💜 Empathy in action.
💡 Experience with impact.
📣 Communication with heart.
Emily Foucault is a Toronto-based patient advisor, writer, and speaker who blends lived experience, storytelling, and communications expertise to help organizations, brands, and communities connect with purpose and empathy.
Emily Foucault is a Toronto-based patient advisor, writer, and speaker who blends lived experience, storytelling, and communications expertise to help organizations, brands, and communities connect with purpose and empathy.
Her career began on stage as a professional dancer and evolved into leadership roles across sports marketing, global advertising, and startup strategy. However, it was her experience navigating multiple chronic illnesses—including mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), Glucose-Galactose Malabsorption (GGM), adenomyosis, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD)—that ultimately reshaped her purpose and voice.
Today, Emily brings the patient perspective to the forefront of healthcare innovation through advisory and co-design work with institutions including the University of Toronto’s Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM), CAMH—The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) and Canadian Immunocompromised Advocacy Network. Her work spans inclusive communication, patient engagement, and strategy development, supporting teams to rethink how they communicate with patients—not just about them.
Emily’s professional background includes over a decade in brand strategy at agencies such as MediaCom and Hill+Knowlton, as well as founding ThinkHatch in 2017, a boutique consultancy supporting startups including ThreeShips, Rainstick Shower, and Joya. Her work was recognized with the Startup Canada Honorary Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year (2018) and a nomination as a finalist for the Notable Woman Award.
A grounded and candid speaker, Emily shares insights on navigating the healthcare system, fostering workplace wellness, and reimagining advocacy through storytelling. Her writing and perspectives have been featured in The Kit, Healthy Debate, Yahoo!Style, CP24, and NOW.
Whether advising on strategy, leading workshops, or crafting inclusive content, Emily is committed to using her voice—and platform—to drive meaningful change. Her writing and reflections can be found on her blog, Real Talk, Before It’s Too Late, where she explores the intersection of art, wellness, and personal growth.
Read more about Emily’s journey:
→ The Hidden Toll of Chronic Illness and Medical Dismissal
A first-person account of navigating medical dismissal, complex chronic illness, and reclaiming voice through storytelling.
Emily Foucault proudly leading the way and celebrating the inaugural lighting of the CN Tower for Mast Cell Awareness Day on October 20, 2023.
Emily Foucault at The University of Toronto attending the Toronto screening of the documentary: Below The Belt by Shannon Cohn and executively produced by Hillary Clinton and Rosario Dawson.
→ Decades of Pain, Medical Dismissal, and Finally Being Heard
Yahoo! Style — A personal essay examining years of untreated gynecological pain, medical dismissal, and gender bias in healthcare, culminating in a long-overdue hysterectomy.
→ Connect with Emily on LinkedIn
Professional background, speaking engagements, and patient partnership work.
As Seen In
