At the end of 2012, Elise sold her firm to Dentsu, Inc., taking on a global role to oversee M&A for the company’s public relations investments. She also led a successful five-year integration of her firm into Dentsu’s growing global network. Today she advises clients through her own leadership and business consultancy, elisemitchell.com.

In addition to the Inc. 500/5000 recognitions, Elise has received numerous national awards including: Entrepreneur of the Year (NAFE), Agency Professional of the Year (PRWeek), a Top 50 Power Player in Public Relations (PRWeek), a Top Speaker to See (Huffington Post), a 2019 inductee into the ICCO Hall of Fame, and her firm was twice named Agency of the Year (Holmes Report and PRWeek).

Elise is a globally recognized leadership expert. She is the author of a best-selling book on leadership called “Leading Through the Turn” (McGraw Hill 2017) and a popular leadership blog. She is the founder and facilitator of a high-performance leadership workshop. Her writings have appeared in Entrepreneur, The Huffington Post, Thrive Global and Mashable. She has spoken across the U.S. and in 12 countries. Most recently she served as global president of the International Communications Consultancy Organization, which represents more than 3,500 public relations agencies in 66 countries.

Elise is a graduate of executive education on leadership and business at Harvard Business School, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and The Aspen Institute. She received a master’s degree from the University of Memphis and a bachelor’s degree from Abilene Christian University, where she also serves as a member of the board of trustees. She is an adjunct professor for Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. Elise is credentialed as an Associate Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation, and as a Results-Trained Coach™ by the NeuroLeadership Institute. She is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America and a member of the society’s prestigious College of Fellows.

Elise is a passionate advocate for entrepreneurs. She serves as an advisor and investment partner with two renowned venture capital groups, New Road Capital Partners and Valor Ventures, and the global impact investment fund, Endeavor Catalyst. She also serves as the founding board chair for Endeavor Northwest Arkansas, which provides financial, intellectual and cultural capital to help accelerate fast-growing entrepreneurial companies in the heartland region.

Elise and her husband, Raye, live in Nashville. They are proud parents of two children, Mackenzie and Jackson. When she’s not working with clients, you can find Elise motorcycling with her husband, running the trails near their home or planning their next trip off the beaten path.