Molly Merkle has held many leadership positions with AdventureKEEN since she began her career working for Menasha Ridge Press, one of the company’s seven imprints, in 1992. In early 2023, she was named AdventureKEEN’s publisher and continues to serve as its COO. Merkle has been key to executing the company’s vision for growth, including the acquisition and integration of several independent presses over the years. She’s also helped lead the company through hardship and challenges, which are a fact of life for entrepreneurial publishing. While Merkle is responsible for development of the publishing program and heading up the company’s leadership team, she also focuses on AdventureKEEN’s nonprofit partnerships, author support, and nurturing the extraordinary people who work for the company. Merkle received her MBA from Vanderbilt University and was previously Association Executive for Publishers Association of the South (1992–1997).
