Emma Giles

Emma Giles is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of SoWork, a company focused on enhancing collaboration for digital-first teams through a virtual office platform. SoWork allows team members to interact as avatars in a gamified environment, facilitating spontaneous communication and collaboration regardless of physical location.13

Background and Career

Before founding SoWork, Emma dropped out of a PhD program in computational neuroscience at Harvard/MIT to pursue entrepreneurial ventures. She has also worked at Khan Academy, where she contributed to creating educational content, and the World Health Organization (WHO), where she scaled data initiatives.23 Her diverse experiences have shaped her leadership style, emphasizing empathy and self-awareness in managing teams.25

Leadership at SoWork

In her role at SoWork, Emma leads product development and engages directly with organizational leaders navigating the challenges of remote work. She focuses on understanding the evolving landscape of work and addressing the needs of leaders and their teams through technology.12 Her insights into maintaining workplace culture in a virtual environment have been featured in various interviews and podcasts, where she shares strategies for effective remote leadership.12

Personal Interests

Outside of her professional endeavors, Emma is an ultra-runner, reflecting her passion for endurance sports and personal challenges.4

Emma Giles continues to influence the future of work through innovative solutions that foster connection and productivity among remote teams.