Meet Emily Brackett: Giving Voice to Maine’s Innovators

When it comes to building a brand in Maine’s innovation community, Emily Brackett is a master translator. As the founder of Visible Logic, a branding agency, and a long-time partner to the Maine Technology Institute (MTI), Emily possesses a rare talent for distilling complex ideas into clear, compelling messages. Her work with MTI and its portfolio companies is about more than just aesthetics; it’s about giving a clear voice to the brilliant, often complex, ideas that are shaping Maine’s economic future.

From Liberal Arts to Visible Logic

From a young age, Emily recognized her innate ability to simplify and clarify information, whether it was understanding a professor’s convoluted instructions or grasping the essence of a complicated interpersonal dynamics. 

Emily’s professional journey is a testament to the power of a multidisciplinary approach. Her educational background is a blend of the analytical and the artistic, a combination that has proven to be the perfect foundation for her career in branding. She earned a Liberal Arts BA from Carleton College, where she honed her skills in critical thinking and communication. This was followed by a BFA in Graphic Design from the Massachusetts College of Art & Design. This dual expertise in both writing and visual communication became the cornerstone of her professional life.

In 2001, she founded Visible Logic, driven by the belief that a strong brand is built on a clear message and a compelling visual identity. Her partnership with MTI, which began in 2017, was a natural extension of this belief, allowing her to apply her skills to the unique challenges of the innovation sector.

A Typical Day at the Helm

Emily’s work with MTI is aimed at highlighting MTI’s impact and fostering a vibrant innovation community.

“Visible Logic helps to develop and maintain many of MTI’s communication channels,” Emily explains. “We recently redesigned their website and keep it up-to-date. We manage their social media postings and e-newsletter to help keep the community aware of events and updates within the innovation community.”

From developing graphics and presentations to creating videos and crafting the annual report, Emily and her team ensure that MTI’s positive impact across the state is visible and well-understood. The team includes an account manager, designers, writers, a WordPress developer, and a digital marketer who work collaboratively to support MTI’s outreach.

The Passion Behind the Work

What truly excites Emily about MTI’s mission is the opportunity to work with innovative businesses that uniquely contribute to Maine’s economy. Launching any new business is difficult, but for innovative companies introducing a novel product or process, the hurdles are often higher. Emily believes that these businesses are essential to the Maine economy, and MTI’s role in making them a reality is what keeps her inspired.

Her greatest professional satisfaction, however, comes from her direct work with MTI-funded portfolio companies. These companies are often founded by brilliant individuals with deep industry knowledge—experts who are so close to their product that they struggle to articulate its value. Emily uses a vivid analogy to describe this common challenge: “That saying that ‘when you’re inside the bottle you can’t read the label’ comes to mind.” Founders often get bogged down in the technical details, failing to connect with investors and buyers on a more fundamental level.

This is where Emily’s talent for translation shines. She loves the process of “teasing out the essential value proposition and benefits into something that can be easily understood.” The ultimate reward is hearing a founder say, “You developed a brand that is just how I envisioned it in my head.” It’s a moment of pure creative alignment, where she has successfully brought someone else’s vision to life.

From MERC to Market: MTI’s Impact in Action

Emily has seen MTI’s impact firsthand through its various programs, particularly the Maine Entrepreneurial Resource Corps (MERC) program, which supports entrepreneurs with critical business needs beyond technical development. She cites companies like SimKit and ScanPower, which her team has worked with on their go-to-market campaigns.

“Without that critical step in the development of their brand and taking action in their marketing, these innovative businesses wouldn’t be successful,” she notes.

This observation is also the source of a piece of advice she consistently gives to innovators. She urges them not to jump straight to designing a logo, as fun as that may be. Instead, she advises them to do the foundational work first: defining what makes their product unique, how they differ from the competition, and who their ideal clients are. A logo, she explains, is just the final expression of that strategic groundwork, and can be deprioritized in the beginning.

Life Beyond the Office

When Emily isn’t busy helping Maine’s innovators, she finds joy and rejuvenation in a variety of hobbies and activities. She recently took up watercolor painting, a new creative outlet that she finds to be the perfect balance of challenging and rewarding. Her love for the outdoors is also a core part of her life, and she is an avid open water swimmer, runner, SUP’er, hiker, and skier. She appreciates Maine’s natural beauty, whether it’s swimming in the ocean and lakes, or walking on trails. Her ideal weekend is a warm summer day with no traffic or crowds, allowing her to fully enjoy the state’s beautiful beaches and delicious food.

Her personal life is also shared with a furry coworker, Moon, her cat, who often serves as her “unofficial work assistant,” sometimes making a guest appearance right on her keyboard.

Asked who she would have dinner with; she chose Henry Ford. She finds his insights from a century ago to still be incredibly relevant to business and life today, and she believes a conversation with him would be fascinating, even while acknowledging his darker side.

Through her work with Visible Logic and MTI, Emily Brackett is not just a brand consultant; she is a key partner in the journey of Maine’s innovators. She helps them find their voice, articulate their value, and build the foundation for lasting success. Her unique blend of creative and strategic thinking is an invaluable asset to the state, ensuring that the next generation of Maine businesses is ready to thrive by sharing their value and building brands that are as strong as their technical innovation.