Superpower: Opening the door to a culture of innovation by asking thought-provoking questions and modeling a mindset of curiosity and possibility.
Ellia is passionate about helping organizations live up to their capability, aspirations, and desire to make the world a better place faster. She believes we have a moral imperative to support up-and-coming generations of leaders in solving the world’s most pressing problems.
Having been both a nonprofit team leader and organization development consultant, Ellia understands the challenges that face leaders and teams. As a fundraiser, her approach was to make it as easy as possible for people to achieve their goal of making a difference.
Ellia has over 15 years’ experience in international fundraising and creative mission-based marketing, with 10 years’ experience as a Development Director – at The Arc of King County where she quadrupled major donor income; British Lung Foundation where she significantly increased major donor income while also writing and producing new communication materials to improve brand positioning; Revitalize where she won two grants of $500,000; and Alzheimer’s Association of Western Washington where she created an expert researcher stewardship event. At Oxfam GB, she was part of the corporate fundraising launch team and brought in six-figure amounts of project support, sponsorship, and marketing partnerships. As Board President, she steered Elderwise out of budget deficit and into providing services for more people.
As a fundraising consultant and organization development trainer and facilitator with a focus on leadership coaching, strategic advice, and creative problem-solving, she has worked with CAFOD, Friends of the Earth, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund, Futurewise, Help the Aged, Learning Through Landscapes, Care for the Caregiver, and the Royal Court Theatre. Ellia designed and facilitated SELECT, a social enterprise leadership training and peer-coaching program for Hertfordshire Business Link, and advised Bethnal Green Technology College in developing a culture of learning and innovation. She was a contract trainer for The Projects Company and Directory of Social Change in the UK, and a leadership peer coaching facilitator for Executive Alliance in the US.
Today her private practice focuses on coaching leaders in facilitating creative team-based problem-solving.
Ellia has a B.S. in Secondary Education (English & Communication) and has also had careers as a Senior Communications Consultant at the employee benefits company Mercer, Productivity & Organizing Coach, professional singer, and ESL teacher in Mexico.
Ellia is based in Seattle where she lives with her (serendipitously-found) new husband. In her spare time, Ellia enjoys walking, watching international soccer, dancing rueda, reading novels, exploring cities, and learning.
