Melissa Anelli

Melissa Anelli has been at the center of Harry Potter fandom since 2001, when she joined The Leaky Cauldron and quickly became Editor-in-Chief, then owner of the site, growing it into one of the most popular fan sites in the world. She reported on the Potter phenomenon for media outlets worldwide and cohosted PotterCast, which debuted in 2005 and was one of the first major podcasts to exist. In 2009, she cofounded LeakyCon, a Harry Potter convention that became a landmark annual gathering for the fan community and ran through 2024. A Georgetown University graduate, she spent several years as a daily news reporter and features writer in New York City before building her company into a full-scale events operation that served more than 100,000 fans at various conventions. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband, daughter, and dog.