Born and raised in Colorado, Ellie spent as much of her childhood outside as possible. With two ski instructors for parents, winter weekends meant skiing every available minute. While waiting for the snow to fall, she and the neighborhood kids explored the open space behind their homes and built forts. She also spent much of her childhood summers in Michigan, boating and sailing with her grandfather and uncle.

Ellie attended the University of Colorado, earning degrees in International Affairs and Graphic Design. After college, the mountains and a desire to travel called her toward a life of adventure. She became a ski patroller, specializing in avalanche mitigation and working with avalanche rescue dogs. She also led lift evacuation efforts, trained and mentored new patrollers, and co-founded a Spanish club for the ski patrol. Her certifications include high-angle rope rescue, professional avalanche training, avalanche search and rescue, CPR and EMT.

Ellie later spent two summers working in the field in Yellowstone and the Cotswolds while pursuing an eclectic collection of jobs and adventures. She has lived in Spain and traveled extensively through Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Her varied experiences have helped shape her expertise in emergency management and response. Outside of work, she can usually be found skiing, biking, hiking, climbing, sewing, cooking, traveling, laughing or eating baklava.