The Emerge Organization

Sri Lanka
United States
Alia Whitney-Johnson

Alia Whitney-Johnson is the founder and executive director of Emerge. She began making and selling jewelry at the age of seven and apprenticed with Paula Dawkins, a nationally known jeweler, at twelve. She loves art, science, international development and business and hopes to combine these interests to help others pursue lives they find meaningful. She currently attends the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she is pursuing a degree in Environmental Engineering. She has worked on tsunami relief in Sri Lanka, helped refine a process for converting agricultural waste into charcoal for use in Haiti, and interned with the World Bank for the Latin America and Caribbean Region. In addition to running Emerge, her current work aims to improve a micro-hydro turbine system with minimal environmental impact for use in Guatemalan villages that are off the electric grid.

Executive Director
Pat Granger
Village Coordinator
Nirukshi DeLanerolle
Bead Coordinator
Lizzie Krasner
Jenny Tenphanich
Operations Directors
Ellen Sojka
Business Director
Jusleen Karve
Fundraising Manager
Sheena Hembrador
Aaron Schmidt
Public Relations
Charlotta Chung
Beth Shepherd
Dilini Warnakulasuriyarachchi
Volunteers in Sri Lanka
Tiffany Chu
Thuy-Tien Le
Parama Pai
Bead Program Committee
Nour Abdul Razakk
Ruijie He
Sheena Hembrador
Reshma Hussam
Rashida Nek
Karen Noiva
Dilini Warnakulasuriyarachchi
Village Committee
Jijun Chow
Gayle Denman
Aisha Walcott
Fundraising Committee
MISSION

To empower women who have survived abuse to rediscover and celebrate their personal beauty, develop their self-sufficiency, and become leaders within their own communities.
VISION

We envision a world where all women can actively shape the course of their own life, free from the violence and discrimination of their own minds and others; where the human spirit is free to surround itself with the meaningful self-discovery, expression, and interaction that constitutes beauty; and where women can easily join together to actively build a more healthy and sustainable world for all.

PHILOSOPHY

Community - we believe in the power of a community to support, inspire, and create new solutions
Beauty - we believe that that meaningful self-discovery, expression, and interaction creates beauty that enriches lives around the world
Livelihood - we believe that a livelihood empowers women with the opportunity to actively shape their own lives
Reciprocity - we believe that compassionate action should be paid forward
Sustainability - we believe that financial self-sufficiency and environmental responsibility enable positive change with lasting impact
Integrity - we believe that our success is dependent on our truth and respect to to our community and ourselves

STRATEGIES
  • Through the creation of art we help women develop their sense of inner-beauty, self-worth, and confidence.
  • Through the sale of their work we supply them with the opportunity for economic independence.
  • Through community we give them a source of social support.
  • Through education we provide them with a chance to build a future.
DOCUMENTS