Maria Elena Rodriguez was born and raised in San Francisco. She juggles 2 careers as drama writer and a producer, particularly of animation. She has developed original TV series with writer-producers Peter Lefcourt, Robin Swicord and writer-director Rosemary Rodriguez. She also enjoys working in documentary, where she originally started her career.
Credits her early career of running the animation crew of The Simpsons as the "crash course" that taught her how to make television.
Classmates at UCLA include her Simpsons colleagues Mike B. Anderson, David Silverman and Chuck Sheetz, directors Todd Holland and Brad Silberling, screenwriter Mike Werb, TV writer-producer Natalie Chaidez.
A trained chef, she's worked in restaurants and catering companies. She was the head chef assistant at the LA Times Book Festival Cooking Stage for years.
Was a foreign exchange student in France and Mexico.
Has described her teen years as "a Catholic School girl by day" and "rock and roller by night until curfew.".