How a life-changing diagnosis kick-started a passion for clean suncare for Brandi Corbello ‘11

Brandi Corbello’s career has been marked by an attuned sensitivity to the needs of others, a deep desire to feed her curiosity, and a healthy dose of determination. Her journey has taken her from the volleyball court at Thomas More University, to boardrooms in the tech industry, and now to the forefront of the sunscreen industry with her new company, Melan.

 A former outside hitter for Saints Volleyball, Corbello graduated from Thomas More in 2011 and began her career in management consulting. Gaining experience in organizational transformation, strategic visioning, and customer experience, Corbello quickly advanced to leadership roles, earning a C-Suite position at tech startup Indico Data.

However, it was an unexpected diagnosis in 2019 that would propel Corbello into her newest venture and passion project. Learning at the age of 30 that she had stage three melanoma, Corbello’s life took a turn as she started a journey of healing and discovery.

“Once I got that diagnosis, I really started thinking about what I put in and on my body. I got super obsessed with my daily SPF, which I hadn’t been previously,” Corbello says. “My curiosity led me to talking to chemists and manufacturers around the U.S., just to get an understanding of how it’s made, what it’s made up of – with no intention of starting a sunscreen company.”

Corbello says she became even more motivated after traveling to Europe and seeing high-quality suncare products on the shelves that were more accessible to consumers than back home in the U.S.

“Any of the ‘clean’ products you see in the U.S. are not very accessible; You’ll spend like $44 for 5.5 ounces. That’s a lot, right? That’s not very accessible,” Corbello asserts.

With extensive research and professional experience working with startups under her belt, Corbello founded Melan, a clean sunscreen company, with products launching in the summer of 2024.

Starting Melan didn’t come without some speedbumps, though. Corbello says she was initially set on another name for her company, but a trademark dispute forced her to rebrand.

“I thought about it that ‘m-e-l-a-n’ is short for melanoma, but also could have a play or like a pun on actual fruit. Melons have a rind that protects them; melons, once you get into them, are hydrating and nourishing. All of those things are actually what the product does,” Corbello says.

With a catchy tagline—”protect your rind”—and a logo symbolizing the sun with inverted melon seeds, Corbello’s brand embodies both playfulness and purpose. In a nod to where it all started, Corbello has pledged 5% of the proceeds from every purchase to the Melanoma Research Foundation, the largest organization dedicated to accelerating melanoma research and community advocacy.

Beyond creating a successful business, Corbello says she is passionate about educating consumers on the importance of sun protection and dispelling common sunscreen misconceptions. She challenges the notion that a higher SPF equates to better protection, and emphasizes the need for manufacturing formulas that are both effective and safe for consumers.

Reflecting on her journey, Corbello offers advice to current Thomas More students: be curious.

“Be curious about what you want to do, what motivates you, and really dig in and dig in deep. Ask questions, create a network effect, and make sure you put people around you who can help you truly understand a topic that you’re really curious about.”

To listen to the full Saints Spotlight interview with Brandi Corbello, click here.