Melvin Anderson is an accomplished entrepreneur and community leader whose journey spans professional sports, corporate leadership, and mission-driven enterprise. A former wide receiver and punt returner for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Melvin transitioned from the NFL to corporate roles with IBM and MCI Telecommunications before dedicating himself fully to entrepreneurship and social impact.

In 1995, he launched Maximum Multi Services Co., creating jobs and strengthening communities. By 1999, he founded Youth and Families Determined to Succeed (YFDS), Inc., a nonprofit equipping families with health and developmental programs that enhance physical well-being, emotional resilience, and pathways to education. Under his leadership, YFDS has helped more than 300 young people attend college, securing over $25 million in scholarships while also expanding access to healthier lifestyles. Responding to community needs, he launched the Families 4 Health initiative in partnership with local clinics and the University of Minnesota—providing leadership programming and 21st-century skills that help youth thrive academically and socially.

As Vice Chairman of Grow House, Melvin advances the mission to expand access to equitable learning and development resources that strengthen academic achievement, build future readiness, and uphold the dignity of every youth and family served. He champions efforts to foster and sustain a growth-centered community that equips youth and families with the tools, relationships, and opportunities needed to achieve measurable success in school, the workplace, and through life’s transitions. Rooted in his Pittsburgh upbringing and guided by values of equity, education, and social justice, Melvin has dedicated his career to building platforms where families and youth can succeed.

From breaking records at the University of Minnesota to breaking barriers in business and community service, his entrepreneurial ventures have created hundreds of jobs and touched thousands of lives. A husband of 36 years, father of three Division I scholar-athletes, deacon, and church board chair, Melvin brings to Grow House the credibility of a proven leader who turns vision into generational impact.