2021 Tour dates are live!
check tour dates

Eli Walker

Keynote Speaker, Wellness Entrepreneur, Solo-Performance Artist & Belonging Expert

Book eli to speakQuote sign

Hi! I’m Eli - founder/author of Drunk Yoga® (now The Uplift Center). I help people get over themselves, engage community & spark radical belonging in our modern world.

Eli Walker

Eli walker

Challenge convention.
Break the rules to spark radical belonging.

from executive boardrooms all the way to rural ghana, I curate interactive talks, social wellness experiences, one-woman shows and educational tools that playfully provoke the unexpected to empower you to get out of your head, into your bodies and discovering deeper connection.

Whether you engage in my immersive experiences as an audience member, active participant, or student, you can expect barrier-breaking play, world-class storytelling, and laughter-inducing interpersonal engagement to enliven outside-the-box mindset shifts, cultivate belonging and inspire action towards a happier, healthier & more connected world.

Let's rewrite the rulebook to connect us to what matters: each other. 

3k +

the # of leaders I've helped get over themselves to better engage their people

1.5k +

The # of teams I've equipped with proven strategies for sustainable workplace belonging

20k +

The # of individuals i've inspired to mindfully move, laugh and "cheers" their way into greater wellness & camaraderie

10k +

the # of audience members I've uplifted through transformative stories about what it means to belong to something bigger than ourselves
Book Eli to help you build belonging
Eli on ipad ini a roof yoga class

Why work with Eli?
...Because, honestly? She's a delight.

Her talks, social wellness experiences and belonging expertise engage communities for the long haul. A joy to partner with from start to finish and a reliable rockstar on stage, she captivates her audiences with epic (+ hilarious) stories, profound insight and artfully gamified mindful movement from an approach that's both playful and accessible.

Participants walk away with renewed appreciation for their purpose, their people, and perspectives that reignite a connection to something larger than themselves.

Speaking Engagements

Equal parts performative and informative, Eli's talks inspire audiences to name the unsaid, set up conditions to create agency, and challenge social norms to [actually] cultivate belonging.

Social Wellness Experiences

Get out of your head and into your body through playfully provocative yoga experiences & curated networking sessions designed to foster camaraderie.

Live Experience Consulting

Whether you’re a leader, entrepreneur, event planner or facilitator, Eli provides the expert guidance you need to host engaging live experiences optimized for belonging that take your community-building goals to the next level.
Speaking Topics

Book Eli to Speak -
& discover why she's a leading expert in belonging

Cultivating belonging means setting up the conditions to get off autopilot and into the present moment. Enter: Interactive Play and Provoking the Unexpected. 

Eli's keynotes inspirE your audiences to rethink their notion of belonging, engage authentically and feel empowered to create agency over their own experiences in their lives and in their work.

Eli's keynotes include: 

1. audience engagement, humorous stories, and practical takeaways
‍
2. Essential insights into why play is the most economical way to build belonging
‍
3. An interactive guided meditation, curated icebreaker or immersive yoga session to help your audience relax, re-energize, and re-focus

Click here to view speaker reel.

01

The Art of Getting Over YourselfHow to Build Belonging in the Modern World

Eli demystifies "belonging" and what it means today, inspiring audiences to get out of their heads and into community. The result? Better collaboration, higher retention and more engaged & purposeful workplaces.

02

Work Hard, P.L.A.Y. HarderA work-life balance strategy that actually works

Hint: The secret is "play." Eli reveals her proven strategy for achieving optimal work-life balance, enhancing productivity and personal fulfillment through authentic expression, and having [a lot] more fun in the process.

03

The Structure of BelongingEngage & retain your people through better live experiences

Discover how to motivate and sustain your teams through the art of live experience design; set up conditions for belonging to naturally arise in meetings and events...and even during that awkward moment before everyone joins the Zoom call.

“

We had Eli lead her facilitated 'Art of Getting Over Yourself' talk at a national leadership conference and it was a major highlight of the event. Attendees raved about how fun and engaging she was--she even tailored her material to be crucially relevant to our specific audience. Eli was also super easy to work with--flexible, communicative and kind. I would recommend her to any group looking to add a 'personal growth' session to their agenda.

- Stacy Heit

National Association of Workforce Boards
Video

Eli in action

Play button
Play button
Play button
Play button
Play button
Play button
Play button
Yoga class in front of an industrial background

Make it Fun

Pink yoga mattress

Social Wellness Experiences: From Drunk Yoga® to The Uplift Center

As the founder of the internationally-acclaimed Drunk Yoga® - the world's first 'yoga drinking game' - Eli is the leading expert in facilitating highly curated, playful yoga and networking events (now called "Uplift Experiences") designed to engage your people through feel-good movement and cultivate camaraderie through laughter-inducing games, icebreakers and throwback music.

