Leya Elias
Manager, Capital
Programs
Leya is a social innovation strategist, program designer, and coalition-builder, who leads Echoing Green’s Global Fellow Search initiatives.
For nearly a decade, Leya has worked alongside leading social entrepreneurs, policymakers, community organizers, and researchers to create transformational change from Oakland, CA to Baltimore, MD, to Kigali, Rwanda. At Baltimore Corps, Leya served as the Deputy Chief of Staff, where she designed and implemented multi-million-dollar talent incubators and social innovation accelerators elevating Baltimore’s underrepresented leaders. Leya is relentlessly committed to connecting and investing in proximate leaders dismantling systems of global oppression.
A proud first-generation college graduate of Stanford University, Leya earned a B.A. in Psychology and African & African American Studies. Leya’s leadership and commitment to community-driven social innovation have been recognized with honors such as the J.E. Wallace Sterling Award, Truman Scholarship, and a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from House Representative Nancy Pelosi.
Originally from southeast San Francisco, CA, with roots in East Africa, Leya loves spending time with loved ones, exploring wellness practices, and immersing herself in contemporary art.
