Ellen Gustafson

Ellen Gustafson is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of We the Veterans and Military Families, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization.12 Here are some key details about her:

Background

• Ellen is a proud Navy spouse and Navy and Coast Guard granddaughter.2
• She lives in Virginia Beach, VA with her husband and three young children.2

Professional Experience

• Co-founded We the Veterans & Military Families, which aims to empower the veteran and military family community to strengthen democracy.2
• Previously co-founded other organizations including FEED, Food Tank, and the Military Family Building Coalition.2
• Co-directed the Summit Institute.2

Achievements and Recognition

• Author of "We the Eaters: If We Change Dinner, We Can Change the World".2
• Named a Fortune Most Powerful Women Entrepreneur.2
• Has given four TEDx Talks.2

Role at We the Veterans

As Executive Director, Ellen leads the organization's efforts to engage and empower the 16 million+ veterans and their family members in the United States.1 The organization focuses on building patriotic engagement programs, including their flagship program Vet the Vote, which recruits members of the veteran and military family community to serve as poll workers.1

Ellen's experience as a military spouse has informed her work. She was inspired to found We the Veterans and Military Families after experiencing the unity and support within the military community during challenging times, such as raising young children during a pandemic while her husband was deployed.3