Em Shipman is a lifelong community builder and fierce advocate for both children and the environment. With more than twenty years of nonprofit leadership experience, she has designed and led transformative programs in food systems, agriculture, and education. She believes that garden-based and place-based learning are powerful tools to foster curiosity, mindfulness, and engagement in children—and that when kids have access to healthy food and hands-on outdoor experiences, they unlock their full potential. Em’s mission is to help nurture the next generation of leaders who will drive the social and environmental change needed to heal our planet.

Em currently serves as the Executive Director of KidsGardening. Under her leadership, KidsGardening’s programs reach more than three million children across the United States each year. She also chairs the School Garden Support Organization’s Governance Board and serves on the Board of the Upper Valley Super Compost Project, reflecting her deep commitment to advancing sustainable food systems and environmental stewardship at both the local and national level.

Her academic and professional training reflects her dedication to lifelong learning and personal growth. She holds a B.A. in Public Policy and Anthropology from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, an M.S. in Nonprofit Management from Marlboro College, and is currently pursuing a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Social Emotional Learning, Yoga, and Mindfulness. Em is also a Certified UVM Extension Master Gardener and a Certified Parenting Coach.

Outside of her professional work, Em can be found tending her own garden or romping through the woods with her kids and dogs. She brings the same passion for cultivating joy, resilience, and connection to her home life as she does to her work, embodying the values she advocates for in communities across the country.