Authors
After graduating from St. Lawrence University in 2020 and returning home to Vermont, Ellen found that helping make the world a better place with the GE team was just where she wanted to be. You can usually find her watching television while getting crafty, on the ice as a figure skating coach for 10-14 year old's, or in her inflatable kayak named Heidi. She's quite the film nerd and quite the cook, and likes it best when those two things - movies and food - coincide.
Ellen Allerton
Chief Operating Officer
Hi! I'm Ellen, the COO of the Goodness Exchange.
Having always known I wanted to make the world a better place in my professional life, I joined the Goodness Exchange team as an intern in 2018 back when we were still Ever Widening Circles, ready to dive in and help the world see all the goodness out there. Now, three years later, I'm our Director of Operations, Head Writer & Editor, and (as the GE team would probably say) organization aficionado, keeping all cylinders firing in the same direction.
I graduated from St. Lawrence University in 2020 with a dual degree in Performance & Communication Arts and Government amid the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Graduating in such a tumultuous time forced me and my fellow COVID-grads to enter the workforce with a unique perspective that despite the seeming dumpster-fire of the world: that there had to be some good happening... there had to be other people like me who cared about our world and were working to make it better. I was dead set on finding them, on feeling less alone in that feeling of caring so much. And I certainly did! That's why I'm here, and by nature of being here on the Goodness Exchange, I know that must be - in some part - why you're here too.
My academic background included 6 months living and studying abroad in Dunedin, New Zealand and focused on blending my majors of government and communication to a culminating Senior Thesis on the deep importance of presidential rhetoric (and its profound impact - an interesting topic to be writing my Senior Thesis on in the spring of 2020). My other projects during my academic career included the relationship between governments (US and NZ) and the indigenous peoples whose land they exist on, and gender equity in modern day media.
I spend my personal time as a figure skating coach for 8-12 year old's, a high school varsity softball coach, movie and tv enthusiast, and an avid cook! I hail from the far north (St. Albans, Vermont) but now find myself in Boston, enjoying all the city has to offer.
Contact me if you…
- Have a great short film you’d like to pitch for us to feature on the site (and maybe you’d like to write the article around it!)
- Think your film would be a great fit for Amazing World Media
- Find a typo! Anywhere!
Or for literally anything else. Hearing from you all is my favorite part of my day! You can find me at [email protected]
Author's Articles
How Indigenous Knowledge Helped Plant Over 3 Million Trees in the Andes
Over 30 years, the work of one man eventually brought together 25,000 families to make an immeasurable difference in the lives of his community for generations to come. Using Indigenous knowledge to save the planet saves lives, and that has never been easier. How, you ask?
If You Lost 29 Years of Memories, What Would Bring You Back to Life?
After a car accident, Benny couldn’t remember his name, that he had a son, or even where he was. But Benny had a trombone, and he did remember one thing: how to play it. With that, he brought his music to the street to bring joy to others.
Stop and Smell the…Weeds? A Reminder that Wonder is All Around You!
Weeds are seen as pests, but what if we thought of them as miraculous, instead? Is it possible that we have been wrongfully hating weeds for years, seeing their ability to grow anywhere as a great nuisance instead of a remarkable feat?
The Company Crushing Your Wine Bottles to Save Louisiana’s Coastline
Step one: get the glass. Step two: smash the glass. Step three: sort the glass. Step four: save the planet. An idea that began in a college dorm room with a bottle of wine has grown into a massive startup that is saving us from the world's sand shortage and saving Louisiana's shrinking coast. Here's how Glass Half Full is doing it.
Beyond Borders, What Connects Us? This Hand-Drawn Map of North America Shows Us
Maps are just maps… right? Just pictures of the world that show oceans and land; countries and states. That’s what you’d think, but as it turns out, maps can show us a whole lot more than that. What if a map didn’t just show us borders and countries, but things that made our homes, our states, the places we love so unique and special?
How Rice Paddy Murals Saved this Japanese Village
Each year the town of Inakadate, Japan is flooded with tourists who come to see something incredibly special: their annual murals. What’s so special about these murals? They aren’t sketched or painted on a wall, they are planted in epic proportions in the town’s rice paddies. And these massive starchy masterpieces aren’t just breathtaking... over the past three decades they have revived a once struggling town!
The World’s First Germ Resistant Material, Inspired by… Sharks?
Taking inspiration from sharks, we now have a technology that can help prevent the spread of Staph infections, E Coli, MRSA, and other superbugs that we don’t even have antibiotics for yet! Engineers have discovered that shark skin has a unique pattern that can be duplicated and applied to everything from door handles to medical equipment to prevent the spread of deadly diseases.
These Heroic Rats Save Lives by Detecting Land Mines and Tuberculosis
Step aside Remy from Ratatouille and Templeton from Charlotte’s Web! These rescuer rats trained by nonprofit APOPO might not be nearly as famous, but their work sniffing out land mines and tuberculosis is saving many, many more lives.
Today is Enough and You are Enough. Use Your Special Things!
Do you have anything in your home that you're waiting for the perfect moment to use? A bottle of wine, dress, or candle, perhaps? Gillian Dunn has a special trick for how we can stop letting our candles melt in the closet, and instead decide that any moment can be special.
What is Slacklining? These Fearless Women Defy Gravity and Stereotypes
Have you heard of slacklining? This daredevil sport has historically been very male dominated, but things are starting to change. Walking almost on air, four fearless women have become pioneers of the open space, finding mental calm while harnessing their physical strength. By being open and vulnerable high in the air, they display brave feats that we all might just be able to learn from.
Giving Un-Adoptable Dogs New Life as Wildlife Crime-Stoppers
With an incredible sense of smell, natural instincts for hunting, and a trainable nature, man’s best friend might just be nature’s best friend, too. The Pooches of Working Dogs for Conservation are finding their niche in this world as anti-poaching agents, catching poachers, saving animals, and proving that when we lean into our talents, anything is paw-sible.
Mushrooms Could Start Replacing Leather, Bacon, and Styrofoam in the Next 5 Years
Have you ever tasted bacon made of fungi? Received a package cushioned by mushrooms? My guess is not yet… but probably soon! New York-based company Ecovative has created an alternative to plastic, which can save water, time, money, and the planet, too!
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