Before founding her eponymous design studio, Elissa was a graphic designer at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, where she designed major marketing campaigns for such international art exhibitions as Fabergé Revealed; California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way; and Future Beauty: Avant-Garde Japanese Fashion, among others.

Prior to this, Elissa was graphic designer at Stonewall Kitchen, one of the most awarded specialty food companies in the country. Often working closely with company founders, Jon King and Jim Stott, Elissa produced best selling signature and seasonal packaging for their vast collection of fine foods. While there, Elissa also worked directly with Food Network star, Ina Garten for the company’s partnership with the celebrated Barefoot Contessa Pantry line of foods. Gaining invaluable insight into all aspects of designing for the retail environment, Elissa began to hone her mastery of packaging design from product development to photography and catalog layout, to press approvals and PR.

Elissa began her design career as graphic designer at one of Boston’s leading research and advisory firms AMR Research, (acquired by Gartner in 2009).

Elissa shares her design expertise with undergraduate and graduate students as a periodic Adjunct Professor of Graphic Design and developer of graphic design curriculum.

In addition to her design work, Elissa maintains a studio art practice. Exploring techniques as varied as digital hand drawn illustration and the Japanese craft of shibori, Elissa enjoys exhibiting her work and has numerous pieces in private collections.

Elissa earned a master of fine arts from Boston University and a bachelor of arts from the University of New Hampshire. She received a post-baccalaureate certificate in Public Relations from New York University and completed studies at Studio Arts Centers International, Florence, Italy.