IAmNYAS: Elise Ogden
A Q&A with Product Manager Elise Ogden.
Published June 09, 2017

Describe an average Monday for you on the job.
Come into the office, appreciate the awesome views we have up here, and (during these summer months) continue recruiting awesome mentors for the Junior Academy! If it’s a good Monday, I get to read some nice emails from mentors about how much they loved working with their teams for the challenges.
What you were doing before you joined the GSA team?
Running programs at a variety of small education nonprofits in both Minneapolis and NYC. Also taking classes part time to get my MBA.
If you could join a GSA program now, which would you join and why?
Well, I’m biased, but I’d choose the Junior Academy because I love the global collaboration and I really enjoy project-based learning. The fact that these students and mentors are working to solve real-world problems (and that some of their solutions seem like they could make a difference!), is super inspiring.
Which upcoming GSA activity are you most excited about?
The Summit! I can’t wait to actually meet some of our students and mentors in person after working with them virtually for so long.
As a kid, I wanted to be a(n):
Author, then Pipi Longstocking, then an actor, then the president, then a photographer.
Science is more important now than ever because:
The problems facing our planet (and our very human existence) are greater than ever.
Anything else?
I love rock climbing (when I’m not injured), I used to captain a rugby team, and I’m looking for some good fantasy book recommendations if anyone has them (Robert Jordan is my favorite, George RR Martin is decent).
PRODUCT MANAGER
Hometown
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Title
Product Manager