Building Tomorrows

Building Tomorrows

MELANIE CAMPBELL

CEO, Newark Expeditor, M. Campbell Development, Living Well Equities

Melanie is the CEO of three businesses; that number is no accident. She likes to think of herself as a trifecta. She was a Hall of Fame shot putter in high school, began her career as an opera singer, and then pivoted to commercial real estate, creating the trifecta of sports, arts, and business.

Her positive, can-do mindset grew organically in her sports-focused family. Her dad was an NFL player, her mother a Hall of Fame track athlete, and all three of her sisters play professional basketball. As for her stint in opera? “Well, I was always the dramatic one,” she laughs.

During her five years of singing in Europe, she became very moved and inspired by the gorgeous buildings where she performed. After singing at Newark Symphony Hall, she felt Newark and its many building opportunities calling to her. She wanted to make a difference in the city and build the types of buildings she had fallen in love with.

“No matter what age you are or where you are in your life— you can pivot.”

Ms. Campbell got her license and began working in the commercial real estate industry. As an expeditor, she helped facilitate over a billion dollars’ worth of real estate in 2024, including the Halo— the tallest building in Newark—and the Hoyt Building. But she is also eager to help smaller developers create affordable housing. Those developers are not usually familiar with the labyrinth of City Hall and the requirements of paperwork and zoning. She can help them navigate the system.

She also longs to create buildings where the people of Newark can enjoy new experiences. When she sang at New Jersey Symphony Hall, she was moved by how opera was received by the audience. She is eager to bring more new experiences like that to the city.

Newark real estate inspired her, but so did the community. “It feels like a family here,” Melanie says. “I feel that my individuality is appreciated. You can sing, be an athlete, and be in real estate in Newark—it has so much to offer. You don’t have to pick one lane—but each lane can help you get where you want to go.”

FAVORITE NEWARK SPOTS:

NJIT, Rutgers, the Hoyt Building, and Newark Symphony Hall

I love all these buildings! I am inspired by them.