Bio

Executive Assistant to the Founder and President

Elena Keys is executive assistant to Aaron Stern, Academy founder and president. Elena provides primary support for Stern and his work in visioning and planning programs. She also works with the outcomes of organizational developments and events to assist Stern in shaping future directions and initiatives, and helps maintain key relationships with the Academy’s wider community.

For more than a decade, Elena assisted top executives in the music, entertainment and fashion industries in Los Angeles and New York, holding positions with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Burberry, Nicky Hilton Worldwide, and Caterpillar Inc.

Elena has a degree in sociology from UCLA, and was a professional dancer for many years. The focus of her dance career was in jazz and hip hop, and she appeared in music videos and nationwide tours. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, Elena is also an Italian citizen and has a multi-cultural family that speaks Japanese, Norwegian, and Italian.