Ellen is a co-owner, CFO, and Director of Staff Development at Meld. She is also a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program, which is designed to create growth strategies for businesses nationally.

Ellen is a co-owner, CFO and Director of Staff Development at Meld. She is also a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program, which is designed to create growth strategies for businesses nationally.

Ellen Hallin

CFO and Director of Staff Development

Ellen is a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in Human Development and Social Policy, and holds two Masters degrees. She brings strong leadership skills to Meld that include strategic company growth initiatives, staff development, and oversight of Meld’s website and CRM projects. 

Ellen sits on the board of TRAIL of Johnson County, a nonprofit, membership-based organization whose mission is to help older adults successfully age in place. Aside from volunteering with TRAIL, Ellen’s favorite volunteer stint over the years was running a food pantry in Indianapolis.

Before moving to Iowa City, Ellen spent nearly 20 years living and working in Chicago and Evanston, Illinois. She enjoys gardening, hiking, going to the “bark park” with Indie, and all things Chicago sports., 

Accomplishments

  • Graduate of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program
  • Graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in Human Development and Social Policy
  • Two Master’s degrees, including one from Loyola University in Chicago
  • TRAIL of Johnson County Board Member

Just for fun: Gardening. Hiking. Family. All Things Chicago.

Most People Wouldn’t Know: I love to talk about politics, sports, and history. I spent most of my life in Chicago so I love all things Chicago and Chicago sports.
Favorite Local Establishment: Red’s Alehouse patio, because I love eating outside in the summer with family and friends. Red’s patio is peaceful and beautiful.
Favorite Food: Oasis falafel sandwich
Favorite TV Show: Atlantic Crossing!
Perfect Day: A perfect day for me is doing a little gardening, going for a hike in a beautiful place with Indie, my dog, and ending on a nice patio.

Favorite Color: Periwinkle blue
Spirit Animal: A cheetah. I can only dream of running that fast and making it look so effortless.
Favorite Music Genre or Artist: Dan Fogelberg! I love ’70s folk and he is my favorite singer/songwriter from that era.
Favorite Book: London by Edward Rutherfurd. It’s a terrific historical fiction novel with London as a backdrop (which is my favorite city).
Best Advice Received: Be nice. My grandmother and mother both would say this to me over and over. And when I stray from this now, I always regret it. Being nice solves many of the world’s ills. Not all of them but quite a few of them.
Favorite Thing About Working at Meld: It’s amazing to work with a team that is  fun, creative, and filled with really good people.