Born and raised in Birmingham, AL, Elise attended the University of Mississippi and graduated with a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre. Upon graduation, she moved to Chicago, where she studied and performed at Second City, I.O., The Artistic Home, and Acting Studio Chicago. She was a company member of The Ruckus Theatre and Brain Surgeon Theatre, and worked with several other theatre companies around the city. Taking her cooking hobby to a national stage, Elise also appeared on the fifth season of Fox's MasterChef, where she placed 13th. While in Chicago, she also completed a M.A. in Interdisciplinary Arts at Columbia College Chicago. Elise recently relocated to her hometown of Birmingham, Al, where she works as an assistant food stylist. She is the host of her own baking web series called Smart Cookie for the Well Done digital brand.