BOARD GOVERNANCE
Elena has 12 years of international Board governance experience that spans commercial and non-profit organizations. She is open to additional paid Board positions. She is not looking for additional volunteer Directorships.
Elena brings to her Boards a focus on transformational legacy through Board culture and Boards’ dynamic with their CEOs; resourceful business model innovation; leading expertise in social impact; and a commitment to CEO growth and wellbeing. She has chaired Board committees on impact and succession, mentored three CEOs on behalf of their Boards, and oversaw M&A and international expansion.
“3 years with Pollinate Group have been the most satisfying and gratifying years of my life. As I reflect on this, thank you for being a massive pillar of support for me in this role. I was finding my way, and you gave me such a clean and safe place to express myself without being judged. With you, I had the comfort of saying all I had to say. I have not had this experience in my previous jobs, and I am thankful you have been such an excellent coach and guide. I have grown a lot as a professional working with you. With your solid strategic guidance, I strive to create more impact in the coming years!” — Sujatha Ramani. CEO, Pollinate Group
CURRENT BOARDS
An award-winning social enterprise breaking cycles of intergenerational poverty in India and Nepal. Elena has served first on the Advisory Board and since it was formed, on the independent international Board of Directors.
Elena’s roles with Pollinate Group have included:
Mentoring the CEOs (first, Alexie Seller and now, Sujatha Ramani), incl. through succession and the extreme measures of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chairing the Succession Committee to recruit the next CEO (Sujatha Ramani) and helping Alexie as the last of the six co-founders to transition out.
As member of the Merger Committee, guiding one of the very few globally successful non-profit mergers with Empower Generation.
Developing and launched the inaugural Leadership Impact Program (nee Executive Leadership Program) and then training and mentored – in content (systems theory, spiral dynamics, behavior change), facilitation, and self-awareness – staff to autonomously run the program to rave reviews.
As Chair of the Impact Committee, reassessing how we best measure and communicate our effectiveness and legacy.
“Serving on Pollinate’s Board since its inception has been one of the greatest honours of my life because it never tires for getting better at breaking cycles of intergenerational poverty that keep billions of people on the margins of the global society. I love challenging ourselves and clean-energy technology to truly uplift people at every turn without environmental trade-offs.” — Elena Bondareva
BLOOM Workforce Development Inc. 501(c)(3) is a non-profit dedicated to providing an economic launchpad for the most disadvantaged people in the Bay Area, methodically removing all obstacles to their ability to compete and thrive in the formal workforce.
Elena is serving on the founding Board. Her responsibilities include supporting the CEO, contributing on Executive committee, unlocking new revenue streams, co-hosting events, and serving as an instructor.
“Elena is unafraid of bold decisions and challenging situations. The transition of an organisation from its founders is one of the most complicated phases to go through. Thanks to Elena’s foresight, persistence and focus on addressing this challenge with the breadth and depth it deserved, we have been successful and are proud to be paving the way for other organisations to understand this process can be a positive and enjoyable experience for the founder, the incumbent, and the teams around them.”
— Alexie Seller. Co-founder and former CEO of Pollinate Group
Elena’s prior governance experience:
’20 – ’23 International WELL Building Institute. Advisory Member. Participated on the global expert working groups that resulted in WELL Safety and WELL Equity tools.
’20 – ‘21 The William J. Worthen Foundation. Board Director. Supported the non-profit’s inflection point by leading in redefining its impact and operating models.
’20 – ‘21 Greenbuild, the globally preeminent conference on sustainable built environment. Elena served 2 terms on the Advisory Board for the Global Health & Wellness Summit.
‘16 – ’19 Simply Parent (501(c)(3)). Closed). U.S. Founding and Executive Director.
’12 – ’14 Movr (closed). Australia and U.S. Social network/gateway for the global film industry. Board Director. Joined the Board at year 3, guided capital raising and entry into U.S. market.
’12 – ’13 Living Future Institute of Australia, Australia. Founding Director of an international affiliate of ILFI. Led the launch focusing on establishing industry leadership and a lean and agile business model.
’12 – ’13 Top of the Roof Investments. U.S (closed). Partner and investor at a social start-up incubator in the U.S. Silicon Valley. Launched multiple innovative ventures, raising capital and leading some as an interim Managing Director.
’09 – ’11 KNOWCHANGE. Australia. Founder and spokesperson. Addressing the lack of an independent, visionary voice, founded an advocacy platform that within 4 months engaged 400+ transdisciplinary public, private, and NFP leaders.
“Elena’s strategic frame was critical to the development and success of the [Living Future Institute of Australia].”
— Dr. Dominique Hes. Chair of Greenfleet. Former Director of the Living Future Institute of Australia