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
Former Chief Operating Officer
Ellen Allerton, our former Director of Operations and Head Writer & Editor at Goodness Exchange, is the engine that keeps our team humming harmoniously. She's the ultimate organizational aficionado, known for both her meticulous attention to detail and an uncanny knack for understanding societal currents, guiding us seamlessly towards intersections where our positive message has impact.
Surrounded by creative minds, she is renowned for both her astonishing attention to detail and her remarkable sense of social sensitivity: a wonderful instinct that keeps us aligned, seamlessly, with the ever-evolving, positive parts of the Zeitgeist.
Ellen's innate ability to translate creative ideas into actionable plans remains the cornerstone of our organizational model at the Goodness Exchange. Surrounded by the inspired impulses, competing ideas, and priorities of the two innovative founders of the Goodness Exchange, Ellen's role and impact stands as a testament to her cool head, innovative mindset and collaborative spirit.
For the past 5 years, Ellen has been the wizard behind the scenes, ensuring every aspect of our work shines.
As the driving force behind the quality of everything we have created, Ellen has demonstrated her prowess as THE detail person that every organization needs. She is the epitome of a "finisher," always surpassing expectations by going the extra mile. With that as a kind of "superpower," she consistently elevates the platform's reach and impact.
Despite the fact that we are prone to embracing a constant stream of innovations, Ellen's meticulous organizational abilities always ensure that operational processes run with clockwork precision. And as a leader, what truly distinguishes Ellen is her graceful and diplomatic demeanor, allowing her to hold individuals accountable while providing unwavering support, making them feel valued and indispensable.
And if that wasn't enough, Ellen also gets to exercise her own creative skills at the Goodness Exchange. She has spent years as a prolific writer on our team, using her social sensitivity and beautiful curiosity to craft articles that inspire and move others to action. In fact, she penned 2 of our top 5 highest performing articles of all time.
After her upbringing in small town Vermont, Ellen's high personal standards were honed in her college years at the renowned St. Lawrence University where she graduated with a dual degree in Performance & Communication Arts and Government. Living and studying abroad in Dunedin, New Zealand during that time broadened her global perspective and enrobed her with a global sensitivity that is much needed in today's world.
Today, she has filled her life with figure skating, softball, exploring in her inflatable kayak, and cherished moments with friends in Boston. A film aficionado and passionate cook, she revels when the two intersect.
Ellen isn't just a vital part of our team; she's the linchpin that makes us resilient, spirited, and fun-loving. Her commitment to excellence and passion for what's good in the world make her a vital change-maker when it comes to our effort to change the negative dialogue about our times.
Author's Articles
4 Strategies to Stop Procrastinating and Start Living
Are you a master procrastinator? As Tim Urban explains, chronic procrastinators have three main characters at play in our brains: the Rational-Decision Maker, the Instant-Gratification Monkey, and the Panic Monster! So how can we keep the monkey at bay to stop procrastinating and start living?
Vermont Organization Helps Veterans Find Community on the Ski Slopes
When winter sets in, this Vermont organization sets out to help veterans transition back to civilian life and recover from their invisible disabilities by coming together on the ski slopes.
5 min read
Extreme Poverty is at an All-Time Low and Other Remarkable Stats About Our Improving World
Rates of poverty, hunger, and sickness, and many more are all falling. Here are the uplifting facts about our world that will restore your confidence in humanity and show you that despite the rampant doom and gloom, many things ARE getting better.
5 min read
A Lesson on Going All In with Balanced Rock Structures
These physics-defying, impossible-looking, potentially bone-crunching rock structures are held together by nothing but gravity. And Michael Grab, their creator, has a lot to teach us about the value of choosing the top rock first and going all in to pursue our goals.
5 min read
This 81 Year Old Learned to Code to Create an App for Seniors
You're never too old to learn or try something new. Not ever. If you need proof, take a look at 81 year-old Masako Wakamiya, who after never touching a computer until she was 58, coded an entire app to help seniors in her community stay connected and live more fulfilling lives.
5 min read
The Purple, Fuzzy Burrower You Thought You Knew: The Sand Dollar!
What you might have thought a cute, nostalgic souvenir is actually a hardcore, metal-eating, badass burrower, surviving in the harshest of places! These fuzzy, purple, sea floor dwellers are none other than the sand dollar, and they’re full of exciting surprises you never thought possible.
5 min read
Changing the Narrative and Loving Yourself with All Bodies on Bikes
Ever doubted you could do something because of the way your body looks? These two thought leaders are on a cross country journey to prove we can do anything our hearts desire and live our best, most happy lives if only we learn to let go of the unrealistic expectations and unnecessary stigmas which society imposes.
5 min read
These Moving Mirrors Reveal a New Reflection of Yourself
Have you ever peered into a mirror made of troll dolls, penguins, or folding fans? Dive into this artist's world to see yourself in entirely new ways!
5 min read
Shattered Glass Portraits Highlight Beauty in What’s Broken
Let's think big about the possibilities of materials we encounter every day! Playing with light, transparency, and dimension, Swiss artist Simon Berger creates stunning portraits with nothing but a pane of glass and a hammer. His work shows us that whether it's by recycling, creating art, or just reusing, everything can be repurposed.
5 min read
Pushing the Limits of Our Passions: Figure Skating in the Arctic Circle
Want to reignite a passion of yours? There's always something new to learn, even with something we've been mastering for decades. We're heading to the Arctic Circle to discover how one master tested her limits, skating into entirely unknown territory and creating one of the most beautiful performances we've seen.
Is OK the Old OMG? How Teenage Slang Takes Over the World
Could current teenage slang have the staying power to still be in frequent use 200 years from now? That's just what happened with a word I'd bet you say every single day. Stick with me on this one, OK?
How #TeamTrees Proves the Internet Can Do Good
20. Million. NEW. Trees. You read that right! When fans of YouTuber MrBeast sparked a lofty goal of planting 20 million trees in 2019, the mission spread like wildfire, exploding to include thousands of content creators and hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Check this story out for proof that when people come together for good, there’s no end to their impact.
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