ELISSA O’DELL

SUMMARY

2x founder and operator with 10+ years building and scaling media, learning, and community platforms. Experienced in translating ideas into structured systems across content, education, and audience engagement, with a focus on emotional wellness and meaning-making. Currently pursuing a Master’s at Columbia University focused on the intersection of psychology, spirituality, and technology.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Co-Founder | Co-CEO

Huxly December 2017 - May 2025, Los Angeles, California

• Co-founded a no-code chatbot platform powering story-driven learning experiences across Instagram and Facebook DMs.

• Created the OneOnOne™ framework combining conversational design, UX, and narrative structure; drove 75% engagement, 35% CTR, and 5+ minute session times.

• Launched an MVP with 10,000+ users and a 300+ creator waitlist with $0 ad spend; raised venture funding as an all-female founding team.

• Designed and facilitated onboarding sessions and live trainings for 300+ creators and brands, guiding users through platform setup and engagement strategy.

• Guided creators and brand partners through launch readiness, aligning on chatbot flows, content, and marketing to ensure high-quality user experiences.

• Owned the end-to-end feedback loop, conducting user interviews and translating Voice of the Customer insights into product and experience improvements.

• Won a Shorty Award with charity: water for an interactive experience achieving a 91% response rate and 8+ minute session time.

• Built internal Notion systems to manage operations, workflows, and delivery across a cross-functional team of 6.

Co-Founder | COO

ELM January 2015 - December 2017, Los Angeles, California

• Co-founded an emotional intelligence LMS platform combining online courses, live salons, and digital storytelling to reimagine self-development for the digital age.

• Designed curriculum and learning experiences integrating emotional intelligence, action-based learning, and narrative-driven content to drive behavior change.

• Led outreach to source subject matter experts, achieving a 30%+ response rate and securing conversations with Gloria Steinem, Cleo Wade, Tegan and Sara, and The Beach Boys.

• Managed instructor and speaker relationships across 4 full-scale courses with bestselling authors, CEOs, and creators including Max Lugavere and Match.com.

• Hosted live learning salons and moderated community discussions for 200+ learners; improved completion rates by 15% and retention by 20%.

• Translated audience feedback into new learning formats, adapting courses into conversational, chat-based experiences that increased participation up to 50×.

Digital Course Producer

International Yoga Teacher, Thought Leader & Author, July 2013 - January 2015Los Angeles, California

• Led the end-to-end launch of one of the first high-touch online courses, translating a globally recognized retreat business into a scalable digital product before LMS platforms existed.

• Designed a learning experience integrating video lessons, journaling prompts, breathwork, and live virtual salons; achieved a 92% completion rate with students returning to content an average of 4 times.

• Directed, filmed, and produced all course content, including video lessons, written materials, and curriculum.

• Moderated a 100+ member community across live salons and a private Facebook group through two sold-out enrollment windows.

• Generated $10K+ in week one through an email-only launch with $0 ad spend.

KONY2012 LA CITY COORDINATOR

Invisible Children, January 2012 - November 2012, Los Angeles, California

• Established and led the Los Angeles satellite office, managing volunteers and operations across crisis response, PR, artist relations, and events.

• Produced “Cover the Night LA,” activating 7,000+ participants through city-wide street art installations, service projects, and public mobilization.

• Built partnerships with 60+ local businesses, media outlets, artists, and cultural leaders to expand community engagement and campaign reach.

National Speaker & Regional Lead

Invisible Children, January 2011 - December 2011, San Diego, California

• Built partnerships with 60+ local businesses, media outlets, artists, and cultural leaders to expand community engagement and campaign reach.

LEADERSHIP & ADVISORY

Board of Directors

Wanderlust Foundation for Workforce Development, November 2025 - Present

• Help launch a workforce development nonprofit advancing economic stability and meaningful employment through research, workforce programming, and low-cost career services for underserved individuals facing barriers to education and work.

• Advise on fundraising, brand, and partnership strategy to scale services with integrity and impact.

Startup Advisor & Mentor

O’Dell Advisory, May 2025 - Present

• Advise zero-to-one founders on MVP development, customer discovery, and go-to-market strategy using Lean Startup principles.

• Coached a media founder to pivot from premature fundraising to MVP execution, strengthening product–market validation and decision-making.

• Mentored an author on brand and monetization strategy, resulting in two high-converting events and stronger social-first conversions.

SPEAKING & MEDIA

Co-Host & Producer

MADWOMEN, November 2026 - November 2025

• Co-founded a no-code chatbot platform and studio powering story-driven conversations across Instagram and Facebook DMs, grounded in the OneOnOne™ framework.

• Created the OneOnOne™ framework rooted in conversational design, UX, and narrative structure to improve retention and conversion; drove 75% engagement, 35% CTR, and 5+ minute average session time.

• Launched an MVP with 10,000+ users and built a 200+ creator waitlist with $0 ad spend.

• Raised venture funding as an all-female founding team to launch and scale the platform.

• Won a Shorty Award with charity: water for an interactive fundraising experience, achieving a 91% response rate and 8+ minute session time.

• Built an internal Notion operating system to run studio operations, including intake, production workflows, timelines, and delivery across a cross-functional team of 6.

Keynote Speaker & Instructor

March 2011 - Present

• Keynote speaker, DigitalOcean Hatch: presented on founder burnout, emotional resilience, and leadership for early-stage founders and engineers.

• Masterclass instructor, AdWorld Prime: taught a global course on Instagram DM marketing and conversational design.

• Guest speaker, Cassandra Report: delivered a workshop on educational content strategy for impact-driven entrepreneurs.

• National speaker, Invisible Children: presented to 500,000+ students across UCLA, USC, NYU, UC Santa Barbara, and nationwide assemblies.

• Podcast guest: discussed conversational design, applied AI, and creative entrepreneurship.

AWARDS & HONORS

Gold Honor

The Shorty Awards, 2022

• Recognized for an interactive Instagram DM journey for charity: water that combined conversational UX and behavior-driven storytelling to move audiences from awareness to action.

EDUCATION

M.A. Candidate in Spirituality and Psychology: Science and Practice

Columbia University, Teachers College, New York, NY, May 2026- Present

Bachelor of Arts in Family Studies

Samford University •Birmingham, Alabama, 2010