BUILT
THROUGH
EXPERIENCE.
Every chapter of my career has been about building teams. This is the story behind that work.
Meet Leslie.
Leslie Roberson is an entrepreneur, speaker, and talent acquisition leader with more than 15 years of experience building teams and businesses. A U.S. Army veteran, her career includes talent acquisition roles at Meta, Wayfair, EY, and CNO Financial Group, followed by building companies of her own.
Today, Leslie is the Founder and CEO of Ellyo, an AI hiring intelligence platform built for small businesses and lean teams. Having hired at enterprise scale and built companies from the ground up, she brings a practical perspective to conversations about AI, hiring, leadership, entrepreneurship, and career reinvention.
Why I Build.
I left corporate America because I wanted to use what I'd learned building teams at major companies to help small businesses grow.
As a founder, I experienced firsthand how difficult it can be to build a company without the same resources, systems, or support available to larger organizations. That experience changed how I thought about the work I wanted to do.
Today, through Ellyo and AI Ready Illinois, I'm bringing the corporate playbook and the founder's reality together, helping small businesses access the technology, knowledge, and opportunities that support their growth.
"Small businesses deserve the same hiring playbook big companies use.”
Leslie Roberson | Founder & CEO, Ellyo
Beyond The Business.
My most important role is being a mom to Journey and Carter. They keep me grounded and remind me that success isn't measured only by what I build professionally, but by the life we build together.
Motherhood has also shaped how I think about ambition, priorities, and what it means to create opportunities for the next generation.
