EMILY BLEVINS

Emily Blevins joined Carolina Small Business Development Fund in 2022 to serve as marketing & communications director. She also currently serves on the Board of Directors for Operation Climate, a youth-led nonprofit dedicated to empowering the next generation of climate storytellers, educators, and creatives.

Prior to joining CSBDF, she served as the NC Rural Center’s communications manager, where she supported the marketing and communications efforts around the Center’s advocacy, community engagement, leadership training, and small business lending and development work. While at the Rural Center, Emily also supported marketing and communications for the development of a new subsidiary, CornerSquare Community Capital. Launched in partnership with Truist Bank, CornerSquare Community Capital is a support resource for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) located across 10 states and the District of Columbia. Emily also previously supported marketing and communications for the North Carolina Community Foundation.

Emily earned her M.S. in Communication at North Carolina State University, where she studied media effects and social change, organizational communication, and crisis communication. While at NC State, she taught public speaking as an instructor of record in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, in addition to assisting instructional delivery for courses in interpersonal communication, rhetorical criticism, and communication theory. Emily received her B.S. in Public Relations from Appalachian State University. While attending Appalachian State, Emily studied abroad at the University of Gdansk in Poland, where she took immersion courses in intercultural communication.

When not at work, you can find Emily visiting the museums and galleries the Triangle has to offer, finding her new favorite farmer’s market, or competing at a local trivia night.