Ellen is overjoyed to return to Elevate! While new to the Finance team, Ellen previously worked at Elevate in the Operations & HR departments. Regardless of her role, Ellen has a love for systems and supporting Elevate from behind the scenes, so others can do incredible work for Elevate’s nonprofit clients. Outside of her roles at Elevate, she has experience working in fundraising and project management.
Ellen earned her BA in Art History & Psychology with a certificate in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University.
In her spare time, Ellen loves to explore new neighborhoods through window shopping and trying new foods with her husband, Alex. A life-long dog lover, Ellen has recently started fostering dogs and puppies as practice for adding her own to her family. When the weather’s bad, you can find Ellen at home at her sewing machine or doing a jigsaw puzzle with a Masterpiece Theatre show on in the background.
Taylor comes to Elevate with a passion for mindful entrepreneurship and sustainability. Before joining the Elevate team, she started a graphic design studio, Pin Not Paper, with a primary focus on creating high- quality client experiences through visual communication. With her business, Taylor expanded her services to a more organizational approach, helping entrepreneurs solidify systems and processes to ensure every interaction with their audience was streamlined on both the front and back-end.
Taylor continues to grow Pin Not Paper as she promotes health, wellness, and sustainability for all, pledging to causes such as Trees for the Future and Play4Forests. Her clientele has been featured in/with industry-leading businesses such as Goldman Sachs, Under Armour, Microsoft, The Washington Post, Voyage ATL, Revolt Summit X AT&T, and Sheen Magazine.
In her personal time, Taylor loves to experience new foods and recipes, listen to old-school jazz and blues music, and read mystery-themed comics.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
As the Human Resources Specialist at Elevate, Bria is responsible for supporting the Personnel Department by leading efforts related to Talent Strategies, Benefits, and Performance Management. She is very passionate about Employee Engagement/ Recognition and is focused on creating and enhancing employee initiatives.
Before joining Elevate, Bria was an HR Consultant at UPMC Centers for Rehab Services, where she managed employee relations for 1600 employees.
Bria has served as a board member of the NAAAHR (National Association of African Americans in HR). She is a University of Pittsburgh graduate, where she received a BA in Corporate Communications. She also earned a Master of Business Administration from Carlow University.
You can find Bria enjoying time with her family, going on natural walks with her two huskies, or exercising at the gym.
Pronouns : he / him / his
Frank comes to Elevate hoping to help solve complex problems in a data-driven and practical way. He was recently the Operations Team Leader at the Global Language Network where he maintained the rosters for classes in over 20 foreign languages.
Frank is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) at Claremont McKenna College. He is currently involved in many organizations on campus but spends most of this time with the CMS swim team.
Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his dogs, family, reading, and watching movies.
Pronouns : he / him / his
Alexander is a lifelong learner with seven years of technical knowledge and a passion for technology. Prior to joining the Elevate Team, Alex worked at Apple Inc as a Technical Expert, and mentor for new technicians. While at Apple, he also led Apple’s summer tech camp as the lead counselor. With over 80 campers ages six -13, the program curated modules and videos to teach children the importance of technology. Alex particularly enjoyed creating lessons, activities, and games with a technical focus to engage the campers. Alex’s passion for technology extends beyond Apple Inc. One of his most exciting projects was collaborating with a middle school in Greensboro, North Carolina where he curated an evidence-based Technology focused curriculum that taught the students coding, problem-solving, and basic IT troubleshooting.
Alex attended Southern Connecticut State University majoring in Computer Science, he later moved to the DMV area to further his education. Alexander is an Apple Certified Macintosh Technician and a Certified IT Support Technician.
Outside of the working world, he enjoys cooking, traveling with his Miniature Poodle, gaming, and hiking.
Pronouns : she / her / hers
Letese has over 20 years of experience in Human Resources. As the VP of Personnel at Elevate, Letese is responsible for leading the Personnel Department and managing organizational development projects that enhance Elevate’s talent and culture management. She has a strong desire to strengthen the Elevate culture by focusing on inclusion, diversity, and equity.
Before joining Elevate, Letese was an HR Manager at UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside, where she managed employee relations for 8500 employees.
Letese has served as a board member of the NAAAHR (National Association of African Americans in HR) and NAHSE (National Association of Health Services Executives). Letese is an active member of the Southwestern PA United Way Women’s Leadership Council. Letese is a Tuskegee University graduate, where she received s BS in Business Administration. She also earned a Master of Business Administration from Trinity University and is SPHR and SHRM – SCP certified.
You can find Letese binging-watching movies, listening to audiobooks, taking a dance class, or being silly with her kids when she is not working.
Pronouns : she / her / hers
As an experienced project coordinator, Claire brings a passion for increasing educational equity to the Elevate team and its clients. In her former role with Americorps, she managed a maker-focused education program and associated grants for an Oakland, California school.
She has also contributed her skills to various education nonprofits in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, most recently, serving as a teaching artist at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, where she designed and implemented a middle school-making course.
A Bay Area native, Claire holds a BA in Applied Mathematics from UC Berkeley, where she graduated with honors. Outside of work, Claire enjoys hanging by one of Pittsburgh’s many rivers, cooking meals with friends and taking her dog Rollo out on the town.
Pronouns : she / her / hers
Patrice comes to Elevate with a decade of marketing and communications experience. She has worked within the trade association, nonprofit, and small business sectors, and her experience ranges from leading brand strategies to managing nonprofit partnerships with organizations like Make-A-WishⓇ. Patrice has dedicated her career to connecting small businesses and nonprofit-based organizations with their target audiences through a mix of corporate strategies and grassroots marketing. She has a passion for collaborative strategy development and brand awareness campaigns and thrives when identifying emerging market opportunities and producing high-class content.
Patrice obtained her undergraduate degree in Business Management from Bowie State University and has continued graduate-level coursework at the University of Virginia. Outside of work, Patrice enjoys spending time with her husband and children, traveling, and live music.
Pronouns: he/him/his
Joshua first joined Elevate in 2021 with a drive to continue his career in the nonprofit sector of DC through a client services and development role. After completing his graduate education, he set his sights on continuing to pursue his professional interests in client stewardship, operations, and database management. At Elevate, he has worked closely with the Client Services and Operations teams, and through his current role, the New Client Partnerships team.
Joshua earned an MA in Philosophy from Boston College and, prior to that, a BA in Philosophy from Florida International University. Throughout college, Joshua was highly involved with a variety of academic organizations and honor societies. He also worked as a DJ for Florida International University’s radio station WRGP — The Roar Miami.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Joshua enjoys reading, tending to his plants, and exploring new music.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Ruthie came to Elevate with a passion for creating meaningful social change, and she is excited to work with Elevate’s amazing clients to get there. Ruthie has a specific interest in creative and sustainable community development practices. While a student, Ruthie spent time in Makhanda, South Africa where she worked with various arts organizations, including The Black Power Station, researching the effects of creative economic activities on socioeconomic development. Her interest in nonprofits began when she interned at Project HOPE, an international nonprofit that works across the health spectrum, and was strengthened through her work with the arts organizations in Makhanda.
Ruthie graduated from the University of Virginia, earning her BA in Economics and Global Development Studies. She loves languages, and has studied Spanish, Arabic, and a little bit of Hebrew.
As a new DC resident, Ruthie loves exploring the city and all it has to offer. In her spare time, Ruthie enjoys spending time outdoors, attending concerts (in a COVID-free world), trying new foods, and partaking in any sort of art activity.
