Eliza graduated from the California Institute of the Arts and the University of California at Berkeley. In 2003, Eliza toured the country playing a soldier in an all-female version of "King Lear." In November 2005, her one-woman sketch show "The Patriots" premiered at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York and went on to win her the breakout performer award at Aspen's U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in March 2006. Eliza studied with the Groundlings.