Emily Brooks graduated from Ripon College, Ripon, WI, with a degree in

Chemistry-Biology in 1997. She graduated from Fox Valley Technical College with

a degree in Culinary Arts December 2003 and from Clayton College with a Masters

degree in Holistic Nutrition. She is currently working on her PhD degree for

Holistic Nutrition and ND License at Clayton College. 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.

 

With her background in science, Emily has studied the effects of the use of

antibiotics in the meat production industry, the nutrient deficiencies in the normal

growth and development of plants, and the medicinal properties of natural herbs.

She worked as a Chemist analyzing the fat-soluble vitamin content of

commercially prepared foods. This research has contributed largely to the

development of her passion for healthy production, preparation and cooking of our

foods. Emily entered the field of Culinary Arts because of her ambition to change

the way we purchase and prepare our food in today’s society and her passion,

knowledge and enthusiasm infuse her public speaking presentations, cooking

demonstrations and classes.

 

Emily Brooks has the skills, knowledge, and expertise to marry together the

realities of running a successful business and the actuality of nonprofit

management to form a troika of: cross-spectral information, advocacy, and

strategy & implementation to ensure the long-term success of any organization.

She is an expert communicator who can foster strategic relationships and

partnerships across all populations and sectors of sustainability initiatives—from

cultivating cross-systems understanding; to synthesizing diverse research and

outreach initiatives into a singularly functioning unit; to encouraging out-of-the

box ingenuity which promotes creative, collaborative systematic solutions and

strong community partnerships; to organizational development and grant-funding

initiatives and strategies; to project management proficiency, sensitivity, and

passion for sustainable growth.

 

You will find Emily’s attention to detail and her innovative

social problem solving skills through the creation of

programming; strategic analysis, planning, management;

and organizational development will foster an environment

of positive community relations and partnerships for socially

progressive organizations and their communities.

 

Emily Brooks is the revolutionary new face of the local food and sustainable agriculture movements.  Founder ofEdibles Advocate Alliance, Emily nurtures social entrepreneurs who support local agriculture, sustainable farming, and sustainable food systems, and passionately believes in changing the social norm towards agricultural sustainability and development through education and coalition building. 

Emily Brooks nurtures social entrepreneurs & innovators to build local, living economies and to: 

• construct local food webs & raise sustainable community food systems,
• create sustainable businesses & employ sustainable marketing solutions,
• connect their communities to the sustainability movement,
• implement corporate environmental & sustainability solutions,
• engage in local agriculture, and
• Utilize cleaner energy to reduce environmental impact.

She is the author of FARMER & FEAST Connecticut, the creator of Shared Harvest CT, and is a regular "local food & sustainability expert" on the Colin McEnroe Show.

Emily Brooks specializes in Entrepreneurial Training, Workplace & Community Sustainability Programming, andCorporate 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 Advisor and Strategic Consultant for Skinny Pines, LLC.
• Temporary Director of Development for the Rubicon Seven 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.
• 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 1,800 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.