Emma is a Koori Aboriginal woman from the Wiradjuri Nation in New South Wales through her mother and grandparents, and Middle‑Eastern Jewish Australian on her father’s side. Born in Muloobinba (Newcastle, New South Wales), she grew up in Winnam (Wynnum) on Quandamooka Country (Moreton Bay).
Emma has a professional background in leadership, executive management, organisational change and Indigenous engagement. Her research, grounded in Indigenous methodologies, focuses on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment, examining State Government strategies, programs, policies and legislation related to the targeted recruitment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.