Hi, I’m Elena Sapora.

I help people get better at having hard conversations, whether it’s resolving a messy conflict, building a healthier team dynamic, or figuring out how to actually talk to that person you’ve been avoiding. I’ve spent over 25 years as a mediator, facilitator, trainer, and organizational consultant, and I still believe (every single time) in the transformative power of honest, caring communication.

I’ve trained hundreds of mediators, coached leadership teams, held space for big, scary conversations, and helped mutual aid groups get unstuck when things get tense. My approach blends structure and intuition, strategy and heart. I believe conflict isn’t a failure, it’s an invitation. And I help people answer that invitation with curiosity, courage, and compassion.

In all my professional roles, I’ve also been the person who sees the systems behind the scenes. I love creating processes that actually work, smoothing out chaos, and making it easier for teams to communicate and collaborate. Whether I’m building a training program, revamping internal workflows, or designing a new facilitation, I’m always thinking about how to make things more human-centered and effective.

I’m also an unschooling parent and longtime advocate for youth liberation. Raising kids outside of systems that don’t respect their autonomy has sharpened my values and deepened my practice. I’m committed to anti-racism, anti-capitalism, and collective care, and those commitments show up in my work, my business practices, and my everyday life.

When I’m not working, you’ll probably find me cooking too much food for a community potluck, organizing a restorative circle for a grassroots group, or lying on the floor with my kids talking about liberation, conflict, and whatever else they feel like teaching me.

If you’re looking for someone who can bring calm to the chaos, warmth to the tension, and just enough structure to help you move forward, let’s talk.