Emily Breedlove
Emily is a PR Specialist and Growth Strategist who specializes in building the framework, platforms, and partnerships needed to be impactful in today’s challenging economy.
Having spent the past 15+ years working in small business support and community development, Emily has been fortunate enough to have experienced this space from both the entrepreneurial approach and the resource provider perspective. She is the Director of the ScaleUp WNC Accelerator, serving high-growth companies in Western North Carolina and is the host of programs like the Economic Bruncheon, Camp Girl Boss, and WNC Press Pass.
Emily is a member of the leadership team for the Asheville 1 Million Cups, and teaches the monthly AVL Pitch Prep class at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce. She is a certified trainer in the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program (IHEP) and REAL Entrepreneurship (Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning) Curriculum. Emily serves as Board Treasurer for The Sequoyah Fund, the Community Development Financial Institution for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, where she works to grow economic opportunity within the Qualla Boundary. Emily is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, providing support in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development. From 2017 – 2018, Emily served as President of FemCity Asheville, a professional networking, training, and mentoring program serving women entrepreneurs of the Greater Asheville Area. She has been a trainer and Keynote for the Brushy Fork Institute at Berea College since 2013, teaching on Entrepreneurship, Tourism, and Marketing.
Prior to her current entrepreneurial ventures, Emily served as the Director of the Certified Entrepreneurial Communities® Program with the AdvantageWest Economic Development Group, Marketing Professor at Southwestern Community College, and the Founder of the Center for New Mountain Business. Emily is passionate about working one-on-one with rural communities and entrepreneurs to develop strategies for collaborative progress and then catalyzing those initiatives with authenticity, innovation and a deep respect for cultural values.
Emily knows how to navigate between INNOVATIVE leadership, working in COMPLEX communities, and building your TRIBE through meaningful connection.
Emily Speaking on Sales at Tenacious Tuesdays, 2018
Hosted by WEWNC, Tenacious Tuesdays is a monthly gathering of women entrepreneurs and professionals in Asheville, North Carolina. Emily was the keynote speaker in June 2018, where she spoke to the audience about the importance of an authentic sales conversation.
Emily Speaking at WordCamp Asheville, 2017
WordCamp Asheville attracts bloggers, business owners, designers, developers, and hobbyists from Western North Carolina and beyond for a weekend of learning, connection, and fun. Emily was privileged to serve as a speaker on “ReBranding to Modernize your Marketing” in the summer of 2017.
Emily at the Growing Entrepreneurial Communities Summit, 2016
The Growing Entrepreneurial Communities Summit brought together a variety of best practice programs from many disciplines and perspectives, urban and rural, in one place to talk about what it takes to build a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. Emily shared her experiences in working in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and the CEC Program.