SOE Award Recipient
2020 • Professional Services •
Melissa Sayer
“Plan your work, and work your plan. Research as many elements of the business as possible and seek out thought mentors and leaders who can help you anticipate any challenges that might arise and manage realistic expectations. Look to women’s business organizations, like NAWBO and Women’s Economic Ventures, and take advantage of resources offered by these organizations. Write a business plan so that you have a living, breathing document that can become your guide. And, finally, sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump.”
Melissa's Bio...
For 25 years, Melissa Sayer has helped businesses and entrepreneurs of all sizes thrive. After working with top law firms in Silicon Valley and Ventura, she launched Matilija Law in 2016 to deliver practical and thoughtful counsel in an efficient manner suited to the needs of contemporary businesses including those in the water and agricultural sector. She strives to support the county’s environmental well-being by representing ranches that practice sustainable farming practices.
Through Matilija Law, Melissa provides pro bono legal advice to the nonprofit organizations Veteran Farmers of America and advises Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) and FOOD Share.
Melissa spends her downtime at her citrus and avocado ranch near Santa Paula and donates a portion of her crops to Food Forward, a nonprofit gleaning organization that works to feed our food insecure populations.