About Us
Elle Sakellis
In 2004, Elle Sakellis launched Otrera as a jewelry company and it quickly grew into a very successful private label jewelry business. She had spent the previous ten years working in finance, but found her true calling after an extended vacation in London and on the Greek island of Mykonos, where she began making jewelry for family and friends. Elle now designs private label jewelry for clients such as Victoria’s Secret, Boston Proper & Spiegel Catalog. Her exquisite creations have been worn by celebrities such as Alicia Keys and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Elle’s Greek heritage has played a prominent role in her entrepreneurship. When searching for the perfect name for her company, Elle reached back to her childhood, when her grandmother would captivate her with bedtime stories about Otrera, the mysterious Greek warrior goddess known for her astounding beauty and prowess. The Otrera collections exhibit the same gorgeous mix of delicacy and strength as the immortal mother of the Amazons. Whether it’s a bold cuff bracelet, delicate chandelier earrings with crystal pendants or a vibrant silk scarf, the Otrera accessory line compliments the strength and femininity of every woman who wears it, and allows them to experience the essence of the Greek goddess herself.
Long inspired by Mykonos, where she summers with her family, Elle created her Evil Eye scarf after admiring a display of Evil Eye amulets in a small Mykonian tourist shop. Having worn Evil Eyes her entire life, Elle felt a natural inclination to bring the Evil Eye to print and felt truly honored to bring something so close to her, and her culture, into the world of mainstream fashion. It was the iconic Evil Eye scarf that put Otrera on the map. Elle continues to design prints around good luck charms from all over the world, the most current being the new Otrera Hamsa scarf collection.
Elle lives in Manhattan and credits her family, her culture and her protective Evil Eye talismans for her continued success.
Jen Kosiba
After earning a Finance degree with high honors from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Jennifer Kosiba decided to move back to her native New York. She immediately accepted a position at an elite Private Equity Firm as an analyst where she quickly moved up the ladder. Along with the analytical skills she provided to her companies’ investments, she elected to lend a deeper hand to a chosen few.
She acted as the Chief Buyer for the entire product line when TTGA launched the Harmony Pharmacy & Health Center, Inc. business start-up. Jennifer dressed each and every window display for the stores debut and quickly found her first window display being featured in an issue of European Vogue. It wasn’t long before she knew that she wanted to pursue a career that would complement her business degree and fashion savvy.
In 2010, when Jennifer came across Otrera Inc. in a stack of investments, she was immediately mesmerized by both the amazing designs and wonderful management work of its CEO, Elle Sakellis. Jennifer set up an initial meeting with Elle and it was not long before a partnership was formed with Jennifer serving as both Partner and Chief Operating Officer of Otrera Inc.
