Elina is a Research Analyst at MEF Associates, based in the Bay Area. She is a detailed-oriented researcher who is passionate about economic security and poverty abolition at the household, neighborhood, and county levels. At MEF, Elina is building an expertise in direct cash assistance programs, public benefit systems, wealth and inequality policies, and analyzing the experiences of marginalized communities in the labor market. She also has research interests in housing, urban planning, and systems change. Elina has a strong data analysis and data visualizations background using multiple statistical languages; and enjoys translating technical research into engaging and accessible dissemination products.
Prior to MEF, Elina worked in child welfare using her 15 years in the foster care and child welfare systems to drive systems change for children, youth, and families. She continues her advocacy in this space by working alongside organizations across the country and federal and local governments to better serve youth who are transitioning out of foster care. Additionally, Elina has a background in foreign policy and international economic development working across East and Western Africa, East Asia, and Latin America. She continues to use a global and interconnected lens in her work on domestic social policy in the U.S.
Elina received a dual Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and English Literature and dual minors in Economics and Human Rights Studies at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. She has a Master of Public Policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.
Outside of work, you can find Elina running in the Redwoods, being in community with her loved ones, or getting lost in a good book or film.