On Sunday, July 22, Emily Barany, co-founder of ThomasFireHelp.org was honored by the Democratic Club of Ventura County. Emily was presented with the “2018 Outstanding Entrepreneur Award” in recognition of her business acumen and her leadership in developing ThomasFireHelp.org.
Emily is the owner of Visionality, a business consultancy that has supported the work of nonprofit organizations in the region since 2011.
In the immediate hours after the Thomas Fire began in December 2017, ThomasFireHelp.org was born as Emily’s fourth and perhaps most impactful venture. The online platform that began as a scrappy “Craigslist” of recovery has become a meaningful leader in recovery efforts for survivors of the not only the Thomas Fire, but the Montecito Mudslide and Holiday Fire.
Today, Emily and the ThomasFireHelp.org team is working with Greg Monterrosa of Hub 101 at California Lutheran University to incubate her fifth company. Emily Barany said, “Our new company will be a global tech platform that revolutionizes the way communities recover from disaster.” She continued, “It is recognition from organizations like the Democratic Club of Ventura that prove to me that I am on the right path.”
“At its core, the Democratic Club of Ventura is a group of individuals who make a difference together. Through grassroots activism, we strengthen our voice and build relationships that help achieve our goals, “ said Diana Sparagna, President of the Democratic Club of Ventura. “We are excited to recognize Emily Barany, the founder of ThomasFireHelp.org.
The 2018 Outstanding Entrepreneur Award recognizes her life-long entrepreneurial spirit and the outstanding work she has done to cultivate a grassroots recovery campaign that has helped innumerable survivors of the devastating Thomas Fire, as well as our neighbors affected by the Montecito mudslide and Holiday fire.
In addition to the recognition of Emily’s leadership, the award also includes a cash donation to ThomasFireHelp. The award will be matched dollar for dollar by the Gene Haas Foundation. Earlier this month, the Gene Haas Foundation, recognizing the potential for the ThomasFireHelp.org model to be an international leader in disaster assistance awarded the team a $25,000 Challenge Grant. To help the ThomasFireHelp team meet the challenge visit: https://www.thomasfirehelp.org/financial-donations
Emily competed in “Dancing with our Community Stars” at Oxnard’s Salsa Festival, July 29. She danced on behalf of ThomasFireHelp.org. Every dollar donated counts as a vote for Emily and will be matched by the Gene Haas Foundation Challenge Grant. https://oxnardsalsafestival.com/dancer/emily-barany/
If you are a survivor of the Thomas Fire, Montecito Slide or Holiday Fire and need assistance or would like to offer help, visit: www.ThomasFireHelp.org.
