Ella Samson
Founder & CEO, Emerge Collaborations
Author, The Power of Emergence
“Understanding gender identity is one of the most impactful steps a leader can take towards meaningful allyship and belonging in the workplace.”
Ella Samson (she/her) , founder of Emerge Collaborations, author of The Power of Emergence, and speaker, is transforming how we approach gender equity and belonging in the workplace.
With an MBA from the Wharton School and more than 30 years of cross-functional leadership experience at organizations including Deloitte Consulting and Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Ella has guided companies through complex transformations, operational improvements, and culture shifts. Today, she applies this expertise to enable organizations to address structural inequities related to gender identity through actionable enterprise-wide recommendations in policies, processes, and culture.
Drawing on decades of operational leadership and lived experience, Ella collaborates with clients across the US and Europe to create safe spaces for authentic dialogue about gender identity, help enterprise leaders deepen their understanding, foster meaningful allyship, and improve belonging. Her upcoming memoir, The Power of Emergence, helps readers understand gender identity and inspires meaningful allyship through authentic storytelling.
The experiences that shape my work
I am a woman.
I am a friend, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a dog Mama, a foodie, an athlete, an introvert, a Jew, a leader, a mentor and coach, an MBA, an entrepreneur, an avid traveler, single, and straight. I have the privilege that my white skin tone provides. I’m a unique Transatlantic entrepreneur who’s pragmatic, warm, and curious. And so much more.
And my gender was incorrectly assigned at birth.
When I was born, my body presented as male and was designated “male.” I was never a boy and most certainly not a man that then became a woman. Even though I didn’t understand it in my early years, everything about me: my soul, including my mind and emotions, and my spirit have been female since birth on day 1.
I did not transition from male to female.
The inaccuracy of those words doesn’t reflect the most basic truth of my experience. I’ve always been female—a girl, and then a woman—and “transition” doesn’t represent my journey. The full scope of the word means that something fundamentally changed from one thing to another. A word to more accurately describe my experience is “emergence.”
My family’s history has shaped my passion to see every person live their life authentically.
I'm a Dutch-American entrepreneur shaped by a family history deeply impacted by the Holocaust, which guides me to live authentically, with compassion, and with deep appreciation for life's preciousness.
My time at Wharton instilled the core values that shape my work today.
I'm grateful to hold an MBA from the Wharton School, one of the world's most prestigious business schools. Beyond the exceptional education, Wharton instilled in me two core values that shape my work today: collaboration and community. These values drive how I approach enterprise transformation—fostering collaboration to achieve sustainable outcomes and building inclusive environments where everyone belongs.
Deloitte strengthened the consultative rigor that defines Emerge Collaboration’s work.
I spent fourteen years at Deloitte Consulting LLP, advancing from AVP to Vice President. When I decided to emerge as my authentic self, Deloitte provided unwavering support—and a sense of belonging that empowered me to excel both professionally and personally. In 2023, I left Deloitte to write my memoir and launch Emerge Collaborations, answering a calling I felt to engage enterprise leaders on gender identity.
Read more about Ella’s story in her upcoming memoir, The Power of Emergence.
Speaker Bio
Ella Samson (she/her), founder and strategic operations leader of Emerge Collaborations, author, and speaker, is transforming how organizations approach gender equity in the workplace. Through memoir-based fireside chats, she creates safe spaces for authentic dialogue about gender identity, helping enterprise leaders deepen their understanding, foster meaningful allyship, and improve belonging.
With an MBA from the Wharton School and more than thirty years of cross-functional leadership experience at organizations including Deloitte Consulting and Peet's Coffee & Tea, Ella has guided companies through complex transformations, operational improvements, and culture shifts.
Today, through Emerge Collaborations, she applies this expertise to address structural inequities that impact gender-diverse and transgender employees by examining policies, processes, and culture across the entire enterprise, delivering comprehensive assessments and actionable recommendations.
Ella's memoir, The Power of Emergence, helps readers understand gender identity and inspires meaningful allyship through authentic storytelling. She collaborates with clients across the US and Europe to improve gender equity and belonging. Drawing on decades of operational leadership and lived experience, Ella guides enterprises from dialogue to enterprise-wide impact.
Press/Media Inquiries
For all media and press inquiries, please email contact@emergecollabs.com or send us a message here.
Our Services
We help you understand gender identity, assess your entire enterprise, and deliver pragmatic recommendations to address workplace belonging. Explore our key offerings below.
Fireside Chats for Enterprise Teams
Rooted in Ella’s memoir, this intimate speaking engagement offers a safe, grounded space for teams to understand employee belonging through the lens of gender identity.
Transform how your organization understands gender identity and workplace belonging through intimate, memoir-based dialogue. These conversations create safe space for learning, reflection, and meaningful action at every level.
Enterprise Consulting
Emerge Collaborations provides comprehensive, enterprise-wide recommendations to address gender inequities in policies, processes, and culture, improving belonging for all employees.
Our consulting services drive practical solutions that target the structural root causes of gender-based inequities in the workplace.
