Emily Vernon

Emily Vernon is a member of the RTI Innovation Advisors team and specializes in identifying high-potential technologies that can drive innovation outcomes inside organizations. As an expert in technology landscaping and scouting, Ms. Vernon helps innovation leaders accelerate the impact of their R&D and innovation programs. She applies her deep knowledge of innovation best practices to identify sustainable solutions in areas like food science and microbial biotechnology.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Vernon helped address the nationwide personal protective gear (PPE) shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying alternative materials and open-source mask designs that could serve as N95 respirators. She has also analyzed medical technologies to address critical R&D investment needs for the U.S. Army, helped a large blood donation nonprofit pivot its business strategy, and worked with corporate clients on innovative ingredients and processes for food and beverage applications. In addition, she has contributed to reviews of emerging digital forensics and evidence management technology for law enforcement.

Before joining RTI in 2019, Ms. Vernon worked in operations management and excellence at Pfizer. She also helped develop fermentation strains at Arbiom, a company that leverages technology that converts wood into an alternative protein source for animals and humans. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Upstream Biomanufacturing and a DMAIC Yellow Belt certification.