Melissa Knutson

Knutson with mentor Traci Galligan, Senior Vice President - Human Resources, NCMIC Group, Inc.

Knutson with mentor Traci Galligan, Senior Vice President - Human Resources, NCMIC Group, Inc.

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Melissa Knutson

Age: 38

Title: Vice president, risk operations, NCMIC Group Inc.

Family: Husband Zach Knutson and three daughters: Eve, 10; Brenlyn, 9; and Emmeline, 5

A reason why she is a Forty: She is the founder of Give Grace Give Hope, a nonprofit organization that serves low-income youth and homeless women by improving access to pads and tampons in all public restrooms.

What drives her: “I remember a time when I was 13 thinking, ‘You can get attention by working hard, or attention by getting in trouble.’ Luckily I chose the former. That choice still defines me, and drives me forward; once I achieve something, I’m innately driven to find the next hurdle to jump,” she said.

An interesting fact about Knutson: She enjoys reading nonfiction books that discuss the human experience.