Emily M. Austen

Emily M. Austen is the founder and CEO of EMERGE, an award-winning PR agency based in London, working with global brands including Huel, Spanx, Red Bull, rewardStyle, The Birley Clubs, Lick, PE Nation, and Abercrombie. The 25-strong team was started by Emily in 2012, at the age of 22, after she graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Criminology and Criminal Law.

Emily is the author of the bestseller SMARTER: 10 Lessons for a More Productive & Less Stressed Life.

Emily has guest lectured at Harvard University and has been selected for the upcoming 300 Years of Leadership and Innovation. Emily is also the Strategic PR Advisor to UN Women UK, tackling challenging conversations such as domestic violence and gender equality, and working with the General Assembly to effect change. She ran a campaign for safe spaces for women during the reports of the disappearance of Sarah Everard, and more recently, safe spaces at festivals, with Glastonbury and Ellie Goulding as key supporters. She is also a Strategic Advisor to ESI Media Group.

Over her career, she has been involved in communications to raise over £600 million for startups across the wellness, fitness, tech, and feminine care sectors. She has a diploma in Venture & Finance from Oxford University.

Emily is an advisor to William Chase and a founding partner in Goldling, a ready-to-drink seltzer brand. Marie Claire named her the most inspiring female entrepreneur on Instagram, Sheerluxe included her on their 2023 ‘Most Inspiring List’, and she has been featured in the Evening Standard, Daily Mail, Grazia, and Forbes, and has written for Harper’s Bazaar.