hi there!

we’re Melissa & Kelsey— 

two local HR professionals, friends, and self-proclaimed silly geese who believe that great HR doesn’t have to feel cold or corporate. After years of navigating the ins and outs of people operations, we started Embden HR to offer something different:

human-centered support that’s both practical and personal.

We take our work seriously, but not ourselves. We’re passionate about helping teams of all sizes create workplaces where people actually want to be.

Whether you're just getting your business off the ground or trying to clean up a messy middle, we’re here to help — and we promise to bring kindness, clarity, and maybe a few goose puns along the way.

Professional headshot of Melissa Martin, with her name and credentials, smiling in front of a light green background.
Professional headshot of a smiling woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a red blazer and black top, against a blurred background. Text overlay reads 'Kelsey Richardson, SHRM-CP'.

our story

Text about a person named Melissa with photos of two women, one in 2007 with dark hair and the other in 2015 with light brown hair, in circular frames.

about us

Melissa

Favorite Band/Artist: Sam Smith…with a permanent place in my heart for AJ from the Backstreet Boys
Guilty Pleasure Movie: Twilight
Pets: Maya, a 3 year old Golden Retriever and Leroy, a 1 year old Rough Collie. They came home in the fall of 2024 as a bonded pair from Golden Retrievers in Need (GRIN)
Starbucks Order: Venti Strawberry Açai Refresher with light ice
“Go-To” App on Your Phone: Sudoku
East Side or West Side: West Side
Favorite Show: Of course it really depends on the day, but currently re-watching NCIS for the thousandth time
Favorite Holiday: New Year’s Eve
Musical Talents: I play piano and the flute, and sing as often as possible
Favorite Area of HR: Benefits!
Coke or Pepsi? Regular Coke, Diet Pepsi
How Do You Pronounce GIF? Like the peanut butter
What’s Your Favorite Joke? What do you call a dog that does magic tricks? A Labra-cadabra-dor!

Kelsey

Favorite Band/Artist:
Guilty Pleasure Movie:
Pets: Peter - 13 year old chihuahua, Nini - 10 year old chihuahua, Lila - 12 year old puggle, Mook - 11 year old chinchilla
Starbucks Order: Venti Cinnamon Dolce Latte with soy milk, no whip, light foam… please
“Go-To” App on Your Phone: Facebook Marketplace
Favorite Show: Anything on HGTV
Favorite Holiday: Christmas
Musical Talents: I grew up playing the trombone and cello, and have been singing with the Cleveland POPs Orchestra Chorus for the last 13 years.
Favorite Area of HR: Leadership Development
Coke or Pepsi? I don’t think I could tell the difference between the two…
What’s Your Favorite Joke?