Ellen Shepard is the founder and CEO of The Resource Collaborative. Throughout her career, Ellen has successfully led both for-profit and non-profit institutions through organizational and human development processes, creating and staffing high performing technology teams. Her experience spans investment firms, financial exchanges, insurance companies, and non-profits in the education reform movement.
Ellen previously served as CIO of Teach For America; CIO, life and shared services at MassMutual Financial Group; founding principal, CIO and COO at Agility Investment Technologies; CIO and SVP for management information systems at J. & W. Seligman & Co., Inc. and CIO for The New York Board of Trade.
Across these venues, Ellen’s goals have always focused on the marriage of technology and people, with the ultimate goal of aligning technology solutions to achieve business objectives. Because she understands that people, not technology, bring success to an organization, she has gathered a collaborative of highly successful professionals who are ready to assist organizations in developing productive and efficient strategies to meet their goals and vision.
Ellen attended the University of South Carolina and the executive management program at the University of Hartford Graduate School. Ellen was named as one of Information Management’s top 25 Information Managers for her executive work as CIO for Teach for America. Ellen continues her work as an entrepreneur and role model creating “the next generation talent collaboration” with The Resource Collaborative.
Ellen is a founding Leader of 85 Broads – Northern New Jersey Chapter – A global networking group of professional women. Some of the work of this Chapter is centered on the mentoring of young women college students, many from underprivileged environments, to guide them into the transition to the workplace. Ellen is particularly active in this mission.
Ellen is an advocate of promoting STEM education and professional development for women and participates in panel discussions and events to exchange ideas and support this movement.
Ellen supports The Career and Life Transitions Center for Women in Hunterdon, Mercer, Somerset and Warren Counties, which provides supportive services to meet the needs of “Displaced Homemakers”. Ellen has run workshops regarding transitioning to a new job and resume writing, as well as being active in seeking the donation of appropriate career clothing for interviews.
Ellen is a strong supporter of education reform in our public school systems. She actively supports Teach For America and the work they perform across the county in disadvantaged school districts. Ellen is in the process of developing a working proposal for the reform of our vocational education system and how we can create “real world” jobs in the technology sector for the next 10 years.
Ellen’s Favorites
Book: Pillars Of the Earth by Ken Follett
Movie: As Good As It Gets
Restaurant: 44 & X
Connect With Ellen