About Us
"You will always have an opportunity to inspire someone with your story. Never pass up that opportunity."
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​— Elena Buenrostro
Who We Are
Girls Who Drone makes learning to fly a drone fun and accessible for everyone! We break down complex concepts into easy-to-understand lessons, building a strong foundation for aspiring pilots. Our experienced instructors, all FAA Part 107 certified and with hundreds of flight hours, guide students through practical exercises and creative techniques, empowering them to become confident and skilled drone operators.
Whether you're a complete beginner or looking to enhance your existing skills, our programs cater to all levels, from children to adults. We're a passionate team of licensed drone pilots, technologists, entrepreneurs, and futurists dedicated to sharing our love of drone technology and inspiring the next generation of innovators.
About Our Team
Elena Buenrostro
Executive Director & Board Member
Elena is a Licensed Drone Pilot and the visionary founder and Executive Director of Girls Who Drone, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that inspires, educates and empowers youth to discover rewarding careers using drone technology. Combining her passion for storytelling and education with her expertise in drones and marketing, Elena has rapidly expanded the organization nationwide. 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. Her work has been featured in prestigious publications such as The Washington Post, Fast Company, DJI, The Verge, and many more.
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.
Eliza Sarobhasa
Director of Technology & Board Member
Eliza owns a DJI Phantom 3 and currently test flights in the forest, mountains, and oceans of Vancouver, BC. She loves using her drone for robotics, 3D mapping, geospatial, and satellite imagery projects. Her upcoming project is using her drone for wildfire prevention, fire surveillance, and search and rescue. She is currently involved in researching aviation, aerospace, space robotics, satellites, and internet history.
She has been marketing for over 11 years, and works in both advertising and software products. Her many hats include roles from Data Science, Project Management, UI/UX Design, Open Source Software, and Linguistics.
Ella Sophia Garcia
Director of Education & Engagement
Ella is a Part 107 licensed drone pilot, lead drone instructor and the Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology. She brings her expertise in digital marketing, education, and entrepreneurship to the forefront.
Additionally, she is the founder of Maven Media House, a company specializing in crafting compelling brand narratives. Her passion lies in empowering individuals and businesses to excel in the ever-evolving digital landscape through creative storytelling and innovative marketing strategies.
Dr. Catherine Ball
Board Member
Associate Professor Catherine Ball is an advisor, author, founder, executive producer, executive director, company director, and diversity advocate working across global projects where emerging technologies meet humanitarian, education and environmental needs. Catherine also likes to create businesses and champion movements, collaborate with peers, and advise game-changers.
A sought-after voice across the start-up, futurist and tech world, Catherine works globally across a wide range of projects from creating documentaries and world leading conferences and events, to advising on the use of drones across environmental and humanitarian projects. Catherine is a proponent of community engagement with technology and likes to demystify emerging tech.
Catherine holds a BSc Honours (Environmental Protection) and a PhD (Spatial Ecology, Descriptive and Predictive Statistics) from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the United Kingdom.