Ellie was born in Hong Kong and moved to Los Angeles when she was eight years old. She attended Stanford University and graduated in 2009 with a BA in Drama and a Minor in Sociology.

Upon graduation from Stanford, she moved back to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the film industry. Ellie was selected for the 2012 Project Involve fellowship program and was named the Barbara Boyle Scholar. She has directed and produced numerous shorts, documentaries, and features, including White Frog, which she co-wrote. In addition to creating independently, she has also worked at CAA and CBS Films in all aspects of film finance, sales, acquisitions, production, and development. Most recently, she was the Director of Development in Original Series at Super Deluxe, an independent entertainment studio funded by Turner.

Her documentary Single Mother Only Daughter screened at the American Cinematheque's 12th Annual Focus on Female Directors and premiered online on Short of the Week and was a Vimeo Staff Pick. She will soon release a short documentary series online about social entrepreneurs around the world.