Dr. Rich Melheim grew up on the plains of North Dakota but never did own a pickup with a gun rack.

A futurist, Neuro-educator, author, entrepreneur, student of NFTs/Blockchain/Metaverses, semiotician, cartoonist, comedian, speaker, publisher, playwright, songwriter, family counselor, business systems consultant, amateur complexity theorist, log cabin builder, preschool designer, and student of the human brain, Melheim has taught in 1000 cities on five continents.

Dr. Rich has written and produced 39 books, illustrated 82 children’s stories, produced 24 music albums, created and directed 7 musical comedy stage plays, written 400+ songs, and thousands of curriculum resources and skits. In 2020 he executive produced multiple Facebook Live Concert events with winners of 42 Grammy Awards. His latest projects include an interview series called “Beyond the Metaverse”, a documentary called “The NFT Revolution Movie” and an animated feature film “Baby Silkworm and the Alien Invasion.”

Dr. Rich is the founder and initiating force behind:

He also serves as arts consultant for the American Trade Development Council, currently producing an online Artists Friendship Exhibit with artists from the US and China to celebrate the 2022 50th Anniversary of Nixon’s trip to China. Some of his music, cartoon books and skits can be found here. LINK

His latest books include:

2022
RICH Learning: Brain-Based Learning on Arts-Based Platforms (Arabic & Mandarin Translations)

2018
Let’s Kill Sunday School (and birth the Cross+Gen Movement), Volume 3

2017
Luther: The 500th Anniversary Graphic Novel & Rock Opera (Staged at the Stathaus Theater, Wittenberg)

2016
Let’s Kill Sunday School (and birth Cross+Gen Ministries), Volume 2

2015
RICH Learning: Brain-Based Learning on Arts-Based Platforms

2014
Let’s Kill Sunday School (before it kills the church), Volume 1

2013
Holding Your Family Together: 5 Simple Steps to Keeping Your Family Closer to God and Each Other

And coming in 2025
MetaVersatile

VITA

Richard Alan Melheim

Born: Bottineau, ND, 10/10/55

Early Elementary: Dilworth, MN (Fargo/Moorhead Area)

Jr./Sr. High School: Williston, ND (Graduated in 1974)

BA/Journalism: Grand Forks, UND (Phi Beta Kappa, Outstanding Journalist 1977)

Masters: MDiv, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN (1981)

Doctorate in Semiotics and Future Studies, George Fox, Portland, OR (2013)

Served Ministries in: Trinity, Owatonna, MN (1981-89), Trinity, Stillwater, MN (1990-93) , Specialized Ministry Call/St. Paul Area Synod (ELCA)/Lutheran Leadership Institute (1993-94) , Specialized Ministry Call/St. Paul Area Synod (ELCA)/ Faith Inkubators (1993-2018)

Founder: Faith Inkubators (1994 - Present); Faith Inkubators Foundation (2004 - Present), The Preschool Incubators Project (2008 - 2012) , FAITH 5 (2009 - Present); RICH Learning (2014 - Present)

Co-Founder: Salt Lick Productions, LLC: A film and media company (2005 - Present) , He Qi Arts, LLC: An art company for Dr. He Qi's www.heqigallery.com (2004 - Present)

Writing: Humor for Doubleday Mainstreet Books, Children's Books for Creative Outlet; Dramas and ministry articles for Group Publishing, The Clergy Journal & Lutheran Partners , Curriculum for Concordia Publishing and Faith Inkubators ; Marketing/Business Writing for various publications

Musical Stage Plays Written & Produced: Luther (2017); This Christmas Morning: A Comedy of Christmas Tragedies (1992), The Best: A Comedy on Suicide (1988), Restless (1986), A Little Bit Touched (1984), A Tap On The Window (1982), The Journey of the King (1980)

Satellite TV: Head to the Heart Telecast Series

Facebook Live Concerts: The Amazing Grace Experience 2020 (With winners of 42 Grammy Awards)

Videos Produced: Sex, Drugs & Fast Cars - Your Body's a Temple, Faith Incubators Teacher Training Series, Faith Stepping Stones , Bald Arnold & the Fiendish Plotling, Conformation (sic!) Is Dead

Awards: Youth Specialties Outstanding Youth Ministry Innovator - Jack Young Award (1998), Ben Franklin Humor Award - Publishers Marketing Assn. (1994) , Stillwater Jaycees Outstanding Young Man of the St. Croix Valley (1994), International History Week Literary Achievement Award (1993).

GUEST APPEARANCES

NPR-Morning Edition, CNN , Donahue, Montel, Rolanda, Leeza , The Osgood Files , 50 network news shows from WNBC - New York to KTLA - LA to Good Morning Cairo to Turkish Morning/Cyprus.

SPEAKING

In his speaking life, Rich teaches educators how to rethink education systems based on the neurology of the human brain, entrepreneurs how to survive and thrive on change in the age of the Metaverse, and counsels parents and teens how to survive adolescence.

Melheim's speaking style is described as 1/3rd stand-up comedy, 1/6th brain science, 2/9ths systems theory, 1/4 pithy, practical, applicable and directly to the point, 1/12th shouting, 3/16 chaos theory applied to intellectually challenging your audience, and whatever is left over is dedicated to making you laugh, cry and think.

Melheim is a regular keynoter and teacher at business, education, church, and family conferences and seminars. His favorite speaking topics include:

A. Business and Educational Keynotes

1. Metaversal Neurology and Education 3.0

2. Teaching the Way the Brain Learns Best (RICH Learning: Brain-based learning on Arts-based platforms).

3. Designing with the Young Mind in Mind (Destroying Your Concept of Education and Starting Over with Something Fun that Actually Work)

4. Rethinking Stinking Systems (Systems Theory and How Not to Kill Each Other in the School or Workplace)

5. Making a Living or Making a Life?

6. Complexity Theory and How the Worst Things that Happen to You Can Turn Out to Be the Best

7. Rethinking Preschools on a Performance Arts Platform (How to translate "watch me, mommy!" into the foundation for all learning)

B. Church Conferences Keynotes

1. FAITH5 (Five simple steps to keeping your families together in a world that can tear them apart)

2. Cross+Gen Ministry (Connecting the Wisdom of the Elder and the Wonder of the Child every week in every church)

3. The Life of the Mainline after the Death of the Mainline

4. The Fifth Church (Reengineering the Institutional Church for the Postmodern World)

5. Conformation (sic!) is Dead (Rebuilding a Confirmation Ministry that Retains Both the Kid and the Information)

6. Music, Bible, Muscles & Memory (How to Teach God's Word at a Cellular Level so Kids will Never Forget It)

7. How to Be a Senior Pastor Without Being a Jerk

8. How to Kill the Pied Piper Youth Worker Before the Pied Piper Youth Worker Kills You

C. Marriage, Parenting and Teens Keynotes

1. Sex, Drugs & Fast Cars (Your Body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit)

2. The Secret Formula for Surviving Adolescence

3. Working on the Dream (How to Create a Dream Relationship with your Teen)

4. The Cow & the Haystack (How to Become Your Child's Impact Adult and Faith Mentor)

5. God and Science (How can there be a God? And how can their not be a God? And it this God the God of the Bible?)

6. Marriage Without Murder

CONTACT INFO

Before and after Rich died.

Since his heart stopped and they had to pound him back to life on June 29, 2007, Rich's time is limited (Hey, so is yours!) He now only takes a handful of speaking engagements each year, but he would be happy to consider keynoting your conference or seminar if time, schedules and strategic interests align. Contact ajmelheim@faith5.org for a request for dates and rates.