Ela Avis 

Ela offers a wonderful community, personalized support and strategic guidance through guests speakers, one-one sessions, tasks and much more. As a new consultant, Ela has helped me rethink my brand, enhance my services and participate in thoughtful discussions with my peers. Sara's expertise and generosity with her experiences as well as the insights of the wonderful women in the program create a fruitful and engaging space to grow, learn and support one another. I continue to walk away with a clearer vision and confidence in my capabilities.

Ela is the community I’ve been looking for my whole life! It’s amazing to be part of a group of women of color with diverse backgrounds and expertise, all working toward the shared goal of building a consulting practice. I felt like I belonged from day one. It’s a safe space to share lived experience, exchange practical advice, and cheer each other on with encouragement, accountability, and celebration of wins. I’m so grateful to Sarah for creating this platform and for so generously sharing her wisdom!

Ela is a great program! Even though I wasn't new to consulting, the Ela Program has given me the structure and reassurance I needed as my motivation was dwindling. I also enjoy the inspirational webinars where I get to hear how other women approach consulting.

I learned a lot during my time in Ela and am very grateful for the experience. I met wonderful women from all over the world and even met future collaborators. My next consulting opportunity even came as a result of being part of Ela.

I learned a lot during my 1 on 1 mentoring sessions and gained a fresh perspective on how to approach my career and future opportunities

The Ela membership gives you access to things like: 1 on 1 mentoring, webinars with accomplished professionals, step by step guidance in your consulting journey, they'll even review your proposals and provide feedback.

The team also listens very intently to the needs of the participants. I gave feedback and many of my recommendations were swiftly implemented.

I highly recommend if you are new to consulting and looking for some hand-holding and guidance. That's what they're here for <3.

Before joining Ela I was stuck in a rut of feeling frustrated with seeing the change in my field that I wanted to make but unsure how to take those frustrations and my skills and turn it into a business. As a Black mother I knew I needed a steady income and as an academic, where so much of what we do is unpaid labour, I wasn't used to thinking of my skills as something I could get paid for. Who would pay me and how would I convince them of my secret big ideas. I'v been with Ela for one year now. I have a clear idea of what my skills are, who are my ideal clients and how to reach them. I've learned how to brand myself and have opened a professional instagram account which has attracted the attention of the bosses of the top organisations in my field. I had been going to conferences with many of them for 10 years, but it was the confidence, direction and support of Ela that taught me how to position my business in a way that they couldn't ignore. They are now reaching out to me for paid opportunities to work together. I'm also still in academia but running the consultancy alongside; Ela taught me that it doesn't have to be all or nothing and the time management skills for me to manage to do both in a way I am proud of. I have a community of diverse, passionate and supportive women from the global majority that regularly remind me that we can and should invest in ourselves and cheer me on when imposter syndrome tries to come for me. I've learned to show up for myself consistently and to take scary tasks like setting up my business accounts or invoicing a client and break them down into small achievable goals. I really wouldn't be where I am in my business if it wasn't for Ela and I am so excited to see what the next year brings. Also, the fact that I can literally say I am a solo-consultant and believe it is so wild to me. So grateful I joined.

Ela Program and community have been a great partner in my journey of growing my consultancy. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a safe and supportive space to either start out or grow as an established independent consultant

Ela came along at a time when I really needed it - being part of a community that shows up when one is embarking on a new, uncertain journey is truly rare.

Wow, what an experience! It has been an incredible opportunity to be part of the 2024/2025 Ela Cohort. The program is unique-I don't think I've ever come across a program like this. Sarah is a huge supporter and champion of sharing her knowledge about her own journey, in an accessible way with women interested in embarking on their own consulting journeys. She works to lift women up through empathy, knowledge, and speaking the truth. This in and of itself is so rare.

Ela's cohort model is meant to meet participants where they are. The membership model in four distinct options and based on geography proves that Sarah and team have intentionally done their research to not disadvantage women in the global majority. The program itself that allows participants to engage with different speakers (through webinars), share their experiences with other cohort participants, and learn directly from Sarah. It has been an inspiring experience where I have practical tools, resources, and a community I can lean on. I have gained way more from this program than I would have thought and I am feeling energized and better equipped for my own consulting journey.

If you are interested in embarking on your own consulting journey, I would highly recommend joining Ela!

Being part of the 2024/2025 Ela cohort of consultants was a meaningful moment of personal and professional growth for me. I was on the lite membership subscription and enjoyed having engagement with the other women in the cohort as well as the inspirational and learning webinars and accompanying material. Sarah is an incredible coach, mentor and guide who leads this program with compassion and a joyful spirit. If you're on a mission to build community, expand your thinking and grow as a consultant in your respective field, I would highly recommend Ela

I had a wonderful experience with Osman Advisory. The tools they developed were incredibly helpful and gave me a solid starting point as I step into consultancy. As someone just starting out, I truly value the quality of support offered. While I wasn’t able to continue due to financial constraints, I fully appreciate the value of the program and hope to rejoin the community when circumstances allow. It’s a brilliant initiative, and I’m grateful to have been part of it, even briefly

I joined Ela because I was curious about the kind of community and guidance such a space could offer someone starting her consulting journey, and it did not disappoint.

One of the most valuable parts of the experience were the webinars. They seemed to arrive exactly when I needed a fresh perspective, a spark of inspiration, or a gentle challenge to think differently. The topics were relevant and the speakers brought a lot of wisdom and generosity.

Ela is a rare, thoughtfully designed space for women from the global majority to invest in and support the growth of one another. I felt connected, encouraged, and reminded that I'm not doing this alone.