Ellenbogen's father, Paul Ellenbogen, was, amongst other things, serving as a Navy officer in war crimes trials in Japan. The Prague Society's Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award is named after the mother of Ellenbogen. The ancestors of Ellenbogen originated from the German noble family von Katzen-Ellenbogen[6] (see County of Katzenelnbogen, KatzenelnbogenCastle and town).
He was an internationally syndicated columnist for United Press International (2004-2010), with over 300 columns appearing in publications , including The Washington Times, The Globe and Mail, The Financial Times, and Die Welt. The op-eds were published under the title Atlantic Eye and dealt with political issues and Marc Ellenbogen's own experience with diplomacy across the Atlantic.[10] Ellenbogen's column Atlantic Eye has been cited in numerous media, print media and other mediums.[11]
From 2004 to 2010, Ellenbogen served on the National Advisory Board of the US Democratic Party. He is a former Vice Chair & Founding Trustee of the Democratic Expat Leadership Council.
In 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama nominated Ellenbogen to be Ambassador to Bulgaria.[12]