Meet Elizabeth Elfenbein | CEO and Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elizabeth Elfenbein and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I am a social innovator dedicated to making a significant impact in our world. As an internationally award-winning branding expert and storyteller, I am passionate about identifying unmet needs and developing innovative solutions that transform lives. My primary focus has been on serving women and the aging population, creating ideas, experiences, and companies that drive social change.

With a 30-year career in advertising as a creative leader, I have consistently addressed unmet needs with socially impactful ideas. For example, I developed solutions for women living with breast cancer, created a social network designed to foster happiness, and launched a caregiver social platform featuring a docuseries on caregivers. My commitment to this important work has led me to immerse myself in the start-up world and community initiatives, continuing my passion for serving people.

A central theme in my work has been advocating for caregivers, providing them with a platform to share their voices. This experience revealed that 8 out of 10 caregivers are women, who often prioritize their families’ needs while neglecting their own. This realization prompted me to take action.

Historically, women have been marginalized, lacking visibility, acknowledgment, and a platform for their voices to be heard. This marginalization has created challenges in uniting women, as they often compete for limited opportunities. Recognizing this significant unmet need, I was driven to create a safe space where all women can be seen, heard, and celebrated.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a changemaker and internationally award-winning storyteller and leader, passionate about identifying unmet needs and tirelessly finding creative solutions that positively impact lives. My mission is to make a social impact with all the work I do. I am the founder of Under the Sisterhood, a social impact company, and its not-for-profit arm, Sistergood. Additionally, I serve on several company and not-for-profit boards and act as an advisor committed to making a meaningful difference in their communities.

During my career in advertising, I was recognized as an ELITE Disruptor by PM360, a Creative Online All-Star by OMMA, and a Sweet 16 Brand Marketer by Min Online for developing several industry-first customer experiences. I have worked on some of the largest brands and have won hundreds of awards. As an industry thought leader, I have hosted multiple Cannes Lions Health panels, Internet Week New York experiential events for four years running, and served as the NY Festivals Global Awards Chairwoman, as well as Co-Chair, Clio Health Chair, and an executive jury member for Clio Health, Creative Floor Awards, Effie’s, and the inaugural Cannes Lions Health.

What sets me apart is my fearlessness. I wasn’t afraid to leave a high-level position at the peak of my career to take a risk. I understand what I need to be inspired, and I recognize that if I am not inspired, I cannot inspire others. My journey was not easy as a woman, a working mother, and an executive leader in a high-pressure business. I never stopped to truly smell the roses because I was always pushing myself and my limits and jumping through hoops for others. Not anymore.

I was never motivated by awards; it was my job to win them for our company’s reputation. So, I won them.

I was always motivated by coming up with brilliant ideas that filled unmet needs, ensuring that whatever we were doing, we were effecting change in a big way. The way I dealt with the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated industry was to keep my head down and produce great work. Focus on the work—no one can argue with great work. I always believed in meritocracy, but our business was not fair or just. As I continued to do great work and my natural leadership skills emerged, I did a crazy dance of balancing family and work breathing in between. My motivation was to give my kids a great life, which I did, although they could have had more MOM time. Truth is, I also LOVED coming up with ideas and bringing them to life.

One of my biggest lessons is that time is finite. Your kids will grow up. Your ideas aren’t necessarily on the same timeline as raising a family. Understanding the delicate balance of raising children who deserve their mother’s attention and being an inventor who needs her blank canvas. It’s hard to have it all. Something is going to give.

Another is to live your truth. Get to know yourself. When you are so busy doing you are not being. Often you never know who you are.

To women, I’d say do not accept the status quo. The world is not fair. Do the work and fight for what you deserve. You are entitled to equal everything.

About me and my brand: I am a mother first and an innovator second. I am passionate about leaving this world a better place. I endeavor to be an inspiring role model for my three beautiful children and leave a legacy that they’d be proud of.

Under the Sisterhood is a social impact company that sees, hears, and celebrates all women’s voices and perspectives. We are a sisterhood of women—young, old, and every age in between. We get “under the hood” on women’s individual and collective experiences, acknowledging and sharing stories to help ignite change. Our mission is to build a global community where women’s health and well-being are strengthened through sisterhood.

