Emily Sword

Emily Sword serves as Vice President at Inspire, where she leads strategy and account management for the agency’s food and agriculture practice. A fifth-generation farm native and lifelong advocate for the ag industry, Emily combines deep sector insight with more than 20 years of experience in public relations, brand marketing, and strategic communications to help clients earn trust, influence stakeholders, and drive measurable growth.

Her work spans non-profit, corporate, and government sectors—equipping her to translate complex issues into compelling narratives that build reputation and spark action. Emily has guided organizations through brand transformations, stakeholder engagement challenges, and large-scale marketing initiatives that unite purpose and performance.

Before joining Inspire, Emily led brand marketing for global power equipment leaders DEWALT and Cub Cadet, integrating PR, advertising, digital, and channel marketing to elevate brand love and loyalty across consumer and dealer audiences. She also directed PR and client service at Northeast Ohio agencies supporting brands in food, manufacturing, and industrial markets.

Emily earned her Executive MBA from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management and her bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Communication from The Ohio State University. She lives and breathes agriculture as part of her family’s fifth-generation, 4,000-acre grain operation in Wellington, Ohio. A passionate 4-H leader, she helps organize Lorain County’s annual Dairy Auction, which has raised over $500,000 for local youth programs. She and her husband John live with their two sons, two dairy heifers, and one silver lab near the family farm.