Our Team
Ella Samson (she/her) • Founder & CEO
Ella Samson, founder and strategic operations leader of Emerge Collaborations, author, and speaker, is transforming how organizations approach gender equity in the workplace. Through memoir-based fireside chats, she creates safe spaces for authentic dialogue about gender identity, helping enterprise leaders deepen their understanding, foster meaningful allyship, and improve belonging.
With an MBA from the Wharton School and more than 30 years of cross-functional leadership experience at organizations including Deloitte Consulting and Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Ella has guided companies through complex transformations, operational improvements, and culture shifts.
Today, through Emerge Collaborations, she applies this expertise to address structural inequities that impact gender-diverse and transgender employees by examining policies, processes, and culture across the entire enterprise, delivering comprehensive assessments and actionable recommendations.
Ella’s memoir, The Power of Emergence, helps readers understand gender identity and inspires meaningful allyship through authentic storytelling. She collaborates with clients across the US and Europe to improve gender equity and belonging. Drawing on decades of operational leadership and lived experience, Ella guides enterprises from dialogue to enterprise-wide impact.
Sarah Cohen (they/them) • Consultant
Dr. Sarah Simi Cohen, a scholar and advocate, is deeply committed to advancing enterprise equity and inclusion. With a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Texas at Austin, Sarah amplifies the voices of marginalized communities through community engagement and policy analysis. Dr. Cohen's research spotlights the experiences of historically disenfranchised students, particularly within LGBTQIA+ communities, addressing trauma, mental health, and policy implementation.
Beyond academia, Dr. Cohen’s passion extends to consulting and nonprofit work, emphasizing equity and diversity. Their adaptability and commitment to meaningful work, centering queer and trans populations, underscore their dedication to positive change in organizations. As an advocate, researcher, and educator, Dr. Sarah Simi Cohen shapes inclusive enterprise landscapes, championing all stakeholders' rights and well-being.
Sam Fructuoso (they/them) • Consultant
Sam is a business operations leader with a passion for building scalable playbooks that center culture and enable the creative adaptability of every employee. Sam has spent the last 14 years in early-stage startup strategy, organizational design, and product development, establishing foundational business infrastructure that has carried their clients from stealth to IPO. Sam brings a fierce advocacy for marginalized communities to the industries they work within, from business immigration to executive leadership development to nonprofit management.
With a B.A. in Media Studies & Communications from the University of California, Berkeley, Sam is a passionate champion for the critical role that inclusive language and thoughtful communications systems play in equitable organizations. Sam approaches their work with a balance of deep systemic analysis, hands-on execution, and a love for fostering vibrant collaboration with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders alike.
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"While many enterprises have made commendable efforts to address the issues that inform belonging, most have only scratched the surface, focusing primarily on training and human resource policies. Although these measures are important, they are not comprehensive and fail to create lasting change. The daily experience of a gender-diverse employee can often feel like a ‘death by a thousand cuts.’ True equity and inclusivity require a deeper commitment. Hundreds of small but important changes to policies, and culture should be made across the entire enterprise—including IT, finance, marketing, and the C-suite—to create genuine feelings of belonging for nonbinary and transgender employees. This is not only the right thing to do, morally, but research also shows that fostering belonging directly impacts the bottom line, driving increased revenue, organizational efficiency, and sustainable growth."
— Ella Samson, The Power of Emergence (Learn More)
Build workplace belonging that lasts.
Equip your leaders and teams with deeper understanding of gender identity to foster authentic belonging in the workplace.
Strengthen workplace belonging across your policies, processes, and culture.