about
Hi, I’m Ellen Claire.
“Real confidence isn’t about being fearless. It’s about knowing you can count on yourself."
THE REAL WORK
This is the part no one really teaches.
We tell young women to be smart. To be careful. To make good decisions.
But we rarely show them how.
How to recognize when something feels off.
How to navigate pressure in the moment.
How to trust themselves AND WHAT TO DO NEXT.
That gap is where hesitation creeps in—and where confidence starts to break down.
I teach them how to close it.
WHY I DO THIS WORK
The moment everything changed
Years ago, I was sitting at my kitchen table reading an article about sexual assault on college campuses.
One statistic stopped me cold: one in four women reported experiencing sexual assault during their college years—with the majority of cases involving someone they knew.
I remember thinking: How are more people not talking about this?
And then it hit me: my daughters would soon be stepping into more independence—college, relationships, social pressure, and all the moments I couldn't be there to help them navigate.
Years earlier, I had experienced a dangerous situation myself while walking home late one night in college. In that moment, the safety strategies I had practiced for years kicked in automatically—helping me stay calm, think clearly, and get to safety.
That experience stayed with me.
Because what I realized sitting at that kitchen table years later was this: most young women were stepping into adulthood without that same preparation.
Not because no one was talking about safety—but because too often we were leaving young women feeling afraid instead of equipped.
They were being told to stay safe—but not how to recognize risk, trust themselves, or respond with confidence when something felt off.
That realization became the foundation for Empower the Girls.
THE CONFIDENCE WINDOW
Why high school and college years matter.
I work with young women in high school and college because this is when so much is still taking shape.
It’s a time of firsts.
First real independence, first complex decisions, first relationships that begin to define what they expect, value, and seek out in others.
The confidence they build now shapes how they navigate risk, relationships, and opportunities—and every decision that follows.
In a world where they're told what to think, how to act, and who to trust, learning to recognize and trust themselves becomes even more important.
MY BACKGROUND
Deep roots in real-world training
My dad worked at the Connecticut State Police Training Academy, so conversations about safety, awareness, and preparation were simply part of everyday life growing up.
When he returned from military service in Japan, he opened one of the first karate schools in Connecticut. By the time I was eight years old, I was training alongside him—an experience that shaped my understanding of confidence, awareness, discipline, and personal safety from a very early age.
Later, I joined my father at MOAB® Training International, where I eventually served as Vice President and helped develop instructor training programs focused on assessing risk, de-escalating conflict, and responding effectively under pressure.
Those programs are now used by more than 5,000 agencies nationwide, reaching hundreds of thousands of professionals each year.
What stays with me isn’t just how these skills are applied in extreme situations—it’s how often they are needed in everyday ones.
Certifications & Training
My work is informed by ongoing training in:
Trauma-Informed Youth Practices
Trauma-Informed Care for Professionals Working with Youth
Human Trafficking Awareness
Healthy Relationships Training for Educators
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
MOAB® De-escalation Training
Heroic GRAD Speech Writing Mastery
Heroic GRAD Stage Performance Mastery
A CONFIDENCE-FIRST APPROACH
Most programs focus on what to avoid.
I focus on how to respond.
The Courage Confidence Code
Confidence isn't built in a single presentation. It's built through repeated practice.
The Courage Confidence Code™ builds confidence through practice—not lectures. Every keynote, Skills Lab, and online course combines four interactive learning methods that help students prepare for real-life moments before they're in them.
Live Scenario
Breakdowns
Real-world scenarios help students recognize patterns and notice when something feels off before situations escalate.
Guided
Decision Drills
Practice slowing reactions and making clearer decisions under pressure.
Instinct
Mapping
Help students recognize what they already know and trust themselves enough to act.
Response-based
Role Play
Use voice activation to help students hear themselves speak up—and mean it.
Trusted by Schools, Universities, & Organizations
INCLUDING
Boca Raton High School • Florida Atlantic University
Saint Andrews High School • WeWork • Women of Tomorrow
Young women need more than vague advice.
They deserve tools.
At the end of the day, I want young women to move through life feeling stronger, steadier, and able to trust themselves under pressure—because that changes the way they show up in the world.
And it’s on us to make sure they’re prepared.
