Ashley Emerson

Activist, Idea generator, Social entrepreneur

As CEO of Business & Scale at Health In Harmony, Ashley is driving a radical shift in how we tackle the climate and health crises—centering Indigenous wisdom, data-driven solutions, and systems-level transformation. She leads HIH’s international programs, research, and scaling strategy, leveraging cutting-edge technology, global advocacy, and catalytic partnerships to accelerate impact. A fierce advocate for racial and environmental justice, Ashley ensures rainforest communities remain at the forefront of designing solutions for planetary and human health. With deep expertise in replicating high-impact programs in low-resource settings, she is passionate about scaling what works—grounded in rigorous, equity-centered research and bold, actionable insights. Her career has taken her across Africa, the Caribbean, Central & South America, and South Asia, where she worked alongside communities responding to humanitarian crises. Seeing firsthand how the climate crisis disproportionately harms vulnerable populations, she became committed to breaking silos—bridging health, environment, and economic justice to drive systemic change.

I am passionate about building bold, strategic partnerships that drive real impact for the planet and people.

Creating a system of reciprocity to fund investment in the communities who protect and preserve the worlds highest impact rainforests.

Planetary Health: Scaling Impact by Trusting Communities At Health In Harmony, we’ve learned that protecting the planet doesn’t start with rules, restrictions, or top-down policies. It starts with trust. It starts with asking communities, “What do you need?” and then believing them when they tell us. When we listened, we heard something revolutionary: That providing healthcare, supporting livelihoods, and valuing Indigenous leadership isn’t separate from conservation—it is conservation. And when we invested in these community-designed solutions, the results were astounding. In Indonesia, illegal logging dropped by 90%, infant mortality was cut in half, and the rainforest—one of the most vital carbon sinks on our planet—began to regenerate. This wasn’t charity. It wasn’t aid. It was an investment in the expertise and wisdom of rainforest communities, and it had a 12X return on investment in planetary health gains. The world tells a story that these communities need help. But the truth is, they are the ones helping us. They are the stewards of 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity. They have been safeguarding these ecosystems for centuries. So, how do we scale this? Not by replicating an exact model but by co-creating something dynamic—an evolving approach shaped by each community’s needs, aspirations, and cultural context. We’re using technology to measure carbon and biodiversity impact, but we’re also measuring something less tangible—hope, trust, and community thriving. Because when communities lead, solutions last. At scale, we are channeling resources directly to communities, shifting the power dynamic of conservation. We are proving that the best way to heal the planet is by resourcing those who have been protecting it all along. And it all started with listening. What if we built a world where we trusted the people closest to the problem to lead us to the solution? Because when we do, the impact isn’t just incremental—it’s exponential.

My secret power is curating unforgettable dance parties. In my work world, I have a knack for bringing the right people, ideas, and institutions together to spark meaningful collaboration and drive real change.