Hi. I’m Emily.
I’m a facilitator and strategist who helps mission-driven teams get unstuck.
I started my career as a classroom teacher, became a social worker, and then spent seven years in education policy and strategy consulting. Across every chapter, the part I loved most was bringing people together to work through something hard: guiding messy conversations toward shared understanding and real progress.
I’ve always believed that the right people, in the right room, with the right structure, can make incredible things happen. Facilitation is where that beliefe comes to life.
You know that feeling when a meeting ends and everyone’s drained… but nothing’s decided?
Most teams spend too much time in meetings that feel repetitive or unproductive. When you shift from “just another meeting” to a purposeful workshop with a clear goal, thoughtful design, and built-in participation, everything changes.
In my experience, two hours of intentional facilitation can move a team further than ten hours of traditional meetings. And one day together in the same room? That’s worth an entire month of Zoom calls.
But it’s not just about efficiency. It’s about energy, connection, and clarity. That’s what most teams are missing, and it’s what my facilitation is built to deliver.
For years, I tried to facilitate workshops that I also had to participate in. Every time, something suffered: either my facilitation or my ability to contribute. Eventually, this tension helped me realize two things.
First, bringing in an outside facilitator allows teams to fully focus on the content of the session.
Second, I absolutely love being that facilitator.
The moment I gave myself permission to focus fully on facilitating, to do the invisible work that makes other people’s brilliance shine, everything clicked. I stopped trying to do both, and in that clarity, I found my calling.
I don’t take center stage.
I build the stage where your brilliance can shine.
Now, facilitation is my work.
Through EK Brookhart Consulting, I partner with mission-driven organizations and coalitions to bring clarity, alignment, and structure to their most complex challenges. I design and facilitate collaborative processes that help teams move from uncertainty to shared understanding, and from ideas to implementation.
My job is to do the invisible work: designing thoughtful sessions, managing group dynamics, holding equity at the center, and keeping a close eye on the timer, so you can focus on what matters most.
I don’t take center stage. I build the stage where your brilliance can shine.
I’ve facilitated workshops and strategic processes for dozens of groups, from teams as small as three to convenings of over three hundred. I’ve worked with school districts, state and local agencies, nonprofits, foundations, and coalitions across the country.
Every engagement is different, but the outcomes are consistent:
Clearer priorities and decisions
Stronger alignment across stakeholders
Renewed energy and confidence in next steps
This work has supported initiatives advancing educational equity, leadership development and community collaboration, all rooted in the belief that progress happens through relationships.
I live in Salt Lake City with my wife, our two kids, and four cats.
When I’m not designing or facilitating, you’ll find me reading, baking, working through a crossword puzzle, attending a play at the Salt Lake Acting Company, or cheering on the Utah Royals in the NWSL.