WHO IS ELI
I grew up inside social media, not alongside it.
At 21, I’ve spent nearly half my life building, testing, and understanding how ideas move online. My work sits at the intersection of culture, creativity, and emerging technology. I build platform-native systems that earn attention rather than demand it.
This year alone, the social ecosystems I operate have generated over 6 billion views across platforms.
There are more than 200 million active creators globally. Fewer than 500 clear 1 billion views annually. Fewer than 150 likely clear 5 billion. Scale like this is rare — but the number itself isn’t the story.
What matters is what I learned from that scale:
I treat social platforms as real-time laboratories, where emotional triggers, format mechanics, and cultural relevance can be observed, tested, and built into repeatable systems. Attention is not random. It is behavioral.
This week alone, Pesto was “at the Milan 2026 Winter Olympics,” generating 65 million views by placing a lovable character in a globally relevant cultural moment. When cultural gravity meets presence, distribution accelerates.
Every number here is platform recorded, publicly visible, and independently verifiable.
My work is not about going viral. It’s about understanding why things move and building with intention.
I’m currently pursuing a B.S. in Creative Advertising at Syracuse University, where I also serve as a Social Media Ambassador. Before shifting fully into advertising, I studied biology and neuroscience through programs at Stanford and Johns Hopkins. That scientific foundation still shapes how I approach creative work: hypothesis, test, iterate, refine.
I’m driven by curiosity. About culture. About systems. About how technology reshapes storytelling. The best ideas do not simply go viral. They resonate, travel, and endure.
I’m here to build those kinds of ideas.
EDUCATION
Syracuse University — Syracuse, NY (Graduation Date: May 2026)
Bachelor of Science in Advertising
Minor in Jewelry Design and Metal smithing.
RESIDENT SUMMER PROGRAMS
Stanford University — Palo Alto, CA (Graduation Date: Aug 2021)
Dynamics of Social Media Selected Experts
Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, MD (Graduation Date: Aug 2020)
Epidemics, Pandemics, and Outbreaks Research
Syracuse University — Syracuse, NY (Graduation Date: Aug 2019)
Pre-Med Intensive and Social Media Analytics
experience
Eli and Pesto Productions — CEO/Founder — New York, NY (Mar 2016 – Present)
Led large-scale social experimentation lab generating 6B+ views in 2025 across major platforms
Built and scaled 2.5M+ cross-platform social ecosystem through culturally relevant storytelling systems
Generated $100M+ in earned media value through strategic narrative timing and media amplification
Syracuse University Social Media Ambassador — Social Media Ambassador — Syracuse, NY (Aug 2022 – Aug 2023)
Led platform-native recruitment campaign reaching 2M+ prospective students
Increased engagement and inquiry metrics through culturally relevant storytelling
Collaborated with university marketing leadership to balance institutional brand voice with authentic student content
Motif FoodWorks — Intern — Boston, MA (May 2023 – Aug 2023)
Created high-quality photo and video content for social media platforms, resulting in a 50% increase in user
engagement and driving brand awareness for lab-grown meat research.
Utilized analytical tools to track trends, engagement, and audience growth on social media platforms,
resulting in a 230% increase in followers across Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
BuzzFeed — Community Writer — New York, NY (Feb 2019-Mar 2020)
Researched and produced 30+ viral articles for Buzzfeed, generating millions of views collectively,
contributing to the platform’s ongoing success.
Crafted compelling content that resulted in top-performing articles being featured on Buzzfeed’s main page and YouTube channels with a combined monthly traffic of 100 million visitors.
Collaborated with an editorial team to brainstorm, write, and edit feature stories that led to being ranked as one of the top viewed writers of the year.
FoodGuardian — CEO/Founder — New York, NY (Jan 2024 – Present)
Founded and developed FoodGuardian, an innovative AI-powered application designed to reduce food waste by scanning grocery receipts to catalog perishable items, alert users of impending expirations, and generate recipes.
Currently overseeing the funding process, engaging with potential investors to secure financial backing and expand app capabilities.
AI SKILLS
Generative Video: Sora, Veo, Artlist, Kling
Generative Image: Nano Banana, Flux, Midjourney, Firefly,
Editing & Design: Premiere Pro, Blender, Figma, Illustrator
Noteworthy
Keynote Speaker & Brand Activation Host,
EU Citizen, Former Competitive Ski Racer & Team Captain
Interests
Working For You, Film Photography, Matcha, Golf, Wine Bars, Boating, Vintage Watches, Jazz, Vintage Porsches, Experiencing New Cultures, Skiing, Formula 1
YOU WANT TO WORK WITH ME YOU WANT TO WORK WITH ME
YOU WANT TO WORK WITH ME
YOU WANT TO WORK WITH ME YOU WANT TO WORK WITH ME YOU WANT TO WORK WITH ME
YOU WANT TO WORK WITH ME
YOU WANT TO WORK WITH ME YOU WANT TO WORK WITH ME