Amber Melanie Smith is a speaker, award-winning nonprofit founder, and creator of Changemaker Cafe, a platform empowering everyday people to learn social impact basics. Through a growing online community of changemakers, speaking, and educational content, Amber helps people create their roadmap to a life and career that creates positive social change.
In college, Amber took off on a 3 month cross-country road trip with her best friend to volunteer in over 20 states. When she returned home, she launched Activate Good, a nonprofit that has since mobilized over 50,000 volunteers to help hundreds of causes. Amber’s writing about social impact, service, and leadership has appeared in Fast Company, the Philanthropy Journal, and other media. From 2017-2024, Amber served as a commissioner on the NC Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, appointed by NC Governor Roy Cooper. In 2019, Amber launched a YouTube channel to help educate changemakers on starting successful social impact organizations, which has since garnered nearly 3 Million views and reached over 64,000 people around the world.