Strategic Leadership for Certification-Driven Associations
and the Professionals Who Power Them

Choose Your Quest

My work lives at the intersection of three worlds. 
People usually come to me for one of three reasons. 
Which one brought you here? Please choose an option below.

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For Association Leaders

Strategic leadership to optimize conferences, certification programs, and member experience.

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Meeting Strategy For Organizations

Align strategy, elevate the attendee experience, and deliver measurable results.

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For Event Professionals

Prepare for your CMP certification with expert guidance and a proven program.

Association Leaders
Meeting Strategy
CMP Certification
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Ellen Maiara, CMP, CED

Ellen works at the intersection of certification ecosystems, strategic event design, and professional education. Through consulting, event leadership, and teaching, she helps organizations create meaningful learning experiences that drive engagement, professional growth, and long-term revenue.

Certification Ecosystem Strategy

Ellen serves as a Fractional Chief Experience Officer for certification-driven associations, helping organizations design certification ecosystems where certifications, conferences, and continuing education work together. She helps leadership teams simplify the credential journey, eliminate operational friction, and uncover new revenue opportunities while improving the experience for certification candidates and members.

Strategic Events Management

With more than 25 years of experience designing conferences and managing complex event portfolios, Ellen helps organizations turn events into strategic platforms for learning, community building, and growth. She is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and Certified Event Designer (CED) known for aligning event strategy with measurable organizational outcomes.

Event Solutions Academy

Ellen is the founder of Event Solutions Academy, a training program that prepares event professionals to earn the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation. She has taught more than 2,000 professionals worldwide, helping them advance their careers and elevate the standards of the meetings and events industry.