Elena is a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, with a background in nonprofit management and public affairs. She received her MPA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2021.

In her role as Program Coordinator for the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers, Elena supports the revitalization of traditional indigenous agriculture and ceremonial practices that shaped Indigenous peoples’ lives pre-colonization. Elena and the Alliance of Native Seedkeepers are committed to championing indigenous rights, protecting the environment, promoting food and health security, and supporting Indigenous peoples in resisting the ever-present threats of ethnocide and genocide.