Heidi Ellis began her career in the public sector as a political appointee on the state level in New Jersey then in the Obama Administration at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), where she was also a member of the White House LGBTQ+ and African American kitchen cabinets. After working diligently to advance the policies and engagement initiatives of the USEPA and White House, she worked in education policy and organizational management at a DC-based policy firm. She is the founder and CEO of HME Consulting & Advocacy, a DC-based company that utilizes deep experience in policy, strategy, and stakeholder engagement to build coalitions and advance policy initiatives that address issues of intersectionality within the LGBTQ+ community and racial equity.Her consulting and advocacy work includes leading the DC LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition; and providing services such as policy support, facilitation, training, initiative development, organizational design/redesign, and youth engagement to nonprofits, governmental agencies, companies, and community-based organizations. She has served on a number of boards, including Strength In Our Voices and DC Forensic Nurse Examiners. She has been recognized for her work with various awards including the Washington Blade Queer Women of DC in 2020 and Most Dedicated Advocate for Best of Gay DC in 2023. Ellis received her B.A. in political science from Temple University, and a post-graduate certificate in executive leadership from Stanford University