Emily McDowell is a writer, illustrator, speaker, teacher, advisor, and entrepreneur. She is the founder and former creative director of Em & Friends, formerly known as Emily McDowell Studio.[1] Following the brand's 2022 acquisition by Union Square Publishing,[2] McDowell is no longer with the company. In 2015, she was named one of Slate’s 10 Designers Who are Changing the World. McDowell has collaborated with Elizabeth Gilbert, Lisa Congdon, Sheryl Sandberg’s Option B Foundation,[3] and Knock Knock.