Business Spotlight: Charleston, South Carolina based Emerger Strategies is focused on meeting client needs through “Good” sustainable practices

What makes Charleston, SC based Emerger Strategies a valuable member of the Lowcountry community and a long-term ambassador to the preservation of our planet?

Emerger Strategies launched on the mission of helping clients meet their financial and profitability goals while maintaining strong forward thinking sustainable practices.

About Rick Crawford, Founder – Emerger Strategies

Rick Crawford is a sustainability professional with 15 years of experience, which began by installing solar panels out West while also discovering fly fishing in 2008. Crawford then pursued an MBA in Sustainable Business from Marylhurst University and has since gained knowledge and valuable experience as a Sustainability Coordinator while manufacturing biodiesel and spending several years as a consultant working within the green building industry.

In 2016, Crawford decided to marry his passion for fly fishing and sustainability when he founded the sustainable business consultancy, Emerger Strategies, which helps small-to-medium enterprises boost profits by measuring & improving sustainability performance and effectively communicating their sustainability achievements.

Rick is also the creator and host of the award-winning podcast, The Sustainable Angler, which is a platform to provide sustainability education, inspiration and activism by sharing success stories of the people working to protect the fisheries and wild places they love. In 2020, Crawford has founded the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance, which is made up of guides, shops, lodges, brands & nonprofits who have committed to net-zero emissions by 2050.

Rick is honored to have been named “one of the fifteen people, places, and ideas forging the South of tomorrow” by Garden & Gun Magazine, as well one of the “50 Most Influential people in Charleston” by Charleston Business Magazine. Rick lives in Charleston, SC with his family where he enjoys chasing tailing redfish, surfing and protecting what he loves.

Learn their story:

In the summer of 2008, I read Let My People Go Surfing by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, and I just so happened to get introduced to fly fishing at the same time while working at the A Bar A Ranch in Encampment, WY. Inspired by Mr. Chouinard, I wanted to find a way to use business as a tool to protect what I love, and so my dream of marrying fly fishing and sustainability was born, but I had no idea how to start a career in my newfound passions and it’s been a heck of a journey so far…..

In 2009, I decided to go back to school and earned an MBA in Sustainable Business from Marylhurst University and spent the next few years living in Jackson Hole, WY, trout bumming and installing solar panels. Eventually, I made my way back to the Lowcountry to work at a biodiesel startup and then in the green building industry for a few years, but still wanted to somehow figure out a way to marry my passions for fly fishing and sustainability.

I did some research on the fly fishing industry, and I saw that most companies were giving back to conservation (as they should), but hardly any were doing anything to clean up their own act. Armed with an MBA in Sustainable Business and several years of experience of helping building owners understand the economic and environmental benefits of renewable energy and green building, I decided to pursue my dream of marrying fly fishing and sustainability. In 2016, I launched Emerger Strategies in Charleston, SC and the first thing I did was sign up Emerger Strategies to be a 1% for the Planet member.

Our mission is to measure and improve your company’s sustainability performance, all while boosting profits. Since launching in 2016, we have helped multiple companies achieve carbon neutrality and zero waste, as well as significant year-over-year improvements in social, environmental and economic performance. In short, we help companies make the business case for sustainability, which includes: reducing costs, increasing competitive advantage, growing customer loyalty, mitigating risks, attracting & retaining talent and restoring our planet.

Along the way, I created The Sustainable Angler podcast (2018), whose purpose is to inspire anglers to protect the planet, and even had the honor of interviewing Yvon Chouinard. In 2020, I also founded the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance, which is an alliance of fly fishing guides, shops, lodges, brands and nonprofits committed to net-zero emissions by 2050. I found my life’s purpose when I discovered “sustainability” because it inspired me, fulfilled my need to help people, and a provided a pathway to protect what I love.

I am forever grateful for the gifts I have received roaming this planet in pursuit of adventure with a fly rod always nearby. For example, when learning to read a river and discovering what insects trout are eating, you must learn about entomology, which just so happens to be an excellent crash course in systems-thinking, and understanding systems-thinking is critical when learning about the environmental impact of a business. However, the greatest gift I have received from spending time in nature while fly fishing is love. My love for wild fish and wild places has instilled in me a deep sense of responsibility to give back to the resource, which is why I founded Emerger Strategies.

It’s been a fun journey so far, and I look forward to showing your company that doing good is GOOD for business!

Follow Emerger Strategies on LinkedIn.