Emily Lonigro
Activator forwarding the potential of business as a force for good
Emily founded LimeRed in 2004 with a plan to prioritize high-quality design, user experience, and meaningful social impact. Her 14 years in business spans design, sales, operations, user experience, branding, marketing and strategy in both online and offline programs for multinational corporations, nonprofits, universities, startups, and consumer brands.
WORKING WITH EMILY
Emily walks the talk. From our office culture and company policies to how we identify the clients we work with, she is dedicated to reframing the norms and standards in business. When you work with her you feel energized and inspired.
A LITTLE MORE ABOUT EMILY
Emily has a million ideas a minute—we counted once. She’s also an amazing mom who loves having fun adventures with her two little ones. She makes good on all her promises, except for the office cat which she has yet to deliver on.

AREAS OF FOCUS
- Business ideation and development
- Brand strategy and design
- Vision/mission strategy and modeling for impact
- Igniting innovation
CONNECT
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2017 Speaking
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100
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Apple Flagship: Business Ideation
Apple Flagship: Ditch the Pitch!
Keynote: The Fringe Network: The Uncomfortable List
B Corp Leaders: Do Business and Politics Mix?, Patagonia Chicago
International Entrepreneurship Summit, Zagreb, Croatia
International Women’s Day Program (1871, Chicago)
International Sustainable UX Day
“Agile vs. Agility: When Waterfall is the Best Approach”
1871 Workshop leader, 2016–present
“Ditch the Pitch” Positioning Workshop
“Games for Designers and Non-Designers: Design Thinking to Spark Creativity”
“Business Mindset: Taking Your Idea from a Hobby to a Business”
2112 Workshop leader, 2016–present
Pitching, UX, and business strategy workshops
“Win in 30 Seconds: How to Pitch your Startup”
“The Business Mindset: Evaluating Risk and Viability”
World Usability Day: Sustainable Design
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2016 Speaking
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100
Let's do this -
It’s All About Design – Sustainatopia Conference
B Smart: A Deeper Understanding of the benefits of B Corps and Benefit Corporations – Sustainatopia Conference
Master of Ceremonies – Mom+Baby Legislative Luncheon
Master of Ceremonies – Women Supporting Women Conference
Small Business Websites: Platforms and Problems Women Supporting Women Conference
Idea Accelerator program design, coach, and host – NTEN LCS
Online Presence for Job Seekers: School of the Art Institute Chicago
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2014 and earlier Speaking
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100
Game on -
Idea Accelerator program design: NTEN LCS
UX, Biz development coach: Startup Weekend Women’s Edition
Intro to UX Design – HandsOn Tech Chicago
Igniting a Culture of Tech Innovation – NTEN NTC
Social Impact Measurement for Better Business Decisions – Social Enterprise Alliance Chicago
Entrepreneur Coach – NFTE/Ms Tech Chicago All-girls Academie
Intro to Content Marketing – Hands on Tech Chicago
Women in Business – Power Pump Salon, Chicago Booth School
Careers in Social Enterprise – Social Enterprise Alliance Chicago, Chicago Booth School
Future of Social Media – Hands on Tech Chicago, Google
Mobile and Responsive web design – 501Tech club
BLOG POSTS
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Business that Benefits: Two tips for creating more social impact in and with your work
A better way of doing business is being born. And those who have are already adopted or are seeking to adopt conscious approaches to business are the midwives for this movement. For too long business has been solely focused on making profit. But in today’s...
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Here’s How to Be the Change Leader We Need Today
I absolutely love speaking in a room full of people. It’s crazy, I know. That’s in everyone’s top three fears behind death and killer bees, right? It’s one of the things I love most about my job. I love speaking to a room full of...
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If You’re Looking to Feed Your Soul, Read This
Hi Friends, I have a story to tell you today. It’s a personal story that has been unfolding during the past six months and has gotten more intense in the first few days of this new year. Last year we did pretty well as a...