For the past seven years, Melisa Rillera has been a powerful champion for inclusion and opportunity at Hope Services. Starting her journey as a Community Support Facilitator and later promoted to Job Developer, Melisa has dedicated her career to building bridges between local businesses and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities seeking meaningful employment.

A proud Filipino-American and Bay Area native, Melisa feels a deep-rooted connection to Eastside San Jose—an area she credits with shaping her identity and values. “It raised me,” she says, describing her work as a heartfelt commitment to give back to the community that gave her so much.
Before joining Hope, Melisa spent several years teaching English abroad in New Zealand, Nepal, and Tibet—an experience that tremendously influenced her career path. “The time spent abroad helped shape my definition of happiness, which is spent in service to my community,” she shares. That clarity brought her home with a new mission: to serve others through nonprofit work, especially those often overlooked in society.

In her current role as a Job Developer, Melisa works tirelessly to change the narrative around inclusive hiring. She spends much of her time in the community, forming relationships with local employers, breaking down stigma, and showing how inclusive employment enriches businesses and lives.

“It’s not about the number of no’s,” she says. “It’s about that one yes.”

Beyond her work at Hope, Melisa is also an “ocean warrior” at heart. She finds joy and purpose in the water and gives back through organizations like Surfer Healing, Operation Surf, and Waves of Grief—all of which use surfing as a therapeutic outlet for people with disabilities and veterans. Her passion for the ocean and for healing aligns with her personal and professional values of compassion, inclusion, and empowerment.

What Melisa treasures most about her role is the opportunity to develop genuine relationships with local businesses and creatively match program participants’ skills with real job opportunities. Her ability to lead with heart, authenticity, and a service-driven mindset makes her an invaluable member of the Hope Services team—and a true advocate for equity in our communities.