Mary Elizabeth Elkordy
President and Founder
Entrepreneur, Communications Strategist, Speaker
New York, NY, USA
Listen to Mary’s Podcast!
Mary Elizabeth Elkordy is an award-winning communications strategist, entrepreneur, political advisor, media producer, and public speaker whose unconventional career spans government, broadcasting, public relations, political campaigns, and business leadership.
From working on Capitol Hill to producing national radio and television programs, advising political candidates, and building her own company, she has developed a unique perspective on leadership, storytelling, entrepreneurship, and the common challenges facing organizations of all sizes.
As Founder and President of Elkordy Global Strategies, Mary launched her boutique public relations and communications firm during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and has since grown it into a fully remote agency serving clients nationally and internationally.
Under her leadership, the firm has worked with more than 800 clients, ranging from early-stage startups and entrepreneurs to Fortune 400 companies, global organizations, celebrities, elected officials, and political campaigns. Today, she leads a distributed team of more than 18 professionals, overseeing dozens of concurrent client engagements while helping organizations navigate media relations, reputation management, strategic communications, and brand positioning.
Beyond running her agency, Mary maintains an active role in political strategy and broadcasting. She serves as a senior political advisor, interim campaign manager, and head of communications for multiple political campaigns simultaneously, working directly with candidates on messaging, media strategy, campaign operations, and public engagement. At the same time, she works as a booking producer for NTD’s Capitol Report, a daily national television news program, where she helps shape conversations around politics, policy, and current events.
Mary’s career began in politics, including work on Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign and later in her U.S. Senate office, where she gained firsthand experience in government and high-stakes communications. She subsequently transitioned into broadcasting, serving as Production Director at WABC-AM in New York City, where she worked on major radio programs featuring personalities including Geraldo Rivera and Pat Kiernan. Her broadcasting experience also includes producing and co-hosting The Hughley Truth with DL Hughley, exploring conversations at the intersection of culture, politics, and current events.
Having worked on both sides of the media industry—as a producer deciding which stories and guests make it on air and as a publicist helping clients earn meaningful coverage—Mary brings an unusual understanding of how narratives are developed, communicated, and received. Her work across politics, business, and media has also given her firsthand insight into the increasingly interconnected worlds of public opinion, reputation, leadership, and influence.
One of the most valuable lessons of Mary’s career has been discovering how much different industries and organizations actually have in common. After working alongside hundreds of startup founders, Fortune 400 executives, elected officials, political candidates, entrepreneurs, and public figures, she has observed that many of the challenges facing a small business and a major corporation are remarkably similar. Whether navigating leadership decisions, managing reputation, building trust, communicating a vision, attracting talent, or differentiating themselves in competitive environments, organizations often confront the same fundamental human challenges, regardless of their size or industry.
Her own entrepreneurial journey has reinforced these lessons. Building and managing a fully remote company has given Mary firsthand experience in developing organizational culture, establishing accountability, managing distributed teams, and leading through uncertainty. Having launched her company during a global pandemic, she understands the realities of entrepreneurship, from navigating financial and operational challenges to maintaining client relationships, building a sustainable business, and creating opportunities in unpredictable circumstances.
Balancing multiple demanding professional roles has also shaped her approach to time management, leadership, and career development. Rather than following a traditional career path, Mary has built a professional life that allows her to remain actively involved in politics, broadcasting, and entrepreneurship simultaneously. She frequently shares insights on the importance of taking calculated risks, embracing unconventional opportunities, continuing to learn, and recognizing that career success does not have to follow a linear trajectory.
An experienced public speaker and mentor, Mary has shared her perspectives on entrepreneurship, leadership, communications, and professional development with audiences across the country. She has spoken at DC Startup & Tech Week on multiple occasions, engaging with founders, entrepreneurs, and business leaders about building companies, developing visibility, and navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship. In 2024, she also spoke at the World Business Forum, bringing her experience in communications, leadership, and business development to a broader professional audience. Through her speaking engagements, Mary draws on the lessons learned from working with more than 800 clients and building her own company, offering practical insights that connect the experiences of startups, major corporations, and political organizations.
Mary’s contributions to media, business, and communications have earned recognition throughout her career. She became a TEDx speaker in 2014 and was named City & State Magazine’s youngest-ever 40 Under 40 honoree at age 24. More recently, she was recognized as a 2025 City & State Unsung Hero and a 2025 PR Net Next Gen honoree, reflecting her contributions to the communications industry and broader professional community.
A lifelong learner, Mary holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Fordham University, a Master’s in Communications and Public Relations from Georgetown University, an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an Executive MSc in International Strategy and Diplomacy from the London School of Economics, where she graduated with Distinction in 2025. Her academic background reflects her commitment to understanding the relationships between politics, business, international affairs, and communications, while continuously expanding her perspective as a leader and entrepreneur.
Mary is also passionate about mentoring emerging professionals, particularly those interested in communications, politics, media, and entrepreneurship. She encourages young professionals to explore different industries, embrace opportunities outside their comfort zones, and recognize that skills developed in one field can often translate into unexpected opportunities elsewhere.
A lifelong New Yorker who also spent a decade living and working in Washington, D.C., Mary brings a perspective shaped by both cities and their influence on politics, business, and media. Her career reflects a belief that some of the most valuable professional lessons come from working across industries, building relationships with people from different backgrounds, and remaining open to new challenges.
Today, Mary continues to lead Elkordy Global Strategies while advising political campaigns, producing national television, mentoring emerging professionals, and sharing the lessons learned from nearly two decades of working at the intersection of communications, leadership, media, and public affairs. Her work demonstrates that entrepreneurship, politics, and broadcasting are not necessarily separate career paths, but interconnected worlds where storytelling, trust, adaptability, and leadership remain central to success.
Mary Elizabeth Elkordy is also featured on our premiere Features Page, and you can read the Podcast Interview Transcript.
