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Hi there!

I'm Eli Walker

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Speaker, Performance Artist & Social Wellness Entrepreneur

As the founder of the internationally-acclaimed wellness brand Drunk Yoga® (now The Uplift Center), I pioneered the wellness entertainment movement to bridge the gap between #selfcare and #communitycare. Now, I help organizations and individuals do the same: break the rules to get over themselves, engage community and spark radical belonging through the power of play.

When you work with me to curate a keynote, workshop or interactive social wellness experience, you can expect to unlock a sense of belonging in the most unexpected, laughter-inducing ways you can imagine...(and even a few that you can't)...leaving you empowered with tools to create a more uplifted and connected world.
Book Eli for your next event

Hi! I'm Eli -

A woman on a mission
to teach the art of getting over yourself through shared belonging.

I do this By way of...

01

Speaking & EmceeingKeynotes & hosting

Transform your next event with keynotes that teach practical social wellness skills and emceeing that creates genuine belonging. Book a call.

02

Workshops & TrainingsVirtual & in-person

Go beyond inspiration with hands-on workshops where teams practice real connection skills. Includes ongoing support through digital resources. Learn more.

03

Wellness ExperiencesSocial yoga, icebreakers & more

Experience belonging firsthand through curated social yoga sessions and interactive community gatherings that put connection theory into joyful practice. Visit The Uplift Center to learn more.
My approach
Community engagement is the destination, belonging is the vehicle & play is the gas in the tank.
Eli Walker

Why book
Eli as a speaker?

Eli's keynotes go beyond traditional corporate speaking—they're engaging, theatrical experiences that drive real workplace transformation. Drawing from her world-class theater training at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, her talks feel more like captivating one-woman shows, blending entertaining storytelling with actionable insights on employee engagement and team building.

As a professional keynote speaker specializing in organizational belonging, Eli combines expert audience interaction with proven strategies that help companies reduce turnover and boost team performance. Her unique approach to corporate speaking ensures your audience doesn't just listen—they participate, connect, and leave with practical tools to transform their workplace culture.
contact to learn more
My Story

I grew up in rural Wisconsin and set flight for Manhattan when I received a scholarship to attend New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Graduating with a BFA in Acting, I was equipped with a passion for community-based theater and an infatuation for using interactive storytelling as a tool to challenge social norms and teach the art of joy through self-empowerment. It wasn’t long before this led me to the art of yoga.

I completed my yoga teacher training in NYC and furthered my studies in India during a 6-month solo-backpacking trip across the country...

I completed my yoga teacher training in NYC and furthered my studies in India during a 6-month solo-backpacking trip across the country, prompted by a desperate need to re-evaluate my sense of personal power after an abusive experience with my yoga teacher. My spiritual quest ended in Thailand, where I fell through a roof (long story) and severely injured my back, leaving me immobile for several weeks.
The Power
of Play
Upon my return, my injuries led me to Katonah Yoga, an esoteric yoga practice that teaches students to refine their physical relationship with the universe using imagination, metaphor and teamwork to discover “center” through “circumference.” This practice was a game-changer for me, as it not only to healed my back, but it also showed me that, with more progressive, practical teaching methods—(as opposed to militaristic, dogmatic conventions)—yoga can be made joyful, fun and communal through the intelligent integration of performance techniques, and of course...play.
Drawing from all of these experiences, I took my passion for finding unique ways to "break the 4th wall" to cultivate belonging one step further by founding my internationally acclaimed (albeit subversive) brand, Drunk Yoga®. In doing so, I pioneered a new genre of “yoga entertainment” in an otherwise individualist tradition, re-introducing yoga to the masses as an accessible, uplifting social experience.
Enter: The Uplift Center
In 2023, after spending 6 years scaling Drunk Yoga® in NYC, Dallas and LA (thanks viral press coverage!), I discovered how to translate the very same theatrical devices I used to make yoga feel like a party into a live experience design methodology - my signature P.L.A.Y. Method - to help all facilitators (not just yoga teachers!) create more engaging live events.

As a result, I launched The Uplift Center (Drunk Yoga® 2.0, if you will), as a resource hub for belonging-builders everywhere.

Now, I travel around the world performing my curated keynotes, solo-shows and facilitating social wellness experiences. When I'm not traveling, you can find me hiking in the Hudson Valley, NY (my new home base).

Fun facts: I have an advanced certification in astrology, I used to “moonlight” as an at-home voiceover artist while bootstrapping my entrepreneurial endeavors, and if you ask me to cook for you, I’ll likely burn it. So for your own sake, maybe...don’t.

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"Community engagement arises when
belonging is felt."
‍
- Eli Walker

Contact is currency.
Let's connect.

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