Elizabeth D. Rios, M.A., Ed.D.

Rev. Dr. Elizabeth D. Rios is the founder of Rebound Life Architects (RLA), a self-care and wellness, women's personal coaching, leadership development organization. Rebound Life Architects™ provides Life Coaching, Self-Care and Wellness gatherings, Spiritual Direction and other training programs and seminars. The mission of RLA is to help women reach their true potential and be successful in every area of their life by helping them rebound from life through self-care, wellness and personal awareness so they can rebuild their life.

Dr. Rios is a personal coach, leadership consultant, national speaker, published author and successful grant writer. With an emphasis on authenticity, transformative spirituality and self-care and development in leadership she specializes in helping people change their belief systems which lead to personal behavior that sabotages personal and spiritual growth which hinders destiny fulfillment. Known as The Rebound Coach™, Dr. Rios uses her own life story of having thrived after many personal tragedies as well as five foundational principles (recall, restore, reclaim, renew, rebound) developed from her life experience in all of her seminars, conferences and retreats she conducts.

Prior to starting RLA, Dr. Rios also founded a fund development consulting practice in 2003 to help faith-based nonprofits in their fundraising needs, which still operates today. Dr. Rios has also served in many executive level positions in nonprofit organizations in NYC including ten years at the Latino Pastoral Action Center as Vice President of Institutional Development. Her involvement in the faith-based nonprofit community made her an advocate for enhanced leadership development and accountability amongst faith-based nonprofit organizations. In addition, due to her passion for women in leadership and seeing a lack of opportunities for women to develop themselves to become better leaders, she went on to establish the Center for Emerging Female Leadership (www.cefl.org) in 1996. As an advocate for education, she's been an adjunct professor at Nyack College/Alliance Theological Seminary at both the NYC and Washington, DC campuses as well as Trinity International University's South Florida campus. She takes opportunities to teach anyone anytime and has been known to use a cereal box to teach important life lessons! Presently, she uses her love of education to home school her 11 year old son using Sonlight Curriculum.

Since 2005, she has been informing and inspiring women nationally as a regular columnist and Contributing Editor for PRISM magazine, published by Evangelicals for Social Action. In 2008 she was asked to become a Contributing Editor for Outreach Magazine, a national magazine for church leaders, pastors and planters where she was also named a "Face of the Future" in the November/December 2007 issue. Dr. Liz is also a published author having written a chapter in Latino Religions and Civic Activism called "The Women are Warriors" highlighting the many achievements of Latina Pentecostal women in the NYC social activist world. The chapter was reprinted in Azusa Street and Beyond 100 Years of Commentary on the Global/Pentecostal Charismatic Movement which was highlighted at the Azusa Street Centennial. Presently, Dr. Rios who is represented by Word Serve Literary, is working on her own book to encourage and give practical tips to women who are seeking to rebound from the lemons of life. In addition to her coaching, Dr. Rios is active as a nationally recognized leader in the faith-based community invited to speak and write on many issues related to women, ministry and leadership development.

Rev. Dr. Rios is also a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Broward Alumnae Chapter. Her educational background consists of a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts for the New School for Social Research, a Master of Arts in Management with an emphasis in Nonprofit Management from the Regent University School of Business and a Doctorate in Education in Organizational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. She has done post-graduate work at Fordham University School of Religion, Indiana University Center of Philanthropy and the Blanton Peale Graduate Institute for Pastoral Counseling. A perpetual learner, she is presently a D.Min. student in the Strength-Based Congregational Leadership program at Bethel Theological Seminary in partnership with the world's leading provider of management education, Gallup University.

What makes Dr. Rios a great Rebound Coach is the fact that she is or has been a church planter, pastor, key church leader, nonprofit executive, credentialed minister and educator and understands the challenges of each role as she ‘s experienced both failure and success, as well as rejoicing and regret. Dr. Rios says of her work and life, "I am fascinated with the dynamics of the human spirit; therefore, my desire is to contribute my passion in a way that enhances each individual's personal and professional gifts. One way I seek to accomplish this is to awaken people to the knowledge that everyone can rebound from all of life's situations and that their life story matters and can help define their leadership." Her life goal is simply to encourage individuals to "live out loud instead of hiding in life" because "a rebound is always possible when you believe."