Ellen Federbush

As Vice President of Huffman Travel, Ellen plays a key role in overseeing the company’s financial operations, strategic growth, and day-to-day management.

Before joining Huffman Travel, Ellen worked at Cleveland Avenue, a Chicago-based venture capital firm, where she held roles across family office, investor relations, and project management. She began her career at JPMorgan’s Private Bank, advising high-net-worth individuals across the Midwest on complex lending strategies—an experience that deepened her understanding of the luxury market.

Ellen earned her BSBA in Finance and International Business from Washington University in St. Louis. While studying abroad in London, she took the opportunity to explore cities across Europe—and in the process, caught the travel bug. Since then, she has visited more than 40 countries (and counting!) across six continents, gaining firsthand expertise in global luxury destinations.

Now based in Chicago with her husband, Ellen enjoys playing tennis, discovering new restaurants, and spending time with family. She is also an active member of the Associate Board of A Silver Lining Foundation.

Favorite Hotels & Resorts:

BOSKO Guatape (Colombia), Hôtel Du Palais Biarritz, Alila Ventana Big Sur, Panoptis Escape Mykonos, Casa Maria Luigia

Recently Visited:

Colombia (Cartegena & Medellin), France & Basque Country (Bordeaux, Biarritz, San Sebastian), Greece (Mykonos & Milos), Italy (Tuscany, Modena, BoPalm Springs & Joshua Tree, Costa Rica, Vietnam (Hanoi, Da Nang) & Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket) & Singapore, The Breakers Palm Beach, Greece (Mykonos, Milos) & Italy (Tuscany, Bologna, Modena), Colombia (Cartegena, Medellin)

Best Adventures:

Swimming with wild dolphins in Kaikoura Bay, New Zealand. Seaplane to the Whitsundays beach in Hamilton Island. Seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland. Watching Rafael Nadal win the French Open. Truffle hunting in Istria, Croatia. Hiking to Laguna Torre in Patagonia. Hanging out with the blue-footed booby in the Galapagos.

Bucket List:

Attending Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Looking for penguins in Antarctica. Experiencing the Azores. Spend a week relaxing in Cabo San Lucas.

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