Meet Elena Buenrostro

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elena Buenrostro. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elena below.

Hi Elena, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?

My upbringing in a low-income family instilled in me a deep sense of gratitude for every success I’ve achieved. From being the first in my family to graduate high school and earn a college degree, to building the largest female drone pilot community to growing as a marketing professional at Google, I recognize that each accomplishment is a testament to resilience and perseverance.

While I acknowledge that every opportunity comes with its challenges and setbacks, I am grateful for them all. These experiences have shaped me, strengthened my resolve, and deepened my empathy for others facing adversity. I believe that every experience, whether a setback or success, is an opportunity for growth and character development, ultimately contributing to a richer and more meaningful life.

This perspective has solidified my belief that generosity is a privilege, not just a responsibility. It’s an opportunity to share the blessings I’ve received from God and contribute to the well-being of others. Guided by this belief, I am committed to giving back to my community whenever possible, whether through mentorship, volunteering, or supporting causes that empower and uplift those in need.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

In addition to her work with Women Who Drone, Elena is a Global Brand Marketing and Activation Manager at Google. She specializes in managing paid, earned, and owned campaigns, with extensive experience in end-to-end video content production, social media, and influencer strategies. At Google, Elena leads global creative agencies, oversees large-scale activations, productions, live streams, and creator programs, driving reach across multiple brands, including Google Play, Android, and Chromebooks. She is also a dedicated DEI champion, currently serving as the Global Brand Lead for Google’s Global Latinx Employee Resource Group, HOLA.Beyond her professional content creation, Elena is a dedicated educator, sharing her drone knowledge and experience with schools across the nation. In her spare time, she enjoys quality time with her two dogs, Chloe and Malbec, and, of course, flying her drone.

Elena is a Licensed Drone Pilot and the visionary founder and CEO of Women Who Drone, an organization dedicated to inspiring, educating, and empowering women and girls through drone technology. Combining her passion for storytelling with her expertise in drones and marketing, Elena has rapidly expanded the organization on a global scale. She is a sought-after international speaker, sharing her extensive drone knowledge at conferences, organizations, and universities worldwide, including the FAA, Drone Deploy, Girl Scouts of America, Girl’s Inc, Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, and Columbia University, among others.

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There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Communication
Leadership
Team Player

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

The Bible

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