Elsa Sze

Born in Hong Kong, Elsa has realized from a young age that democratic participation is not only a right, but also a privilege. At a time when democracy is being challenged at home and abroad, she believes it is the ultimate responsibility of the millennial generation to harness the power of technology to reimagine democracy in the 21st century.

While pursuing a joint degree from Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Elsa founded Agora, an online townhall platform for building engaged communities. Her belief in the power of ordinary citizens to change the world was further affirmed by her experience serving as a policy advisor for the Obama campaign in 2012. Agora was initially incubated at Harvard Innovation Lab and recently raised its seed financing, led by venture capital firm CRV.

Prior to Harvard, Elsa was a consultant at McKinsey & Co. where she advised Fortune 500 executives on growth strategy, organizational effectiveness, and risk management. During the crisis, Elsa was at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC, advising G20 finance ministers on fiscal stimulus policies. Elsa spent a brief time at Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan after graduating from the University of Chicago, where she majored in Economics and Political Science. Elsa was named a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum in 2015.

Elsa enjoys running along the Charles River when Boston is not hit by a blizzard, doing yoga, playing Philip Glass, practicing meditation, and exploring the coolest brunch spots with friends.