{"id":"melanie-shapiro","title":"Melanie Shapiro","content":"**Melanie Shapiro** is the co-founder of Token, a startup based in Rochester, New York, focused on revolutionizing identity verification through advanced wearable technology. Shapiro has played a pivotal role in the development and leadership of Token, which aims to enhance security in the digital landscape with its innovative products. Her efforts have been instrumental in addressing key cybersecurity challenges, particularly in the sphere of user authentication and identity management. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-6AI4uMy0TqqhQhOv) [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-95ibniiRM0JdmtD5)​\n\n### Education\n\nMelanie Shapiro received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Rochester Institute of Technology, where she studied from 2003 to 2007. During this period, she participated in several student and academic organizations, including Zeta Tau Alpha, Order of Omega, Rho Lambda Honor Society, and Gamma Sigma Alpha.\n\nBetween 2007 and 2008, Shapiro completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing at Rochester Institute of Technology. She was also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma during her graduate studies.\n\nShapiro later attended Henley Business School, University of Reading, where she completed a Doctorate in Consumer Behavior from 2009 to 2013. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-6AI4uMy0TqqhQhOv) [\\[6\\]](#cite-id-o5eVL7dDUfYZKB21) \n\n### Career\n\nMelanie Shapiro has worked in the fields of technology, entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, and education. Her professional experience includes positions in business, research, academia, and nonprofit organizations.\n\nMelanie Shapiro has worked in the fields of technology, entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, and education. Her professional experience includes positions in business, research, academia, and nonprofit organizations.\n\n#### Early Ventures and Digsby\n\nIn 2007, Shapiro co-founded Digsby (dotSyntax, LLC), a messaging platform that combined multiple communication and social networking services within a single application. She remained with the company until 2010. Digsby was acquired by Tagged, Inc. in April 2011.\n\n#### Academic and Research Roles\n\nBetween 2008 and 2010, Shapiro served as an Adjunct Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology. From 2011 to 2012, she worked in a research role at Microsoft.\n\n#### Token\n\nShapiro founded Token in 2014 and served as the company's Chief Executive Officer until December 2021. The company, based in the New York City metropolitan area, developed technologies related to digital identity verification and authentication.\n\nAmong its products was the Token Ring, a biometric smart ring that incorporated fingerprint-based authentication. The device was designed to provide access to digital credentials and identity-related functions through biometric verification.\n\nToken's technology combined authentication, access management, and identity verification features within a wearable device. The system stored biometric information on the device itself rather than in external databases.\n\nThe company received funding from multiple investors, including a $1.75 million investment from New York Ventures. In 2019, Token was involved in litigation related to allegations of financial irregularities.\n\n#### Nonprofit and Advisory Roles\n\nSince January 2020, Shapiro has served as a Crisis Counselor for Crisis Text Line.\n\nIn April 2022, she joined the Board of Directors of Code to Inspire, a nonprofit organization that provides coding education for girls and women in Afghanistan.\n\nSince October 2022, she has served as a National Council Member for the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology.\n\n#### Later Activities\n\nFollowing her departure from the chief executive role at Token in 2021, Shapiro remained associated with matters related to cybersecurity, digital authentication, and identity technologies. As of 2026, she continues to be connected to the development and application of technologies associated with Token while no longer holding day-to-day operational responsibilities within the company. