Emily Caplinger left Education Design Lab in October 2025. This is an archived post.
As a former event professional turned People Operations Manager, Emily brings a passion for creating positive, impactful experiences for all humans in the workplace and beyond. In her current role, she is focused on employee experience and engagement, fostering inclusive, supportive, workplace culture where employees feel empowered to learn, grow, and thrive. She leads initiatives such as onboarding for new employees and the Lab’s mentorship program, supports employee success as they navigate the organization and their work, drives org-wide process improvement and optimization of internal operations, serves as a culture leader with a focus on efforts that foster an environment of growth, agency, belonging, and joy, and supports the planning, logistics, and execution of Lab meetings + events.
Prior to joining Education Design Lab, she served as the Event Manager for McChrystal Group, a management consulting firm that focuses on individual and team performance for organizations of all sizes and industries, with experience serving boutique to Fortune 50 entities. While there, Emily oversaw all the event planning and deliverables for 75+ meetings and events annually, implemented the use of mobile event apps, and played a critical role in successfully pivoting to virtual event production at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her background in event management sharpened her skills in logistics, stakeholder coordination, and anticipating needs before they arise—qualities that seamlessly translate into building thoughtful people-centered strategies.
With a SHRM-CP certification and hands-on experience leading culture and operations efforts, Emily is dedicated to creating an environment where both the employees and the organization can learn, grow, and thrive.
HOMETOWN: Deshler, Ohio
EDUCATION: The University of Findlay
BACHELOR’S: B.S. Equestrian Studies, B.S. Environmental Science
FAVORITE QUOTE: “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” – Henri Nouwen
WHEN I’M NOT AT WORK I’M… watching movies or finding new spots to eat with my husband, riding my horse, Cricket, or dabbling in arts and crafts.
