Hey, I’m Emily.

Not your typical engineer…That's kind of the point.

"Skip the line, skip the agency, skip the sea of LinkedIn profiles. It's just me, one solo entrepreneur, a boutique engineering partner you actually collaborate with, curating every deliverable around what your team needs."

Work with Me

"I help consumer goods brands (with a particular passion for furniture), suppliers, and private-label teams get products pitch-ready, shelf-ready, and actually-makes-sense-to-the-customer-ready. I work upstream in your development process, so your team catches the expensive stuff before it becomes expensive, cheaper, faster, and a lot less embarrassing than an unhappy customer finding it first. Intuitive touch-points mean happier customers, and aviation-grade attention to detail, sharp instincts, and a personal flair that refuses to stay beige means those touch-points actually get built right. We like efficiency and aesthetic AND quality design.”

Over 12 years industry experience

Emily Berning is a Purdue-trained mechanical engineer who spent 10 years in aviation — at Delta Air Lines and Gulfstream Aerospace — where 'good enough' wasn't in the vocabulary, then 4 years at The Home Depot figuring out why people actually buy the things they buy. Now she helps brands get products pitch-ready before they hit a buyer's desk, dialing in fit, form, and function with the eye of an engineer and the instincts of a customer, and zero patience for products that are just okay. Or worse, ones pulling 3-star (and below) customer ratings. She's gone from zero to trusted-in-the-room fast, twice, once in aviation, once in retail. Different industries, same result. You could say she’s a sort of “Jane of all trades”, serving as both the project manager AND product expert.

PURDUE ALUMNI

B.S.M.E

Why It works

  • Low-friction hiring — no payroll taxes, no benefits, no long-term commitment. A clean, simple transaction: pay for the expertise you need, when you need it

  • Fluent in both worlds — the engineering room and the buyer's room — a bridge between manufacturing, product design, and merchandising

  • Real hands-on engineering roots — CAD, mechanical design drawings, and rapid prototyping experience baked into how I evaluate every prototype that crosses my desk

  • Hands-on experience with Asian factories and sourcing offices — comfortable communicating across global teams, time zones, and languages

  • I benchmark the market before I touch a prototype — so your product enters ahead of the curve, not behind a competitor's

  • A partner, not a vendor — I show up as a whole person, capable of representing your product or company well

Who this is for

I work best with small businesses, boutique brands, small-batch manufacturers, and private-label teams building products that genuinely benefit the people who use them. If you value integrity, fair partnerships, and getting work done without politics or bureaucracy, this is a good fit. My ideal client values fair trade, sustainable materials, and quality craftsmanship as much as I do. My own background spans big-box retail and mass production, and I'm just as glad to bring that same rigor there. I do my best work with people who lead with integrity, want a fair partnership, and don't mind having a little fun along the way.

How it works

  1. Tell me about your project
    Share a bit about you, your team, and where things stand, and I'll personally follow up to find time for a complimentary 30-minute call

  2. Scope the engagement
    Project-based, retainer, or embedded support; together we'll assess which tier best suits the needs and duties

  3. Get to work
    Collaboration built around what you actually need, whether that's a prototype review, a buyer-readiness pass, or sourcing liaison, delivered on your timeline

Get in Touch!

Let's talk.
Tell me about your project!

Start the Conversation

FAQ

  • First things first. We'll start with a discovery call to chat through possibilities, to determine your project needs (and if we'll make great collaborators). Reach out through email or my ‘Contact’ page!

  • Pricing is based on both the project's scope and your desired timeline. (I promise fair rates and will always require your approval before we begin). See Pricing‍ ‍on ‘Services’ page.

  • Timelines depend on the project, but I generally invoice per month. Each client may vary in engagement duration; some as few as two months, and some as long as 8+ months (See Embedded Partner on ‘Services’ page).