Past clients include Porsche, Intel, Wayfair, YouTube, Ebay, Squarespace, Pinterest, Virgin Hotels, Deloitte, H&M and more.
‍
Book Eli to curate an experience  

“

Experience Manager, porsche
Eli’s approach is nothing short of remarkable, transforming what could have been a traditional yoga class into an experience that was both playful and empowering. From the moment we began discussing our event requirements, Eli demonstrated an innate ability to understand our needs and translate them into a perfectly curated experience. Eli’s events are not just gatherings; they are experiences, exceeding all expectations. Her ability to infuse each moment with energy and engagement ensured that every attendee felt valued and involved. I wholeheartedly recommend Eli to anyone looking to elevate their event to new heights.

- Jake Pereira

Eli Walker

The
Uplift Center

As Eli quickly scaled Drunk Yoga® across the country (shout out to viral media coverage), she discovered how to translate the very same theatrical devices she used to make yoga feel like a party into a live experience design methodology - now called the P.L.A.Y. Method - to offer as a template to help leaders everywhere spark belonging for any community at any event.

Enter: The Uplift Center (Drunk Yoga® 2.0, if you will), where she teaches her proven method to belonging-builders across the globe.
Learn more

“

Eli has found a spirited way to introduce people to the magic of a yoga practice through community and camaraderie work. Her techniques are fun, sneaky, effective and effervescent.

- Nevine Michaan

CREATOR, KATONAH YOGA®

Need to call in
a Belonging & Facilitation Expert?

We run on autopilot, living within systems that keep us “safe” and unwittingly follow oppressive structures and values of individualism that hold us back from our power and from each other.

But by changing just one aspect, taking one step outside the memorized societal dance, the system crumbles and we experience ourselves and each other in a whole new way. Whether it’s changing up seating at a meeting, asking an unexpected question, or introducing a glass of wine to a yoga class (true story), we branch off into unscripted territory where community and connection can arise.  

Leaders and community-builders from all industries hire Eli to help them create an action plan to optimize their live events, meetings or gatherings for engagement, productivity and belonging by tapping into the intersection of playfulness, purpose, and practicality.
Contact to learn more
Eli Walker with a tabletEli Walker on Macbook screen

“

Eli has been my go-to live experience consultant for years. As a Producer, we have a variety of clients who request LinkedIn live broadcasts or large-scale webinars, and Eli is always my first call to help us strategize best practices of engagement and success. Having Eli’s expertise in my back pocket makes my job so much easier!

- Lily Johnson

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, BEACON DIGITAL MARKETING

Eli Walker

Meet Eli

hi! I'm Eli, and I'm so glad you're here.

I love helping people from different backgrounds get on the same page. Bonus if I can achieve this while inspiring them to live joyfully, empower them with new perspectives and make them laugh at the same time.

After earning a BFA in Acting from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with an emphasis on solo-performance and community-based theater, plus a decade of experience teaching yoga across the globe, I developed a knack—a super power, if you will—for leveraging the power of play, mindfulness practices and interactive storytelling to make people feel like they belong. So, it was no surprise (to some more than others) that in 2017 I established my first claim to fame by founding the famous (albeit subversive) wellness brand, Drunk Yoga®—breaking the rules of yogic convention by infusing it with the social ritual of a happy hour.

Since then, I've continued to evolve my belonging-building work to offer large-scale social wellness events, consulting services through The Uplift Center, and write, produce and perform my one-woman shows.

Eli walker

In the press

“It is precisely this dogmatic tendency that Eli would like to challenge: ‘We are creating a safe space here for lots of fun. Here the yogis can let go completely, not take themselves and others too seriously. And above all: not to take yoga too seriously.’”
“Eli Walker, founder of the sessions, told Popsugar, ‘Drunk Yoga, which involves adding wine to a beginner yoga sequence in class that takes place in a bar, was just another idea I had to make yoga more accessible and less intimidating to a certain population who might not otherwise try yoga at all.’”
“‘It’s OK if you spill,’ says Drunk Yoga creator Eli Walker, 29, an actress and yogi who created the trademarked yoga brand in 2017.”
“Eli Walker, the yoga instructor who one day realized that the disinhibition of the bar was what it took to make people feel comfortable in yoga class”.
“Walker’s final rule for Drunk Yoga is that ‘you have to have fun and be happy by the time you leave.’”
“Walker’s manifesto is unlike any other how-to-yoga guidebook on the shelf, because not only does it pair the Ayurvedic practice with alcohol, it’s also layered with jokes and stories to really hone in on her overall message: that life on its own is hard enough, but yoga doesn’t have to be.”
“She wanted to create a safe atmosphere for newbies and veterans alike to make new friends over a glass of wine and just lighten the f*ck up about yoga.”
“Eli Walker founded Drunk Yoga because it meshed with her love for the practice and served as a reminder to never stop playing.”
“…it's actually more about the experience than it is about losing weight and as Walker says, 'Happiness is health.’”
“Drunk Yoga? The term itself feels like an oxymoron. But ever since Eli Walker founded her casual, pretense-free, wine-fueled yoga classes back in 2017, Drunk Yoga has become a full-on movement.”
“This roving series aims to lift your spirits and create community around the potent union of yoga and social ritual…”
“…yoga instructor Eli Walker decided to open up a “Drunk Yoga” series to help beginning yogis relax with the idea that your body will become more flexible with some liquid courage…”
“Eli said it best: ‘When you’re playing with your body in time and space in a new way, surrounded by friends in a bar with a glass of wine, it’s hard not to enjoy yourself.’”
“In addition to yoga, she [Walker] teaches storytelling workshops for kids and adults that combine movement and theater.”
“Still, while you'll probably get more out of yoga's focus on mindfulness with a clear head, Walker says whatever gets you to your mat is good enough for her.”
“Walker, 28, said she believed a jolt of liquid courage could help to make yoga more enjoyable for those too nervous to tackle it. “
‘‘That said, every yogi who has tried the class, and/or knows me personally, understands my mission has integrity, and my class is safe, effective and fun for the population of people I’m targeting,’ Walker says.”
“‘I've been a yoga teacher and a performer for a long time, and an entrepreneur at heart,’ Eli Walker – the woman behind the trend – told me when I approached her for this story.”

