Like Hanna Peterson, Maria Eliades is a storyteller. She’s spent years building a career around helping people and organizations connect with others through various media. Maria spent 5 years highlighting stories of cultural exchange and global leadership at the State Department and loved the work.
In the flurry of activity following the 2025 presidential inauguration, Maria felt a dramatic shift and realized that new directives from leadership were butting up against her moral red lines. She packed her bags and flew to Greece, her familial homeland, to recuperate from the deep moral injury she was living with.
Returning to New York, Maria channeled her frustration and anger into fuel. Her first move was launching Pentelic Productions, a boutique marketing firm dedicated to helping shape effective messages and stories for mission driven organizations trying to make positive change in the world.
But Maria didn’t just want to help organizations, she also wanted to support young women trying to navigate the present political moment. So she launched Our Pandora’s Box, a newsletter and podcast focused on advice for women as they explore the challenges, opportunities, and questions facing them as they make their way through the chaos.
Maria and I spent an hour last week digging deep into her journey. It was a really dynamic conversation, covering topics like what it’s been like for her to start not just one, but two businesses, what it means to let curiosity and hope lead, how she’s leveraging the skills and perspective from her previous career to build a new path forward, and her advice for folks still trying to find their next step. Towards the end, we even talked about some of her favorite music.
Thanks to everyone who joined the Live Discussion! For those of you who couldn’t make it, be sure to check out the recording. Also don’t forget to listen to Maria’s latest episode where she interviews Orthodox theologian Rachel Contos about feminism and faith.
References and Resources
Here’s links to a few of the resources and other items we mentioned during our conversation.
Music
Here’s links to a few of the songs and playlists we referenced.
Got a song or playlist we should know about? Drop your recs below!
We recently launched Your Monthly Money Cheat Code in collaboration with Rochelle Coleman from Second Stage Finance. She’s also hosting free Personal Finance Office Hour sessions on the last Friday of every month. If you’re wrestling with a personal finance issue and are looking for a free, non-judgemental space to talk through your situation, be sure to join us on August 28th!
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