Elissa is a consummate champion for the underdog and for the greater good of humanity. Her personal life story is one of insurmountable adversity and a choice to channel those challenges into vehicles for good, leading to her resilience and a deep desire to live in the world intentionally with purpose, ON purpose. Elissa’s passion for all things health and well-being, social justice, and social impact was a direct result of growing up homeless on and off for the first 13 years of life. This passion was also related to self-resolving health issues she had acquired in her 20’s and by the age of 34 suffering a tragic loss of 2 husbands to the same rare cancer that only affects 10,000 people per year in the United States. Overcoming these challenges and more, this inspired female entrepreneur and impact strategy consultant practices being the best version of herself and living a life of purpose. All of this vast life experience is what also inspired Elissa to launch her podcast and media company platform called A World On Purpose as a medium to tell the stories of purpose driven heroes. She will also be hosting and producing a new “How to” leadership series called Impact All Stars, powered by the tech platform that turns communities into powerful engines that drive social impact called Countable.com.

Elissa brings 26 years of experience as a global leader, executive consultant and advisor at the intersection of impact and well-being. Having had her finger on the pulse of key well-being and social impact issues she’s ideated and supported values aligned and creative strategies and strategic partnerships for brands, donors, impact investors and NGO’s looking to amplify and grow the impact they are looking to make in the world.
As the former Chief Impact Officer and Partner of the 5th Element Group, PBC, an impact management consulting firm, Elissa directed the company’s impact initiatives and amplification for their clients. With a blended background in marketing, sales, branding, communications and business development strategy creation, Elissa used her unique voice and skills to help create and support multiple “omniwin” strategies expanding the impact both externally for 5th Element clients and internally 5th Element team and their own causes. During this period Elissa and her company’s reach included partnerships and collaboration with vast global networks and impact organizations such as the United Nations, Nobel Peace Prize, Social Venture Network, Davos World Economic Forum, and Skoll World Forum where they made measurable and significant impact with these collaborations.

Before her role with 5th Element, Elissa’s rich career path included leadership role highlights such as interim CMO and VP of Communications for a stem cell technology company, Director of Consumer Communications for a 40-year health brand, ownership of her own strategy consulting firm for over two decades, and in her earlier years leading in marketing and sales for her family’s wineries, Paradigm Winery and Napa Wine Company, ideating unique early adopter social impact ideas.

In 2004, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Elissa to the Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine and received an honorable unanimous election as Chair of the Bureau by her naturopathic and medical doctor peers. In 2018, Elissa was awarded the prestigious TCP "Hear Her Song" Award alongside Michele Obama, Malala, Condoleezza Rice, Gloria Steinem, and others. Elissa is an active member of the President’s Council for the U.S. National Women’s History Museum, a part of the global ideation group for 100% Human at Work an initiative founded by Richard Branson, partnered with Virgin Unite and the B-Team, and was formerly on the Board of Directors for Los Angeles based non- profit, Community Healing Gardens, an urban farm organization right in her former backyard of Venice Beach. She continues to support other NGOs such as Support + Feed, founded by Maggie Baird focused on plant based lifestyle and addressing climate crisis, and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for Women Connect 4 Good, the powerful organization founded by Dr. Nancy O’Reilly that works to empower women and girls around the world.

Elissa is also actively involved as both a legacy member and new member of 1% for the Planet Foundation, where she inspired her family’s winery brand, Paradigm Winery, to become one of the first 10 legacy brands to join in 2002 and in 2021 she also made her media company and podcast, A World On Purpose a member. Elissa also sits on the corporate Board of Directors for Cleopatra Life, a brand focused on bringing a telehealth platform and products to support the underserved women’s health category of menopause and hormone related health issues.

Special thanks to the amazing humans who supported my dream to make A World On Purpose a reality…

5th Element Group Partners/Team: Colborn Bell, Miguel Esteban, Ron Garan, Pratik Gauri, David, Heinen, Scott Lewis, Ed Martin, Natela Mikiasvili, Vince Molinari, Scott Rehmus, Mark Sadovnick, Jim Van Eerden | Brian Street, Emmy Award Winning TV Producer and AWOP Advisor | Blake Hawley, CEO Cleopatra Life, 1st Official AWOP Sponsor | Mary Elizabeth Russell, Creative guru for logo and website | Lizzie Graber, Designer | Arielle Walsh, Social Media & Communications Intern | Theo Assimenios, Communication and Social Media strategy intern | Bart Meyers, Founder Countable.com and Causes.com | Malte Hagemeister and Kristian Nord, Founders, California Music & Kopfkino.

Grammy Nominees & Voting Members of The Recording Academy, AWOP Theme Music, Podcast Audio Production, Californiamusic.com and Kopfkino.la | Chance Foreman, Founder, That Step Film Co, Creative design, AWOP video intro, Thatstep.com | Erik Oberholtzer, Filmmaker/Photographer, main website photo | Ken Rutkowski and Maya Ross, Founders, METal International and Radio show that gave me my own media voice | Devin Sadovnick, initial editing support | Mike Casentini, Founder The Network Studios, supported in early days of AWOP.

Special heartfelt thanks to…ALL of my immediate, extended and adopted family, best friends and colleagues who have loved me, believed in me, and supported me through my crazy life of adversity, though the joys and the challenges, and the many chapters that have led to this place, realizing a life long dream and my own life’s purpose.