Play opens the door to a deeper sense of belonging.

A Note from Eli

To me, belonging isn’t something you stumble upon; it’s something you actively create. It’s not about fitting into a pre-defined mold but about facilitating a space where belonging can naturally arise within the space between ourselves and the world around us.

Through my journey in solo-performance art, yoga, and entrepreneurship, I’ve learned that belonging is both an art and a science. On stage, I discovered the power of vulnerability and authenticity. Yoga taught me that embodiment and presence lay the groundwork for genuine connections. In entrepreneurship, I’ve seen how intentional environments and interactions foster community and engagement. Play is central to this process. By integrating play into our experiences, we dissolve barriers to connection and enhance every aspect of our lives.

My mission is to empower you to build and embody belonging so you can live more purposefully and joyfully. I’m excited to share this journey with you.

With love,
Eli
‍
SUBSCRIBE to my newsletter
Eli Walker

“

I have had the great pleasure of working with Eli in various theatrical capacities since 2011. Throughout our collaborations, Eli has consistently demonstrated exceptional talent, professionalism, and an unwavering passion for creating transformational experiences for her audiences.

- Jonathan Libman

DIRECTOR, THE MUSHROOM CURE
Drunk Yoga book
1/4
2/4
3/4
4/4
of my projects

Uplif TV

Embody belonging with Eli’s live weekly virtual yoga classes & video library

Whether you’ve experienced one of Eli's belonging-building yoga experiences IRL and want to keep the party going, or you’re simply a stellar human being who desires deeper connection to yourself and the world around you, then UplifTV is for you.
learn more

Social Impact

in addition to building belonging for fortune 500 companies, eli has dedicated much of her time to volunteering for organizations that Empower women and Girls through her wellness and storytelling facilitation, including working with the WEST AFRICAN YOUTH EMPOWERMENT ORGANIZATION IN KOKROBITE and GVI in 2021.

Eli continues to partner with non-profits to facilitate community-based theater experiences that promote awareness of gender inequality, as well as offer young women the opportunity to find their voice through performative storytelling. 
contact eli about getting involved with your organization

Buy the Drunk Yoga® Book
‍
Get Eli's best-selling Drunk Yoga® book: "50 Wine & Yoga Poses to Lift Your Spirit(s).

As featured in the New York Post, the International Business times, Refinery29, Glamour, ELLE, POPSUGAR, INSIDER Fitness, the Gothamist, and more...

Indulge in fun and laughter with the official Drunk Yoga® book by Eli Walker, the rebel behind the viral Drunk Yoga phenomenon.

Buy it now

One-Woman Shows

Eli writes and performs solo-shows that challenge our notion of belonging to overcome invisible power structures that hold us back.

Eli has been an avid monologuist since age 8, when she wrote her first one-woman show--a feminist adaptation of the classic "Little Red Riding Hood." At 16, she uncovered a copy of Lily Tomlin's "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe," memorized it and performed it for anyone who would listen. Eli's previous original one-woman shows performed in NYC include "STEPS," produced at Wings Theatre in 2010, "COUNTING," at NYU's Experimental Theatre Wing in 2011 and "The Quarter-Life Crisis Monologues," at the PIT in 2017. Stay tuned for her next one-woman show entitled, "Kill the Buddha," directed by Jonathon Libman.
subscribe to learn more

YOGA, BUT MAKE IT FUN.™

At-home yoga videos for everyone, everywhere. Connect to yourself, your body and to others in a whole new way through non-traditional yoga experiences.

buy or rent your next yoga party now.
social media

Performance & Informance

Eli on iphone
Instagram logo
@eliwalkerstories
view
Instagram logo
@uplift.center
view
Instagram logo
@drunkyoga
view

Community engagement arises when belonging is felt.

Contact is currency.

Eli on iphone

Sitemap

HomeAbout meServicesPressContact

Follow me