberg Theory is a model used in conflict transformation that reminds us: what we see is only part of the story. Just like an iceberg, where the bulk of its mass—often over 75%—is hidden beneath the water, the root causes of conflict and community challenges often lie beneath the surface.
This metaphor is at the heart of my work.
Through facilitation, workshops, and community projects, I help groups look deeper. We move beyond the symptoms to explore the underlying systems, assumptions, and dynamics that shape what’s happening. Whether it’s addressing a community need or navigating a team conflict, the goal is to foster honest reflection, critical thinking, and collective problem-solving.
At Iceberg Consulting, we don’t just skim the surface—we dive beneath it, where meaningful change actually begins.