Elena Joy Thurston Motivational Speaker from Queen Creek, AZ

Elena Joy Thurston is an inspirational speaker and founder of the Pride and Joy Foundation. She grew up in a turbulent home, joined a conservative church as a teenager, put herself through college, married and birthed 4 beautiful children, and then.... Life 2.0 brought a divorce, leaving/getting kicked out of her church, a beautiful love story and a successful new career! Her viral TEDx talk has paved the way for speaking engagements around the country. Audiences have included ABC, CBS and Fox news stations, the First Event in Boston, the Seacoast Wellness Series in New Hampshire, the THRIVE conference in Utah, as well as multiple print and online media stories, and podcasts. Elena Joy typically works with corporations and organizations, either as an inspirational speaker or as a trainer of Creating Inclusive Cultures. Her experience of coming out at age 37 after marriage and four children, dealing with the religious fallout as well as engaging in a controversial form of therapy in an effort to "be straight again", is a story that inspires every audience. Her ability to speak to both the straight and LGBTQ experience gives a unique perspective to inclusion and diversity corporate trainings.