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-95ibniiRM0JdmtD5)  [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-6AI4uMy0TqqhQhOv)  [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-Np8Cepyxtgg3gGiq)  [\\[5\\]](#cite-id-ojDko9DAaj1mr2XU)  [\\[4\\]](#cite-id-XpsbgpHKAcoRYiGc)  [\\[6\\]](#cite-id-o5eVL7dDUfYZKB21)  [\\[13\\]](#cite-id-UidmaMfnHoaeAEVB)  [\\[12\\]](#cite-id-MIQKMte18fIHxtNo)  [\\[10\\]](#cite-id-XgZJFqacfpG2GL4T)  [\\[11\\]](#cite-id-AHbSO4XvPVxYfvR6)  [\\[9\\]](#cite-id-XtB039JnvBi3jnSN)  [\\[8\\]](#cite-id-AbBc3cN1GjfIMTzF)  [\\[7\\]](#cite-id-MFTWn9TV4TW2GFmL) ","summary":"Melanie Shapiro is a tech entrepreneur and co-founder of Token, a startup creating biometric smart rings for secure authentication. A serial entrepreneur, she co-founded Digsby and serves on various boards.","images":[{"id":"QmWVTKTc1xXox6fuqBYyJnBkFn1u45CmHdTvgxCa8j6Aw6","type":"image/jpeg, image/png"}],"categories":[{"id":"people","title":"people"}],"tags":[{"id":"Founder"},{"id":"Developer"},{"id":"Advisor"}],"media":[{"id":"QmfEzTHniTsvzp2GyRgh2cXsbcS4t2fDu84u54317URCE6","name":"Case-Wallet_Head-Shots_Stephen-S-Reardon-Photography_08394B-1.jpg","caption":"","thumbnail":"QmfEzTHniTsvzp2GyRgh2cXsbcS4t2fDu84u54317URCE6","source":"IPFS_IMG"},{"id":"QmV59NL8HctjFjRXMidMV4Gmtsgr6TejsUQuDLbHoTYjRX","name":"CiCMYhhWUAIQMaf.jpeg","caption":"","thumbnail":"QmV59NL8HctjFjRXMidMV4Gmtsgr6TejsUQuDLbHoTYjRX","source":"IPFS_IMG"},{"id":"QmV27e2V4xnKVSim64XMLBMmPz8UTX2CMqorLZhyR7cnTS","name":"CjlEsy7XAAA6lqO.jpeg","caption":"","thumbnail":"QmV27e2V4xnKVSim64XMLBMmPz8UTX2CMqorLZhyR7cnTS","source":"IPFS_IMG"},{"id":"QmetBfoHVDY3v5qEJtUDxgosSaCMcGrexS2NpgUdwbBM7r","name":"J3HX44X2_400x400.jpg","caption":"","thumbnail":"QmetBfoHVDY3v5qEJtUDxgosSaCMcGrexS2NpgUdwbBM7r","source":"IPFS_IMG"}],"metadata":[{"id":"references","value":"[{\"id\":\"6AI4uMy0TqqhQhOv\",\"url\":\"https://www.rit.edu/computing/national-council/shapiro\",\"description\":\"RIT National Council\",\"timestamp\":1780884257139},{\"id\":\"95ibniiRM0JdmtD5\",\"url\":\"https://www.withintent.com/portfolio/token\",\"description\":\"Intent Portfolio\",\"timestamp\":1780884257139},{\"id\":\"Np8Cepyxtgg3gGiq\",\"url\":\"https://withintent.com/portfolio/token/\",\"description\":\"Intent Portfolio\",\"timestamp\":1780884257139},{\"id\":\"XpsbgpHKAcoRYiGc\",\"url\":\"https://esd.ny.gov/esd-media-center/esd-blog/token-talent-innovation\",\"description\":\"Empire State Development\",\"timestamp\":1780884257139},{\"id\":\"ojDko9DAaj1mr2XU\",\"url\":\"https://rochesterbeacon.com/2022/08/11/a-fresh-start/\",\"description\":\"Rochester Beacon\",\"timestamp\":1780884257139},{\"id\":\"o5eVL7dDUfYZKB21\",\"description\":\"LinkedIn: Melanie Shapiro\",\"timestamp\":1780884462296,\"url\":\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/melshapiro/\"},{\"id\":\"MFTWn9TV4TW2GFmL\",\"description\":\"Melanie Shapiro\\nCo-Founder & CEO of Tokenize\",\"timestamp\":1780884851888,\"url\":\"https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/speakers/422196/Melanie-Shapiro\"},{\"id\":\"AbBc3cN1GjfIMTzF\",\"description\":\"ChunchBase: Individual Investor\\nMelanie Shapiro\\n\",\"timestamp\":1780884872386,\"url\":\"https://www.crunchbase.com/person/melanie-shapiro\"},{\"id\":\"XtB039JnvBi3jnSN\",\"description\":\"Token, a startup which pre-sold wearable rings for $249 in 2017, faces investor lawsuit as customers wait for undelivered product\\n\",\"timestamp\":1780884907672,\"url\":\"https://www.theblock.co/post/38389/token-a-startup-which-pre-sold-wearable-rings-for-249-in-2017-faces-investor-lawsuit-as-customers-wait-for-undelivered-product\"},{\"id\":\"XgZJFqacfpG2GL4T\",\"description\":\"Melanie Shapiro on leadership: You aren’t leading robots, you’re leading humans\\n\",\"timestamp\":1780884921605,\"url\":\"https://www.syracuse.com/news/2019/09/melanie-shapiro-on-leadership-you-arent-leading-robots-youre-leading-humans.html\"},{\"id\":\"AHbSO4XvPVxYfvR6\",\"description\":\"Token, A Smart Ring On A Mission To Give You Control Of Your Identity\\n\",\"timestamp\":1780884931885,\"url\":\"https://fashnerd.com/2018/02/token-smart-ring-technology-privacy-security/\"},{\"id\":\"MIQKMte18fIHxtNo\",\"description\":\"Editorial Photography : Token Ring : Tokenize : Technology Entrepreneurs Melanie Shapiro + Steve Shapiro : tomas flint\\n\",\"timestamp\":1780884944288,\"url\":\"https://tomasflint.com/gallery/token-ring-tokenize-technology-entrepreneurs-melanie-shapiro-and-steve-shapiro-editorial-photography/\"},{\"id\":\"UidmaMfnHoaeAEVB\",\"description\":\"https://me.sh/profile/joe-colangelo\",\"timestamp\":1780884955737,\"url\":\"https://me.sh/profile/joe-colangelo\"}]"},{"id":"twitter_profile","value":"https://x.com/melshapiro"},{"id":"linkedin_profile","value":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/melshapiro/"},{"id":"commit-message","value":"\"Added Melanie Shapiro biography and education details\""}],"events":[],"user":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"author":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"operator":{"id":"0xd5893989b9952c6568a99F854795AcC5Ae480D56"},"language":"en","version":1,"linkedWikis":{"blockchains":[],"founders":[],"speakers":[]}}