Today we’d like to introduce you to Elee Joven.
Hi Elee, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story begins on the Pacific island of Guam, where I was born and raised primarily by my strict maternal grandmother, who took me back and forth between Guam and the Philippines. Growing up in a traditional Filipino environment, I was expected to become a doctor, attorney, or engineer. Well, life threw me a curveball: just two weeks after graduating high school, I found out I was pregnant. I was 17.
I took full responsibility for my future, married a few years later, and relocated to California just four months afterwards. I built a 20-year career in residential real estate finance while supporting my growing family of what later became four children.
Despite technical excellence in my corporate roles, I constantly ran into “invisible walls” — most notably, being passed over for promotions numerous times while watching others advance. The constant rejections led me back to university during the pandemic, thinking I needed more knowledge, education, and emotional intelligence.
Today, I serve as a Cultural Intelligence (CQ) Speaker, Advocate, and Founder. I empower underemployed immigrants, minorities, and global citizens to decode the “unwritten rules” of success through cultural intelligence so they can thrive, while leading and living authentically.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been anything but smooth.
During the first 20 years of living in the States, I experienced homelessness, challenges with raising a family, bankruptcy, divorce, anxiety, and depression just to name a few… The saddest part of this all was keeping these challenges to myself, not opening up to family, friends, or seeking professional help.
The pivot happened in 2019, when a diagnosis of anxiety and depression brought me to immediate denial. I say this because from how I grew up, admitting to a mental disability is a shame factor, and in my eyes, a complete failure on my part. Reluctantly, I took cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help me. And it’s a good thing I did when I did. Because just a few months later, the world was about to enter a new shockwave – Covid pandemic and lockdowns.
It was in late 2020 when I decided to go back to university. I was excited. One of the courses I was looking forward to mastering was Emotional Intelligence to also help me get through my anxiety. Ironically, it was the Emotional Intelligence course that led me to discovering Cultural Intelligence.
But less than a month after starting university, I lost my mother, my uncle, and older brother within just three weeks of each other. This triple loss transformed my perception of time. I sometimes think the timing of events in 2019 is what provided me the strength to get through the pandemic and loss. It taught me that time is our most finite, precious resource, inspiring me to stop living for others’ expectations.
As you know, we’re big fans of Elee Joven and Cultural Beings. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a speaker with a primary focus on Cultural Intelligence – the ability to function and navigate across diverse cultures effectively. I only learned of cultural intelligence in 2021, even though studies and practices have been around since the 1970s. This is because cultural intelligence has been mostly gated behind business schools and large corporations who can afford it. My mission is to democratize it, bringing it to individuals most affected – professional immigrants, minorities, expats, global citizens – who navigate unspoken rules daily and are eager to lead without losing their heritage and culture.
And so, in 2026, I built an app for cultural intelligence – Cultural Beings. We combine emotional intelligence, my cross-cultural experiences traveling across 30+ countries, and my proprietary framework, the C.R.O.S.S. Method™ (Connect, Recognize, Observe, Strategize, Shift). Whether you are an immigrant professional looking to break through a career plateau, an expat relocating, or a lifelong learner curious about global mindsets, the app provides a practical toolkit in the palm of your hand.
As an international speaker, I keynote at corporate conferences, HR/DEI summits, or community events on Cultural Intelligence, adaptability, leadership, workplace navigation, and employee empowerment. By eliminating “code-switching exhaustion,” HR leaders protect their top diverse talent from burnout and quiet quitting. Instead of forcing minority professionals to assimilate or penalizing direct/indirect communication styles, CQ equips leaders and teams with a structured 5-step mechanism—Connect, Recognize, Observe, Strategize, Shift— to convert cultural differences into psychological safety, cross-functional synergy, and innovation.
San Diego County agencies serve one of the most culturally diverse populations in the country. Government departments, regional transit authorities, public health organizations, and educational institutions benefit immensely from public-sector CQ integration by equipping public employees and frontline staff to communicate with empathy, clarity, and respect across diverse, non-English-dominant communities. CQ also provides local workforce development boards with the exact tools needed to transition military veterans, immigrants, and underrepresented groups into high-earning regional industries.
These days, I am most proud of creating a global movement that reframes cultural identity from a perceived burden into a competitive superpower. Cultural Intelligence has transformed my life in so many ways, and I truly believe it is the future super skill for being human in this age of artificial intelligence.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
How People Can Work With, Collaborate, or Support Us:
Keynote Speaking & Workshops: Book me to speak at your next conference, summit, annual retreats, both International and National.
Digital Tools: Downloading and engaging with our Cultural Beings mobile app for daily micro-learning and scenario-based CQ practice. There is a 14-day free trial with no obligations. Visit https://culturalbeings.eleejoven.com/
Collaborations: Partnering with international or national multicultural networks, podcast hosts, women’s advocacy organizations.
Pricing:
- Cultural Beings – Free version
- Cultural Beings – $9 per month
- Cultural Beings – $87 annual
- Keynote – starts at $2,500 (20 minutes)
- Please book a call if longer than 20 minutes
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eleejoven.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elee_joven/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onlyelee/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elee-joven-745b2523/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@eleejovenspeaks
- Other: https://culturalbeings.eleejoven.com/
