Professional Consultant
Community Leader | Passionate teacher
AI Advocate for Not-for-Profits
Emma A Holliday is an empathetic people-first professional with an unparalleled ability to pull diverse concepts together to create innovative solutions that haven’t existed before.
Whether she’s working and teaching teams in not-for-profits, small community groups, or large organisations, Emma excels at managing people, developing innovative solutions, and driving organisational transformation and change. Every single time.
Emma’s unique strength lies in turning her hand to anything, spotting opportunities before others do, and working out solutions where others see obstacles.
Known for bringing fresh perspectives to every space she enters, Emma consistently hears two things:
“Where have you been all my life?”
“You’re like a breath of fresh air.”
What’s next for Emma A Holliday?
Emma is establishing her personal brand as the umbrella for multiple ventures, each aligned with her diverse capabilities and unified by her commitment to human-centric innovation.
Her immediate focus includes:
AI Training and Resources for Not-for-Profits
Building comprehensive systems and resources to deliver free or affordable AI training for the entire NFP sector, empowering under-resourced organisations with tools to work more efficiently and effectively.
Australian Cake Decorating Network Rebrand
Modernising and revitalising the cake decorating community to address industry disruptions and adapt to online learning, drawing on her experience as a professional baker, expert decorator, and home baker juggling kids.
TealSky Ventures
Continuing to develop her consulting practice, bringing innovative solutions and fresh perspectives to organisations ready for transformation.
Emma is particularly excited about the emerging field of online communities and multi-modal collaboration. She sees enormous potential in how communities can work together more effectively across platforms, with less distraction and greater efficiency. The shift away from social media-dominated spaces to purpose-built tech stacks represents an opportunity to change how people communicate and collaborate—and even influence community wellbeing.
As someone diagnosed with ADHD at 42, Emma brings deep understanding of neurodiversity to all her work, ensuring her approaches accommodate diverse perspectives and thinking styles.
Expertise
Emma brings a unique combination of skills that make her adaptable across industries and exceptional at delivering transformational results:
People Management and Leadership
- Expert in managing volunteers—a complex skill distinct from managing paid staff.
- Servant leadership philosophy focused on humility and helping others achieve their outcomes.
- Leadership skills growth
- Creating inclusive environments that value all people, particularly marginalised groups.
Innovation and Problem-Solving
- Spotting opportunities before others recognise them.
- Integrating diverse concepts to create solutions that haven’t existed before.
- Developing new perspectives and approaches to long-standing challenges.
- Rapid deep-diving into topics to develop comprehensive solutions.
Not-for-Profit Sector Expertise
- Governance and strategic planning.
- Volunteer recruitment, training, and safety systems.
- Revenue growth and sustainability.
- Community engagement and partnership development.
- Grant writing and funding applications.
AI and Technology for Social Good
- ChatGPT and AI prompting for efficiency and productivity.
- Translating complex IT concepts into accessible language.
- Developing training programs and resources for under-resourced organisations.
- Creating automation and systems solutions.
Education and Communication
- Curriculum development and innovative teaching approaches.
- Multi-modal learning and online community management.
- Delivering information to accommodate diverse learning styles and neurodivergent perspectives.
- Public speaking and keynote presentations.
Community Building
- Understanding the value of volunteering and giving from both analytical and experiential perspectives
- Recycling processes and ethical consumerism
- Building online communities across multi-platform “tech stacks.”
- Creating mindful, inclusive programs for diverse populations.
Awards and Recognition
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award International Leader – Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh awards plus international leader qualification; attended international conference in Canada (2002)
Keynote Speaker, IMB Bank Community Foundation Awards – Recognised for leadership in not-for-profit sector innovation.
All Good Ventures Charity Award Mentorship – Selected to provide mentorship in business planning, strategy, and organisational management.
Australia-First Curriculum Developer – Co-created Australia’s first curriculum linking teenage mental health support with charity volunteering (Radford College, 2018)
Guest of ACT Australian of the Year (2021) – Invited by Tim Miller, founder of Lids for Kids and ACT Australian of the Year, for collecting more plastic lids than all of Australia combined
Australia-First Prosthetic Limb Innovation – Developed partnership with University of Canberra producing 3D printer filament from recycled lids for free prosthetic limbs.
Get in touch with Emma A Holliday
Whether you’re a not-for-profit drowning in admin work, a corporate team exploring AI training, or an individual ready to learn, let’s work out what makes sense for you.