Elena joins the Ateema team after serving 5 and a half years as Associate Director of Marketing & Events at the educational nonprofit for first generation college students from under-resourced communities in Chicago, Chicago Scholars. 

Elena was first introduced to Ateema after she attended a Chicago Planner Master Class event in early 2020. Networking with other event industry professionals and learning about new vendors who could put a creative stamp on her events, showcase the brand in a new way, and create unique and memorable moments for attendees was exciting and a valuable professional development opportunity. 

Elena: “I was one of the only staff on my team that planned events, so having a chance to speak with other event professionals and discuss best practices was helpful to my career.”  Planning events for young high school and college age students meant she needed to stay on top of new ways to keep her events engaging and fun. “I’m excited to provide the same high level of support to other planners that I received at my first Ateema run Chicago Planner Master Class event and keep pushing the industry to innovate in new ways by working together.”