Elyse Cohen

Elyse is the Senior Director of Food, Health, and Wellness Programs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. She works at the intersection of business, health, and social impact— harnessing the role of the private sector in improving physical and mental health – be it for consumers, communities, or employees around the world. In this role, she works with a diverse network of companies to drive programming and partnerships that help the private-sector improve health outcomes through their corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, and employee engagement programs.

Prior to her current role, Elyse was the Deputy Director of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative—working directly with the First Lady to help America raise a healthier generation of kids and families. In this role, Elyse was a strategic leader and advisor, conceptualizing and directing the campaign’s priority initiatives and key messaging strategies, and developing partnerships with senior executives in the private sector, government, and non-profit sectors.

Before joining the First Lady’s senior team, Elyse worked in consulting firms developing social marketing and health communication campaigns for non-profit and government clients. She is experienced in creating and executing shared-value initiatives and public-private partnerships that leverage assets, generate change, and uniquely position brands as leaders in social impact.

Elyse is a proud Florida Gator and received her Master’s degree in Public Health Communication and Marketing from the George Washington University. She serves on the advisory boards for the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and The Harvard Business School’s Culture of Health Business Leadership program, DC Greens, and DC Central Kitchen.