Ellen Ornato, founder of The Next Peace, has facilitated conversations and led trainings around issues of cultural diversity, conflict management, personality type instruction and communication for more than 20 years. She brings a rich background in municipal government, private industry and entrepreneurship to her trainings.

 Ellen is an entrepreneur and a change maker.  In 1997 she launched Solutions PR & Marketing, LLC, which specialized in public relations, marketing. A few years later she launched The Next Peace, a consulting business focused on group facilitation on topics related to diversity & inclusion, unconscious bias, personality type, conflict styles, and cross-cultural communication.

Ellen is the Education Director of LiveKind™, a non-profit organization that teaches empathy and kindness-building skills as an antidote to aggression and bullying in schools. Through LiveKind she is currently working on "Cops & Kids," a program that focuses on the relationships between police and youth in New Haven, CT.

Ellen’s newest venture is a partnership with Jenny Drescher called ConnectAnd Improv for Work & Life.  Here, the two partners marry their passion for improvisation with their knowledge of workplace skills to create dynamic, fun workshops that focus on public speaking, networking skills, customer service & team building. Ellen & Jenny also perform improv together whenever they can fit it in.

 Prior to joining the facilitation and training world, Ellen worked in urban planning, economic development, and community relations/marketing for a large regional retailer.

Ellen holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning and is fluent in Spanish.  She is a certified trainer for both Myers-Briggs (MBTI) and the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. She has passions for travel and exploration, social justice issues, and her family.