Our Staff

Ellen Braune brings over two decades of communications experience to her position as Director of Communications at the Opportunity Agenda. For 11 years Ellen worked in network television where she was an editor, writer and producer of such television programs as CBS’s 60 Minutes, NBC’s Today Show, and PBS’s Frontline. She left television to provide affordable and much-needed strategic communications planning and public relations support to social change organizations. Prior to her position as Communications Director at the Opportunity Agenda, Ellen served as the Vice President of Communications at the Ms. Foundation for Women.

Since the 1980’s Ellen has built successful communications departments for three national social justice organizations, and was a strategic communications and organizational development consultant for a range of social justice organizations, Ellen served as the first Communications Director for Demos: A Network for Ideas and Action, a public policy, research and advocacy organization focusing on democracy and economic opportunity. Prior to her position at Demos Ellen was a Senior Vice President at DC- based Fenton Communications, where she opened the New York City office. Before joining Fenton, Ellen was Communications Director for the National Labor Committee where she designed high profile public education and advocacy campaigns focusing on sweatshop conditions in factories producing for the Gap, Disney, Nike, and Walmart’s Kathie Lee Gifford signature line of clothing. In 1990 Ellen co-founded and directed the non-profit PR firm New Channels Communications, after five years as the Communications Director for CISPES (The Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador.)

Ellen has taught both graduate and undergraduate classes in public relations; media analysis; and television production. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Center for Media and Democracy, Ellen has a MA in Media Studies from The New School for Social Research.