Dr. Ellena was born and raised in Santiago, Chile. She moved to Los Angeles, California in 2008 and received her bachelor’s degree in Communication, her master’s degree in Social Entrepreneurship, and her doctorate in Organizational Leadership. She has a strong background in nonprofits, social entrepreneurship and leadership. Michelle founded her first non-profit in 2014 with a mission to help animals in her community. She then founded another non-profit that teaches and trains veterinarians in developing countries different spay and neuter techniques to help end pet overpopulation. She moved to St. Petersburg, FL in 2021 with her dog Nahla and fell in love with the captivating beauty of Florida. She co-founded Take MAR in 2022 with a focus on connecting people with nature. She encourages the human-animal bond and interconnectedness of all species on earth. She has been featured in different publications, served as a judge on different social entrepreneurship fast pitch competitions, and has presented her research in conferences nationally. Still fairly new to St. Pete, Michelle is immersed in her community, and working to regenerate the human-nature connection.

Michelle is also:

• Chair for TREE Committee

• Treasurer for Egmont Key Alliance Committee

• Research Director for RRx

• Board Member for Fundacion Cosmos in Santiago, Chile