Elena Bondareva is an advocate for eradicating persistent global problems through fusing systems thinking with social innovation and entrepreneurship.
Through her Directorships, leadership, speaking, writing and consulting, Elena strives to redefine and accelerate all the good that is possible.
Distilled from 20 years of research and practice in transformation, Change-maker’s Handbook is available worldwide.
“A uniquely voiced book on how to make a true difference in the world. I recommend it highly to anyone with a fire inside to make tomorrow better than today."
— JASON MCLENNAN, International Living Future Institute, Perkins&Will.
“Elena’s candor is a gift that rare leaders are willing to bestow. It is brilliantly written using real-life examples to guide us on how to achieve positive change at a time when the world needs to alter so many negative patterns of behavior.”
— MARIA ATKINSON AM, Director. Investor. Sustainability advisor.
"Over a decade ago, Elena gave me three gifts: her analysis of mega trends, the concept of the irresistible narrative of the future, and the notion that a change-maker needs to make their solution speak to everyone from CEO to cleaner. Now in this book, Elena shares much, much, much more of her process with the world.”
— DR. DOMINIQUE HES, M. AIRAH, M. AICD, GIA(A), Chair, Greenfleet.
“Elena has always been a trailblazer. I am delighted that she has created a book to share some of her ideas with other change-makers.”
— DAVINA ROONEY, CEO, Green Building Council of Australia.
Elena on the Impact Table Podcast
In conversation with Marssie Versola, Elena shares her impact journey, illustrating it with candid reflection and stories from childhood and professional experience. Hear about purpose, leadership, ego, self-care, cultural differences, and Change-maker’s Handbook.
“[Elena] has the ability to work both at the creative and analytical level. Further, she is able to communicate with, manage, and inspire those she works with through her coaching style. She is able to do this with great agility and nuance – seeing both the macro and micro scale opportunities to deliver impact.”
— Dr. Dominique Hes. City of Melbourne. Chair of Greenfleet.
Board Governance
Having served on 8 Boards and advised thrice as many, Elena is a seasoned Director with expertise in investor readiness, impact models, financial performance, succession planning, fundraising, and CEO development.
Public Speaking
Over 16 years, Elena has educated, inspired, and mobilized audiences as intimate as virtual roundtables and as vast as live closing plenaries at international conferences.
Facilitation
To a world as fed up with pseudo consensus as it is hungry for authenticity, Elena offers a mastery of groupwork process and an ability to hold the space for vital reflection and dialogue.
“Elena worked with us to facilitate discussions and engage a wide range of stakeholders to assist in resolving a complex issue. Elena's unique facilitation style and methodology, her ability to listen and value the diverse views of stakeholders, and her expertise in analysing complex issues produced a very successful outcome for us and has strongly influenced our forward strategy. We recommend Elena for her new and holistic ways of learning and understanding complex sustainability issues.”
- Sophi McMillan
Summit Design
Enabling collaboration across stark differences is today’s alchemy, and Elena’s summits have shifted the status quo time and again.
Publishing
A prolific story-teller, Elena has written for peer-reviewed and public journals, published two books, and served as the Editor-in-Chief for two niche magazines.
Emcee
From red-carpet events in Hollywood to the built environment summit at COP17, Elena keeps audiences engaged and events — memorable.
Imagine futures better than anything you have experienced.
Mobilize people to pursue possibility.
Catalyze meaningful collaboration across differences.
Compromise neither the rigor nor the inspiration.