Born in California, Melissa Regan Devogele began her career in finance. Working between Paris and London, she made Europe home
Her passion for art and design led her into the events sector and in 2016 she founded The MR Agency.

In 2021, she created MR Agency Real Estate to respond to an increasing demand from her international clients for more permanent venues, both commercial and residential and a growing market of home buyers looking to invest in property in the City of Lights. With a clientele that covers Asia to the Americas, and Europe to the Middle East, she also provides relocation services to leading luxury houses and tech companies. She has been selected by the French government as a service provider for the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs program “Welcome to the French Tech”, that promotes investment in France.

Last November 2023, M.R.Agency presented the exhibition Devotion Paris, a fundraising event in support of the Devotion Paris Association for Cancer Research, displaying artworks from the Devotion collection during Paris Photo.

Melissa Regan presented the exhibition with Catherine Baba, founder of Devotion Paris who, after being diagnosed with acute leukaemia and having undergone a bone marrow transplant at Necker Hospital in 2019, dedicated her first Devotion Gala and all funds raised that year to advance the research led by Professor Hermine.

The Devotion Paris Exhibition was held at the Pavillon Rive Gauche: an Art Deco treasure in the heart of Paris, in one of the city's oldest and most famous districts.

Modem had the pleasure to interview Melissa Regan on this occasion.

How did the relationship between M.R. Agency and Devotion Paris start?
M.R.: I was introduced to Catherine Baba by a mutual dear friend just last fall. She and I met and immediately hit it off. I understood her vision with the foundation as well as its personal importance and we began concretely exploring how MR Agency & Devotion Paris could synergise to put on the foundations next event.

What did mean for you and M.R. Agency to support and represent an event like Devotion Paris?
M.R.: Using our organisation skills and agency know how to support Devotion Paris was both a creative and fun contribution and something that I am personally proud of. As I have many close friends and family members who have been personally impacted by cancer, the Devotion Paris Exhibition & Auction was a way to honour Catherine, the foundation raising funds, as well as all who are affected. MR Agency was able to provide the venue and a team that Devotion Paris needed to produce such an event in a stand alone space such as Pavilion Rive Gauche. Our trusted partners and suppliers played an enormous role in making the event happen in record time including XXO & MicheMuche catering.

What are M.R. Agency's next projects?
M.R. This year, in addition to developing our current business lines, which include short term event venu rental & event organisation ( themragency.com) as well as long term real estate residential & commercial property services (mragencyrealestate.com), we will launch a call to emerging artists to win the organisation & venu for a fall exhibition. The jury will include prominent figures in the art community and open for candidates in April.
(Details will be realised on: themragency.com/en/news ).