Rick Crawford is a sustainability consultant, business strategist, and the founder of Emerger Strategies, where he helps fishing and outdoor brands make sustainability simple, credible, and profitable. He’s also the host of The Sustainable Angler podcast and founder of the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance, a coalition of guides, brands, and lodges committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.
Rick earned his MBA in Sustainable Business from Marylhurst University and began his career in renewable energy and green building. In 2016, he combined his lifelong passion for fly fishing with his commitment to conservation and launched Emerger Strategies to help companies protect the wild places that make their businesses—and their customers’ lives—possible.
Today, Rick partners with outdoor brands across the country to reduce costs, meet increasingly complex retailer sustainability requirements, and build deeper loyalty with customers who care about conservation. From GHG Accounting & Climate Strategy to Sustainable Packaging, PFAS policy, Zero Waste Operations, and EPR compliance, Rick’s work centers on helping businesses turn sustainability into a long-term competitive advantage.
Rick has been featured in the Patagonia film DROP, recognized by Garden & Gun as one of “fifteen people, places, and ideas forging the South of tomorrow,” and named one of “Charleston’s 50 Most Influential People” by Charleston Business Magazine. He also serves on the board of The Sustainability Institute. When he’s not working, you’ll find him on the water with his wife and kids—grateful, humbled, and inspired by the places he’s working to protect.
At his core, Rick believes that sustainable business is simply good business—and that the outdoor industry is uniquely positioned to lead with purpose, integrity, and impact.