Melissa Garza, known as “Sharkie” to her closest friends, is a 38 year-old filmmaker, entrepreneur, and Democrat who grew up in Anaheim, CA. After graduating California State University, Fullerton, she earned her MFA in Film Production with an emphasis in Digital Arts/Motion Capture from Chapman University, in Orange, CA. She worked in the visual effects industry on the films Avatar, Tron: Legacy, Night at the Museum 2, and The Adventures of Tintin. She also worked on the family friendly theme park attractions Donkey Live!, Dora & Diego’s 4D Adventure Catch that Robot Butterfly, and Madagascar: A Crate Adventure. She has been living in Koreatown, Los Angeles since 2011.
In addition to her work on big budget Hollywood films and high profile theme park attractions, Sharkie has worked on Public Service Announcements for the California State Health Department's Non-Smoking Initiative, The LA River, and Kuumba Schule--a non-profit learning academy which nurtures creativity and emotional IQ within children.
Throughout her career she has advocated for children and young adults to further their education in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM). In addition, she strongly believes that emotional intelligence training should be an integral part of a child’s education at school.
Sharkie grew up with a lot of responsibility early on in her life. She had to assist in caring for her mute and special needs brother, one year her junior, especially after her parents got divorced when she was eleven. Since her brother does not have a voice, she has never been afraid to use hers! She advocates that everyone use their voice and not take it for granted. She encourages everyone she meets to stand up for themselves and not to let others take advantage them.