Elana Gootson is the Director of Philanthropy and Collaborative Entrepreneurship at the Jewish Federation of Pinellas & Pasco Counties.
Elana has lived and worked in London, New York City, Boston and now resides in the Tampa Bay area. Building on a Bachelor degree in Sociology, Elana is currently earning a Masters in Non-Profit Management from Gratz College in Philadelphia.
Based on a 40-year study of human strengths, Gallup created a language of the 34 most common talents and developed the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment to help people discover and describe these talents. These are Elana’s natural talents that she has honed during her career in consumer trend forecasting, marketing and brand management and community based philanthropy. In the private sector, Elana has consulted for brands like Adidas, Levi’s, Coty Cosmetics and Virgin Records.
Activator
Elana is especially talented in the Activator theme and can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. Discovering what makes each person unique is one of the ways she galvanizes groups or inspires particular individuals.
Strategic
Elana can quickly spot the relevant patterns, issues and a creative alternate way to proceed. She artfully pinpoints the core problems and helps identify solutions.
Woo
People who are especially talented in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. Elana derives satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.
Command
People who are especially talented in the Command theme have presence. Elana can take control of a situation, lead and make decisions.
Communication
People who are especially talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. Elana is a great facilitator and presenter.