Wendy Ellis
Wendy Ellis
Community Pracademic
Washington D.C.
TOPICS
Policy
Wealth Inequality
Politics
Economic Equity
Women of Color
Youth Development
Academia
Democracy
Education
Health
Innovation
Leadership
Mental Health
Race
Visual Storytelling
Global Health
Across a remarkable career spanning television news production, community advocacy, and public health research, Dr. Ellis has transformed every role into a platform for sparking a global resilience movement. Over the past decade, she has created practical tools, visionary frameworks, and research methods that help communities confront entrenched economic and health inequities—and imagine what becomes possible beyond them. Her iconic ‘Pair of ACEs Tree’ translates the complex science of community adversity into a powerful visual story of hope, healing, and action.
As a globally recognized scholar and ‘pracademic,’ Dr. Ellis brings together rigorous evidence and narrative change to help communities do more than ‘bounce back.’ Her work advances a bolder vision of community resilience: environments where children and families can ‘bounce forward,’ prosper, and thrive. A sought-after public speaker, she weaves history, public policy, and unforgettable storytelling into presentations that move audiences from understanding to action. Her distinctive voice is featured in the 2022 documentary, “America’s Truth: Cincinnati”, now part of the permanent archives at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Based in Washington, D.C., Wendy draws on global travel, lived observation, and current events to bring fresh insight to an increasingly complex world.
SPEAKING TOPICS INCLUDE:
Building and sustaining community resilience
Using narrative change as a catalyst for systems change
Making systems change practical, visible, and actionable
Applying systems thinking to complex, ‘wicked’ problems
Dr. Ellis is an amazing speaker. Her storytelling put me in the places and scenarios she describes and helped me see where I can act.
I’ve seen Wendy present several times over the past ten years and each time I learn something new. She has an amazing talent to take the complex and make it approachable to MDs, PhD, and no Ds (as in no-degrees).
One of the most inspiring and approachable speakers our organization has ever hosted. We still quote from her presentation from two years ago. Her work and personality are infectious! The tools and resources she provides make the impossible seem possible.
Copyright, 2025 | All rights reserved.