LA Metro Chamber September 8th LIVE STREAM Breakfast

Power of the Local Food Economy

Join Emily Donaldson, Director of Business Development with Springworks; a Lisbon-based business that is the largest aquaponic greenhouse in New England. Emily will speak to Springwork’s business model and rapid growth (realized and planned), and the role food production, distribution, and service play in expanding our local economy. 

September’s breakfast will fully focus on the local food economy, with spotlighters showcasing local food-based businesses and organizations. The LA Metro Chamber is part of the Local Food Local Places Economic Plan, with leadership roles in advancing food systems infrastructure and building a local food identity and brand. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the LFLP work, and can see the plan here in advance. 

About the Speaker

Emily completed her undergraduate years at Mount Holyoke College. After founding her own environmental education nonprofit, called Cultivating Action, she reached out to Springworks for help procuring small aquaponic systems and distributing them to schools as a way to teach STEM skills. She continued this work as an Albert Schweitzer Fellow at Vermont Law School where she completed her J.D. and earned a Master’s degree in Environmental Law and Policy. Emily was even part of a Dartmouth College research project focused on exploring whether protein-rich microalgae could be a sustainable substitute for fishmeal in the diets of Nile tilapia. Today, Emily puts her diverse training and experience to work helping Springworks develop and launch new business units while advancing their current goals and ensuring they comply with outside regulatory requirements.