Ellen Estilai has spent much of her career collaborating with artists, writers, and agencies to strengthen communities through the arts. She has served as the executive director of the Riverside Arts Council and the Arts Council for San Bernardino County, and has taught English language, literature, and writing in universities in Iran and California. Her essays, short stories, and poetry have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. Her chapbook, Museum of Missing Things, is forthcoming from Jamii Publications in 2023. Because Ellen and her husband have been immigrants in each other's countries, her writing frequently explores the joys and tribulations of the immigrant experience. She lives in Riverside, California.