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+1 (317) 450-8357

elise@cerene.life

We don’t stumble upon meaning. We build it. Word by word, habit by habit, moment by moment. My work awakens what’s possible within humans and guides them to architect lives of purpose and contribution.

I meet humans at their edge: leaders navigating transition, individuals reimagining their next chapter and those seeking to build a meaningful legacy.

As the founder and CEO of Cerené, I design immersive Experiences that catalyze deep transformation for both individuals and businesses.

Drawing on my background in ontological coaching, my leadership in developing some of the top-rated executive education programs at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and with over two decades of research and experience spanning clinical social work, public policy, behavioral science and leadership transformation, I am renowned for building programs that tap into the greatness that exists within every human to unlock new possibilities for their lives and in their work.

See My Work

Primary area of expertise

I specialize in revealing and cultivating the potential
that lies dormant in humans and organizations.

My expertise lies in understanding the perceptual, emotional and behavioral constraints that shape performance and possibility, and in designing pathways to transcend them.

By blending research-based practices with ontological insights, I coach leaders and teams on how our hidden assumptions and unexamined narratives shape outcomes and how we can replace them with new patterns of thought, a system for self-mastery and deliberate action.

See My Speaker Pack

Work with me…

  • I speak on the topics below, or together, we design something specific to your team.

    1. From Success to Meaning Through Legacy

    2. Enrollment: The Leadership Skill That Turns Strategy Into Action

    3. Who Are You as a Leader?

    4. Becoming Unrecognizable: Reinventing Who You Are to Redefine What’s Possible

    All sessions can be delivered as a keynote or workshop in 45 min - 2 hours.

    DOWNLOAD MY SPEAKING PACK

  • For organizations seeking deeper, systemic change, I work with you to design custom programs that shift the collective mindsets embedded in your organizations.

    I help teams uncover and transcend the unspoken assumptions that limit growth, replacing them with new habits of trust, collaboration and skill development.

  • Through my company, Cerené, I design bespoke learning engagements for leadership teams, intact workgroups and cross-functional cohorts, each one rooted in our proven methodology for unlocking hidden potential and embedding new skills as lasting habits.

    We exist to unlock the hidden potential within extraordinary humans. We bring small groups to exotic locations around the world and lead individuals, partners or leadership teams through a process that transforms hidden potential into their reality.

    Éléments Experience

    A 108-day immersive development program that equips leaders to rapidly acquire high-value skills, reframe patterns that have limited progress and apply new approaches to critical objectives. Participants are prepared to:

    • Lead with clarity in thought, emotion and action by removing obstacles to progress for themselves and their teams.

    • Deliver measurable results under pressure.

    • Gain a trusted peer network that will hold them accountable in driving sustained performance across an organization.

    LEARN MORE ABOUT ÉLÉMENTS

    Keynote Craft Experience

    Our Keynote curriculum is a high-impact learning experience grounded in Deliberate Practice, as outlined by Anders Ericsson and others, combining rhetorical frameworks, narrative design and coaching. Through a eight-part process (Prepare, Polish, Practice, Present, Placement, Payment, Perspective, Philosophy), leaders turn an idea into a fully-formed keynote that embodies their voice, evokes action in their audience and equips them with:

    • A compelling keynote that communicates vision, purpose and strategic priorities

    • Elevated executive presence and influence across internal and external stages

    • Increased ability to inspire alignment, trust and action from diverse stakeholders

    • Long-term leadership value through reusable keynote structure

    LEARN MORE ABOUT KEYNOTE

  • I work one-on-one with leaders and change-makers navigating transition, helping them redefine who they are to themselves and to their teams.

    My coaching blends behavioral science, ontological insight and accountability practices to create measurable change from the inside out.

    Focus Areas:

    1. Reinvention & Identity Design: Guiding individuals through major life or career transitions; moments when who they’ve been no longer fits who they’re becoming. Together, we uncover the constraints that shape perception and redesign the identity from which action, leadership and purpose emerge.

    2. Purpose & Alignment: Moving beyond the search for purpose toward the practice of creating it. This work connects clients to what truly matters, translating insight into daily structure, habits and commitments that generate sustained meaning and contribution.

    3. Leadership & Impact: Coaching leaders to shift from performance-driven management to presence-driven leadership. Clients expand their capacity to listen, relate and enroll others in possibility.

    4. Emotional Mastery & Interpretation: Developing the ability to distinguish between events and the stories we tell about them. By observing moods and emotional patterns as interpretations, clients gain new freedom to respond rather than react, and to act with clarity and intention.

    5. Deliberate Practice & Embodiment: Designing habits that integrate new ways of being into daily life. Through a structured approach, clients translate learning into embodied skill.

