Elissa teaches introductory through advanced courses in entrepreneurship (including courses in feasibility analysis, business plan development, the management of new and growing ventures, and technology commercialization). Her research concerns social networks and business launch; the linguistics of organizations; and the role of new technologies in collecting and analyzing data. Prior to joining LMU, Elissa taught at Baruch College and USC. At Baruch, she also worked with an on-site SBDC – leading workshops and providing consultations for entrepreneurs throughout New York City. Elissa has received recognition for her research and teaching activities, including the Acton Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Master Teacher Award, Baruch’s Teaching Excellence Award and the Academy of Management’s NFIB Dissertation Award. Early in her career, Elissa worked in brand and marketing management for companies including P&G, Sun Microsystems and LiveCapital (a startup acquired by Dun & Bradstreet). Elissa has degrees from Harvard University, London School of Economics and UCLA.
PhD: UCLA (2005)
MBA: UCLA (1996)
MSc: London School of Economics (1991)
AB: Harvard (1990)
