Speaker
she/her/hers
Eliza VanCort is the author of A WOMAN’S GUIDE TO CLAIMING SPACE: Stand Tall. Raise Your Voice. Be Heard. A student of the arts and political science, she is a Cook House Fellow at Cornell University, an advisory board member of the Performing Arts for Social Change, and was recently named a member of Govern for America’s League of Innovators. Creator of a highly regarded talk on anti-racist communication commissioned by MIT. Eliza gives talks and runs workshops both nationally and internationally on women, anti-racist, and global communication.
She is also the founder of The Actor’s Workshop of Ithaca (AWI), Central New York’s preeminent Meisner Technique acting studio. Eliza has led a life Hollywood studios would dismiss as being too-hard-to-believe. When her mother became paranoid schizophrenic Eliza hitched across the country from New York to California by truck with her. She had to learn to be small and invisible to stay safe. As an adult, she suffered a traumatic brain injury which required her to rethink communication from the ground up.
These two experiences, in combination with her acting training, resulted in Eliza developing unique insights into the nuances of human behavior. Today, she is passionate about sharing that knowledge and empowering all women to claim space. VanCort, who joined the chorus of women fiercely proclaiming #MeToo – gave a 2018 TEDx in which she shared her personal story and offered actionable, transformative tools for real change. This formed the foundation of her talks on empowered communication for the good of all.
Certifications & Education
- B.S. Political Science, University of Colorado-Boulder
- Phi Beta Kappa
- NYU School of Law
- Georgetown University and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, The Fund For American Studies
Focus Areas
- Anti-Racist Communication
- Women Claiming Space
- Global Communication
- Mentorship
- BIPOC STEM
Most Requested Presentations
- Communication for a Better World
- Women Claiming Space – Intersectional feminism
- Women in Business – Claiming Your Power
Awards & Recognition
Recent Posts
- Eliza VanCort Featured in People Magazine
- ROI of DEI with Eliza VanCort: The Micro of Human Behavior and its Impact on Macro Society Issues
- Eliza VanCort: Diversity Crew Partner Releases First Book
- Eliza Van Cort: Cheddar video discussing her new book
- Eliza Van Cort – Book reading, book giveaway, panel discussion & your questions: “A Woman’s Guide to Claiming Space”: Tuesday, April 27 @ 730p ET
