Docu-Media Producer, Culinary Researcher, Entrepreneur
Berkeley, California 

Meet Leila Elamine, entrepreneur and creative leader. As the first employee and head of creative and content at Shef, a homemade food marketplace, Elamine shaped the company’s value proposition and led marketing campaigns that fueled nationwide expansion, securing $73.5 million in funding. Before Shef, Elamine founded the Culinary Heritage Nonprofit, documenting traditional food practices in more than 60 communities and producing more than 100 short films. Supported by partners like Slow Food and the Ford Foundation, her work raised awareness of endangered culinary traditions and sustainable food practices.

Currently, Elamine consults early-stage artificial intelligence companies, guiding content and creative strategies to help them connect with their audiences through brand development. Previously, she contributed to oncology research at Harvard Cancer Center, co-authoring papers in Nature and Science. She is an Edmund Hillary Fellow and has received awards for her contributions to food heritage and research. Elamine holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Emory College.

When she’s not working, Elamine loves spending time cooking and gardening with her partner, foraging and hiking with her dog, and playing with her son. She enjoys hosting dinner parties for friends, exploring farmers’ markets, reading, learning, and traveling. Elamine finds joy in the outdoors, whether hiking along coasts and mountains or relaxing by a fire.

She finds fulfillment in conducting user research, interviewing people, and learning their stories. Elamine enjoys the blend of creativity and strategy in her work and loves collaborating with smart, dedicated, and kind individuals to bring novel ideas to life. Emory played a significant role in her success, thanks to the incredible teachers who fostered her growth and inspired her to write with passion, appreciate the beauty of mathematics, create art, and love science.