Ellen Feldman Ornato Founding Partner
Ellen is a dynamic facilitator with a warm, engaging style. She loves to see people evolve into who they’re meant to be through self-discovery and to see team members develop excellent communication practices and connect more deeply, building strong foundations of trust and respect.
Ellen’s diverse work background includes stints as a city planner, an economic development official, and a marketing director in a large retail chain. Prior to launching The Bolder Company, she owned a learning company and a marketing and public relations agency. Ellen is certified in the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator assessment tool (MBTI), Unconscious Bias, and DiSC. She holds an MA in Urban Planning and BA in Sociology/Spanish.
What does it mean to be bolder?
Being Bolder is about amplifying the characteristics that make you, you. It's about being the boldest version of yourself, so that you can pursue your life with confidence. It's about accepting your strengths (and challenges) and, without apology, owning what's unique and special about you.
What makes you bold?
I am confident in my ability to support the growth and development of humans (and dogs), so that they can create workplace climates that work for everyone. There are skills to be learned, and we have created ways to teach these skills that are impactful and sustainable. I believe that people WANT to succeed, and I love helping them remove the obstacles that they create for themselves!
What’s your favorite word and why?
BELONGING is my favorite word. It's at the core of all that's good in teams that collaborate and create together. I'm a lifelong student of people and I'm passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Belonging is the fourth building block of DEIB and it's the glue that holds initiatives (and teams) together.
What skills do you bring to The Bolder Company?
I've had a few professional lives, beginning in retail and entrepreneurism and now in the experiential learning space. I've worked in the municipal government, private non-profit, and corporate sectors, and the work I'm doing now is the sum total of those experiences. What this means is I can relate to a very broad spectrum of people, in a variety of industry sectors, and share stories from those experiences that support the work we're doing.
I love the marketing and sales aspects of the work I do, which is also a culmination of years of owning my own PR & marketing firm. I'm a natural networker; I love meeting people, learning about them, and then connecting them to each other. I see connections and opportunities that others might not, and I'm generous with the contacts that I have. I truly believe that when we share, we get more. More connections. Broader networks. More points of view.
What’s your customer experience super-power?
I'm a relationship builder and get to know our clients personally, to understand what's important to them. I bring humor and connection to the facilitation work we do with customers, to infuse learning with fun and engagement. I love the light bulb moments, when the experiences or debriefs cause realizations that I know will shift how the learners think about the world and their teammates. That's the good stuff; noticing those light bulb moments and facilitating the conversations that move people forward.