Download Emily's Bio and Resume
Emily Brooks is a leading principal authority in the local food and sustainable agriculture movements. Founder of Edibles Advocate Alliance (TM), Emily nurtures social entrepreneurs who support local agriculture, sustainable farming, and sustainable food systems, and specializes in supporting organizational needs such as business planning, inbound marketing support, strategic planning, grant writing assistance, social media market positioning, online brand niche, nonprofit development & grant funding strategies, project management, and the systemic creation and implementation of strategic plans.
To support small businesses, Emily is a certified expert in Entrepreneurial Training Programs, business coaching, strategic development, and inbound marketing education and social media assistance. She has a long and positive track record of establishing effective working relationships across a broad spectrum of individuals and working parties.
Emily Brooks and the Edibles Advocate Alliance nurtures social entrepreneurs & social innovators to build local, living economies and to:
She is the author of Connecticut FARMER & FEAST®, NYC FARMER & FEAST ®, the creator of Buy Local Connecticut®, the Advisor for GreenTown's Sustainable Food Initiative, and is a regular "local food & sustainability expert" on NPR.
Emily is also a member of the Sustainable Stamford Coalition and is a Beginning Women Farmers & Whole Farm Planning Mentor with Holistic Management International, and is a Mentor and Trainer with the Cooperative Development Institute and an Instructor at the CT Cooperative Business Academy. She is currently completing her training to become a Holistic Management Certified Educator.
Emily Brooks specializes in Sustainable Business Services, Sustainable Marketing Solutions, Entrepreneurial Training, Workplace & Community Sustainability Programming, and Corporate Sustainability & Environmental Education. She is a Certified Educator with NxLevel, a Certified Professional with HubSpot, an Inbound Marketing Certified Professional, and is a consultant for Coleman Research Group, Gerson Lehrman Group, and Guidepoint Global Advisors.
Her current and former clients include:
- Business Business Advisor and Strategic Consultant for Hilltop Hanover Farm.
- Marketing and Press Release Writing and Management for GZen Restaurant.
- Sustainable Marketing Agent and Consultant for Green Valley Farm.
- Business Business Advisor and Strategic Consultant for Steampumk Cafe.
- Sustainable Marketing Agent and Consultant for THREE OF A KIND - THE FILM by Abruzzo Productions in Boise, Idaho.
- Sustainable Business Instructor: CT Cooperative Business Academy
- Sustainable Agriculture Mentor: Holistic Management International
- Small Business Mentor & Trainer: Cooperative Development Institute
- Business Advisor and Strategic Consultant for Southfield Packaging.
- Sustainable Marketing Agent and Consultant for Suvilon Reubin.
- Business Advisor and Strategic Consultant for Shadle Farm.
- Business Advisor and Strategic Consultant for Alchemy Acres.
- Business Advisor and Strategic Consultant for Skinny Pines, LLC.
- Business Business Advisor and Strategic Consultant, & Temporary Director of Development for the Suvilon Reubin Foundation
- Business Advisor and Consultant for Muni Solar Systems in Kentucky.
- Start-up Business Planning, Development Funding Plan, and Marketing Plans for Muni Solar Systems in Kentucky.
- Strategic Analyst and Development Guide for the Greater New London Farm to City Coalition and the Re-New London Council
- Start-up Strategic Planning and Development for the Wind Hill Farm & Community Education Center in Glastonbury.
- Engaging with Band Together as they promote local charities through Band Together Concerts.
- Fundraising Development: revising the Funding and Sponsorship systems, Development and Fundraising, and creating an electronic and social media platform and corporate donor strategy for Connecticut Farmland Trust, in Hartford, CT.
- Managing and growing the Celebration of Connecticut Farms, a fundraiser for the Connecticut Farmland Trust, as Food & Beverage Manager. Emily directly managed farms, producers, health departments, chefs, restaurants, and event coordinators for this 800-seat outdoor food and wine festival.
- Development & Fundraising for the Connecticut Fund for the Environment in New Haven, CT.
- Chief Operating Officer: Created strategic plans, marketing plans, organizational systems, business development modules, value-added educational products; wrote national RFP's and Funding Case Statements for Sustainable Food Systems in Wallingford, CT.
- Launching Litchfield Hills Food Systems in Litchfield, CT.
- Creating a 3-year strategic funding plan including funding case statements for Two Angry Moms in Westport, CT, a serendipity project of the Marion Institute.
- Formulating and building a revolutionary nonprofit organization called BRIDGES Healthy Cooking School. By creating and teaching over 3,800 highly specialized educational classes, Emily transformed Workplace Wellness programming for businesses into a Community Wellness Education approach. Under Emily's leadership, the school managed associations and coalitions with 5 advisory groups represented by 60 area business leaders, experts, and organizations. BRIDGES has moved to Connecticut and expanded programming to include the Master's Table Farm Market.
Emily Brooks graduated from Ripon College, Ripon, WI, with a degree in Chemistry-Biology. She graduated from Fox Valley Technical College with a degree in Culinary Arts and from Clayton College with a Masters degree in Holistic Nutrition and a PhD degree in Holistic Nutrition. Emily's diverse educational background allows her to effectively analyze all aspects of new development needs, effectively create and manage strong, yet diverse coalitions, and ultimately create the right project solutions by creating sustainable and progressive organizational systems.