Social Impact Investor, Chair Board Ashesi University FoundationUniversity of Washington
Emer is a social impact investor passionate about higher education and women’s empowerment. She is the Chair of The Ashesi University Foundation –educating the future ethical leaders of Africa, and a board member of Women’s World Banking, which works to advance women’s financial inclusion across the globe.
Emer is a faculty member at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, teaching in technology strategy, entrepreneurship, venture capital and global health. In 2019 she pioneered a new Social Entrepreneurship Fellows program with the UW Population Health Initiative. She works with the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, involving students in all aspects of company creation, technology commercialization and investment. She also worked with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and teams of graduate students on Global Health issues. She has received the University’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Outside the university, Emer raised and ran The Alliance of Angels Seed Fund I, a small early-stage technology fund which invested in 14 Seattle startups.
A former computer designer, and high-tech executive, she holds BSc and MEng degrees from the University of Limerick, and an MBA and PhD from the University of Washington.