Liz Elam

It takes a certain kind of person to stand at the forefront of a movement, shaping the future of work itself while launching her own business, curating an innovative coworking space that’s featured in publications and conferences around the globe as soon as it opens its doors. Liz Elam is one such person. After graduating from Texas A&M with a bachelor of science in Journalism, she worked for Dell for 15 years, navigating her way up the ladder into its highest sales position – Global Account Manager – a far cry from the initial job she took after college, answering the tech giant’s 1-800 number. Along the way, she collected executive-level awards and was consistently named one of Dell’s top sales representatives as she kept her nose to the grindstone, handling multimillion dollar accounts on behalf of what was, at the time, the fastest growing company in America. After spending a decade and a half of sheer nonstop work on behalf of the global brand and reaching the highest possible position in her realm, Liz did what any self-respecting professional would do: take a break to figure out what should come next. While traveling through Europe with an extended stay in Italy, she cemented her plan to become an entrepreneur in the emerging world of coworking. Having been a telecommuter, she recognized the importance of alternative options to increase productivity, work-life balance (and, therefore, sanity) for professionals operating in non-traditional work environments; within that recognition, the idea for Link Coworking was born. She proudly opened its doors in Austin, Texas, in 2010 and was met with acclaim from members and media alike. Liz has since become a prominent voice – quite literally – in the coworking movement. She spoke at SXSW Interactive in 2009 and 2010 and will host the Global Coworking Unconference Conference in conjunction with SXSW week in 2012. She has been featured in The New York Times, Austin Business Journal, Community Impact, The Austin American-Statesman, Information Week and innumerable digital media outlets. Liz is an active member in the Austin Cosmopolitan Rotary Club and a 4th generation Rotarian. She served on the board as VP of Membership last year and is currently an at-large board member and active club mentor. When she’s not traveling to distant lands to spread the word about the future of work, she lives, works and plays in Austin, Texas.