Dr. Keya A. Elie, Ph.D.

Updated May 1, 2025

Dr. Elie photographed by Elijah Pratt on her family's land

Dr. Keya A. Elie, Ph.D. is the Founder and Principal Consultant of ElieIntel, an international consulting firm providing research, advisory, and support to businesses and scholars in the private and public sectors.

Expertise & Titles

Often described as a “Swiss Army Knife” or generalist, Dr. Elie brings nearly 15 years of experience applying mixed-methods research, psychological theory, and predictive modeling to ambiguous, high-stakes challenges. Her work spans government agencies, foundations, universities, nonprofits, funders, and community-based initiatives across the United States, the United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, and Chile. As a consultant, evaluator, strategist, clinician, research scientist, educator, and author, her through-line is consistent: using unconventional, multidisciplinary approaches to improve the human experience.

Education & Training

Raised on a multigenerational farm in New Jersey, Dr. Elie’s work is deeply rooted in community, lineage, and collective responsibility. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from North Carolina A&T State University, becoming the third generation in her family to attend a HBCU. There, she conducted neuroimaging research using an EEG and contributed to state and federally funded research for RTI International and North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services.

Thereafter, she earned an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University, specializing in research methods and child psychopathology, simultaneously conducting clinical research within the Mount Sinai Hospital System. After graduate school, she returned to the industry where she managed a $1.6 million dollar portfolio of countywide education programs and served as a regional data coordinator over 18 counties by the age of 25.

Desiring additional methodological training, Dr. Elie pursued her Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Cambridge. Upon completing her doctoral work, a mixed-methods study examining the impact of parenting on children’s reading, language, and executive functioning for over 600 British families, she became the first Black graduate of the Centre for Family and Adolescent Research at Cambridge.

Following her doctorate, Dr. Elie furthered her expertise at a national consulting firm, where she advised leaders and executives on public policy, evaluations, and large-scale multi-site initiatives.

Founding the Firm

While she found her previous work informative and impactful, she sought work aligned with her voice, values, and purpose. This shift led to the creation of ElieIntel.

Through ElieIntel, Dr. Elie helps individuals and organizations start and sustain their goals. As a 6th-generation business owner, she carries forward a legacy of enterprise rooted in community and purpose. Her work, like her lineage, is continuous, communal, and evolving.

Personal Life, an Attempt

When her community can convince her to stop working, she enjoys sleeping, weightlifting, visiting the beach, golfing, horseback riding, traveling, dinner parties, and going to the movies.

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