We recently launched our Under the Hood of Women’s Health Platform, a resource space designed to address all things related to women’s health from puberty to post-menopause. The intention is to educate through authentic storytelling. Our vision is to give women access to health stories that cover different stages of their lives. We want to ensure they are informed, confident, and equipped to look after their health. When health challenges occur, we aim to provide the information needed to shorten the time to diagnosis and treatment. By sharing stories, we help women connect the dots and act sooner to prevent or address disease.

As the founder, I will do everything I can to make this world a better place for women as long as I am alive.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As an art lover, a week in NYC might start with a visit to MoMA, depending on the current exhibits. Afterward, head to the Union Square area for lunch at ABC Kitchen. Another museum I love is The Whitney Museum, with a walk on the High Line, and a visit to Little Island which make it a perfect trifecta in that area… there are many delicious restaurants you can’t go terribly wrong at The Standard. Recently, I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and found it to be a magnificent blend of history and various mediums. The experience was enhanced by dining at their restaurant, where the food was quite tasty.

I am also a foodie with ABC Kitchen as a go-to spot, along with Ilili for its delicious Mediterranean cuisine, and Boqueria for tapas. I generally prefer to stay below 23rd Street, where these spots are conveniently located. Additionally, there are many street fairs and markets throughout the city, which can be quite interesting to explore. These events offer a unique glimpse into the local culture, with a variety of artisanal goods, foods, and entertainment.

Of course, there’s always the appeal of traditional sites such as the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Times Square, the World Trade Center, with the Jewish Museum, and Lady Liberty. Exploring the bridges, especially the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, is a must.

Visiting Brooklyn itself, with its rich history and recent renovations by the waterfront, offers a vibrant mix of old and new. While in Brooklyn, don’t miss the Brooklyn Museum, which hosts a diverse range of art and cultural exhibits, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a beautiful oasis perfect for a relaxing stroll among stunning seasonal flora. And I love the little Prospect Park Zoo as I lived in Park Slope and would take my son there.

And for those looking for some nature while in NYC, the parks are extraordinary. Central Park in Manhattan and Prospect Park in Brooklyn offer vast green spaces and a variety of recreational activities. Both parks are perfect for a leisurely walk, a bike ride, a picnic, or simply enjoying the outdoors. In Prospect Park they also have the Drummer’s Grove a gathering place for drummers for over 30 years.

NYC is also home to amazing universities, art schools, and colleges that make it an academic hub. I was fortunate to attend Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, which has a vibrant campus and a rich history in art and design education.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Wow… I suppose I would start by shouting out my mom, who always believed in me and encouraged me to be myself. She marched to her own beat, and both she and my father were role models in that way. I had a blank canvas to figure out who I was and what I wanted to do. While my mother was alive, she was my biggest cheerleader. Shoutout to my dad for his lifelong discipline and to my stepmother, each a unique role model in their own way. My family has been huge champions and supporters of all my work and accomplishments over the years. My children, Olivia, Georgia, and Ian, have been the inspiration behind many of my projects, including Happy Fuel. Aunt Janie stands out for showing up to every event I launched. My brother Mike was the inspiration for the social platform, Caregiver SpeakUp.

From a business perspective, I want to shout out all of those who have been on this journey with me and believed in Under the Sisterhood from the start: Amy Danielson, Matt Butler, my daughters Olivia Clyne and Georgia Blatchford (so grateful to have you on the podcast, facilitating programming, as panelists, and at our events), my stepmother Dr. Christine Bastl for showing up in so many ways, and the incredible Under the Sisterhood advisory team members: Becky Chidester, Lucia Kanter St. Amour, Hui Tang, Dr. Taniqua Miller, Ann-Marie Coore, Lois Hue, Zerline Goodman, Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, Dr. Kathy Kordy, Rachel Braun Scherl, Elsy Boglioli, Dr. Erica Bowen, and Dr. Rachael Bullingham.

I am so grateful for their brilliance, expertise, and support throughout the process.

Website: https://www.underthesisterhood.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/underthesisterhood/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethelfenbein/

Twitter: https://x.com/UnderSisterhood

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/underthesisterhood/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4n7IL-ci-mV91emRcrli7A

Image Credits
Matt Butler