Let's Chat

I’ve worked with…

  • Fetch
  • Google
  • Allstate Foundation
  • Kellogg Northwestern School of Management
  • Little City
  • National Chambers of Commerce 2023, Workshop (Washington DC)
  • NCAN 2023, Workshop (Dallas)
  • Global Leadership Conference 2024, Keynote Speaker (Chicago)
  • Abbvie
  • IFC 2025
  • Klick Health
  • Merck
  • NRECA
  • Per Scholas
  • Twiddy & Co
  • The Journey Group

How people experience my work

  • “Working with Elise has been one of the most meaningful professional experiences of my life. After more than 20 years of building my career and stepping into a C-suite role, I knew I had the skills, experience and instincts, yet I was still carrying uncertainty about what it meant to fully lead at that level.

    Elise helped me slow down, reflect and find my own voice as a leader. Through her questions, insight and steady support, I began to see that my ability to connect with people, create space for others, think deeply and lead with humanity as a central part of my executive presence.”

  • “The work has changed me professionally and personally. I am more confident in my decision-making, more comfortable in my role, less stressed and genuinely happier in how I lead. Elise gave me the space and support to understand myself in a deeper way, and that has had a lasting impact on how I show up in every part of my life. I am forever grateful for the experience.”

  • “I had the privilege of listening to Elise present her session, Wellbeing: The First & Most Important Job for Leaders, to an audience of nearly 200 nonprofit leaders from across the country at the Kellogg Center for Nonprofit Management at Northwestern University. Her presentation was nothing short of captivating - insightful, relatable and filled with practical takeaways that we could immediately apply. Her ability to engage the audience with both insightful and practical content is remarkable.”

  • "I found a lot of value in Elise’s approach that nudged me out of my comfort zone in a way that was clear and direct. This was more effective for me than anything sugar-coated."

  • “Elise seamlessly combines inspiration with real-world utility, offering takeaways that I could immediately apply to my work and life. What set Elise apart was her vulnerability, which added depth to the content and centered her powerful call to action.”

  • “Her message resonated deeply, particularly two points: 'Great leaders are less defined by what they do and more by how they make others feel,' and 'Wellbeing is not just the absence of disease, but having what you need to be happy in life.' These principles will stay with me as personal and professional guideposts moving forward. If you're looking for a speaker who will not only captivate but also provide actionable insights; Elise is the one!”

 FAQs

  • Ontological coaching is a discipline that studies how our language, perceptions, emotions and physical presence shapes every result we produce.

    It’s based on the idea that we don’t act on reality as it is; we act on how we perceive it. By learning to observe those perceptions, we can shift the patterns that limit our effectiveness, relationships and growth.

    Unlike traditional coaching, which often focuses on external goals or behaviors, ontological coaching works at a deeper structural level. It examines how our habitual ways of speaking and interpreting the world create the conditions in which we live and lead. In her practice, Elise helps humans develop the ability to redesign those internal structures, transforming not just what they do, but who they are being while doing it.

    Rooted in philosophy, linguistics and neuroscience, this approach offers a rigorous yet deeply human pathway to reinvention. The result is greater clarity, emotional agility and authenticity in how individuals lead, connect and create impact.

  • I work with those standing at an inflection point, leaders, founders and humans who sense that the next chapter of their life or work will demand a different version of them.

    My coaching and custom-designed experiences help individuals and teams build the mindset and language for sustained transformation.

    Drawing on decades of research and practice in behavioral science and ontological coaching, I create programs; keynotes, workshops and talks, that are curated to your context to catalyze results.

    Every engagement is intentionally designed to connect insight with application, leaving participants not only inspired but equipped to act differently the moment they return to their lives and work.

    My coaching is best suited for those:

    • In transition: navigating a new chapter in career, leadership or identity

    • At the ceiling of their current capacity: ready to unlock what’s next, but unsure what must shift to reach it

  • Coaching packages typically run 3–6 months, with regular sessions and exercises.

  • I am based in Chicago and work with clients and organizations worldwide, both virtually and in person.

  • I partner with organizations and individuals through three primary formats:

    • Speaking Engagements: Custom keynotes designed to catalyze transformation and align audiences around a shared vision of what’s possible.

    • Workshops & Executive Programs: Interactive sessions tailored to your organization’s goals, focused on trust, reinvention and the language of leadership.

    • 1:1 & Group Coaching: Personalized coaching for leaders navigating transition or pursuing meaningful reinvention in their careers and lives.

    To explore bringing me to your event, retreat or leadership program, please complete the inquiry form.

    Share your goals, audience and timeline, and I will follow up with you personally to design a custom engagement aligned with your objectives.

    You can reach out to me directly at elise@cerene.life

  • Yes. I offer virtual coaching, workshops and speaking engagements for global teams and individuals.

Browse My Featured Work