1. Emily Kumler Kaplan is an award-
winning investigative journalist. As an
ABC news producer for 20/20 and
Primetime, a newspaper reporter and
columnist, and magazine features writer,
she has gone inside the minds of
murderers, world leaders, celebrities,
business innovators, and everyone in
between. Emily’s fascination with how
our personal narratives play a major role
in our experiences makes her a captivating writer and speaker. She engages her audiences with stories of
people overcoming the impossible. Emily is currently writing a non-fiction book about globalization.
Emily earned a Master’s in Journalism from Northwestern’s Medill School. Emily covered
Congress for PC World. As a staff reporter and columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal she covered
growth and technology in the Business section and fashion and nightlife in the Style section. Emily has
written cover stories for national publications on topics as varied as how Motorola’s secret investments in
China saved it from the recession in the U.S., the trend of young women getting cheap and dangerous
plastic surgery when the U.S. failed to demand proper credentials for cosmetic surgeries, a profile on
teens paid to spread spyware on computers, how to have the wedding of your dreams on a tight budget,
how FedEx broke the mold when it developed its spoke-and-wheel delivery system, and much more. She
worked simultaneously for ABC News’ 20/20 and Primetime shows. At ABC in New York, Emily was a
field producer/story editor working on high profile criminal trials, cover-ups, and medical miracles.
Her investigative work examining members of Congress who took lavish trips paid for by lobbyists
was used by national and regional newspapers across the country and featured in a National Public Radio
series, which received several awards including the distinguished Investigative Reporters and Editors
annual award for best investigative journalism, where “Power Trips” was a finalist in the Radio category
and received the distinction of a Special Acknowledgement Citation for all categories. The Online News
Association and The USC Annenberg School for Communication gave the “Power Trips” piece the award
for General Excellence in Online Journalism. It was also a national finalist for “In-Depth Reporting”
awarded by the Society for Professional Journalists.
In addition to her work as a journalist, Emily has founded three startup companies. Emily is a
certified mediator through Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation. She also holds a certificate in
Advanced Negotiation from HLS.