Elyse Gordon (she/her) is the Director of Programs at EPIP. As a facilitator and educator who creates events with equity and inclusion at their core, she believes in the power of purposeful gathering in order to transform our selves and our communities towards more just and creative outcomes. Elyse has been working in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors for 15 years, focusing on how power and identity inform the internal and external operations of philanthropic ventures. She holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Washington, where she studied the limits and possibilities of social justice philanthropy to transform our world. Prior to EPIP, Elyse worked at Philanthropy Northwest, where she built conferences, member events, and trainings that promoted racial equity and equitable resource distribution. Prior to that, she was an instructor at University of Washington-Bothell where she taught about the nonprofit sector and the power of maps. She holds a B.A. from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN.

Elyse served as an organizer with Jewish Voice for Peace, Seattle for many years, is a longtime member of Social Justice Fund NW, and loves supporting the landscape of queer- and trans-led organizing in the NW. She has served on the young professionals board of Crosscut and was the co-founder of Eat for Equity, Seattle Chapter. An avid chef and amateur dancer, Elyse can often be found supporting local burlesque and drag performers, singing karaoke, reading non-stop, and listening to birdsong. Elyse lives in Seattle with her partner, Sunni and their dog, Tala.