Emmi Saufley
Emmi Saufley is a nonprofit founder, entrepreneur, mentor, and community leader based in Elmira, New York. She founded Runway For A Cause 7 years ago with a mission to create a space where fashion and fundraising come together to generate meaningful community impact. Growing up in Elmira—the hometown of Tommy Hilfiger—she was inspired by the powerful figures who emerged from her small town and made their mark on the global fashion industry. Her early path began in a BOCES fashion design program, where she learned sewing, garment construction, and design, and she further developed her experience through mentorships and internships in the fashion field.
When she initially pursued entry into the fashion industry, she faced rejection due to her height, being told she was “too short” at 5 feet tall. Rather than deterring her, this experience became the catalyst for building something more inclusive and transformative. Through Runway For A Cause, she created a platform where individuals of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, and identities can step onto the runway, build confidence, and be fully seen and valued. The organization operates with a strong volunteer base and hosts annual fashion shows that raise funds for charitable organizations locally and globally, emphasizing collaboration, inclusion, and community-driven impact.
Alongside her nonprofit leadership, Emmi runs Lake & Associates, LLC, a for-profit business specializing in styling, image development, event planning, and mentorship. She also serves on boards focused on youth initiatives, where she advocates for young people and helps them find their voice and direction. Across all her work, she is committed to empowerment through creativity, using fashion as a vehicle for confidence-building, opportunity, and social impact. Her broader mission centers on helping others step into bold, unfamiliar spaces and discover strengths they did not know they had.
• Leadership Chemung
• Incubator Works
• First Aid
• Tompkins Cortland Community College - ABA
• Young Professional Award from Chamber of Commerce
• Ernest Hemingway Award from Chemung County Human Relations
• Chamber of Commerce
• Le Kim Associates, LLC
• Runway for Cause
• Youth initiatives and empowerment boards
• Runway for a Cause annual fashion shows supporting local and global charities
• Economic Opportunity Program of Chemung and Schuyler Counties
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the 7 years of being in this world of fashion and business, and to the incredible transformation I've witnessed in people who come through Runway for a Cause. So many people come out of this experience empowered and confident, ready to dive into whatever is next. That confidence isn't just about the runway or fashion - it's an overall confidence that they can do anything they put their heart and mind to. Watching people come in unsure and walk out believing in themselves has been one of the most successful pieces of the foundation we've laid. They take in the experience for what it is to them, however long that looks like, and they carry that confidence into whatever comes next. That same transformation has shaped me too - if I can do this, I can do anything.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received came from a good friend of mine at a Women's Empowerment Conference I attended last month. She was the keynote speaker, and she said four simple but powerful words: 'She rises, they adjust.' That message resonated deeply with me. If you believe in the things you're doing, if you believe in how powerful your messages are and the foundation you've laid, then when you start to elevate, everybody else is just going to have to adjust to what it is that you're doing or how you're showing up. I've reached a point where I'm very confident in the things I'm doing, and I know that people are either going to align with it or maybe walk the other way. But either way, they're going to have to adjust to what it is that I have to pour out into the world. That's the top-tier advice that guides me now.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is to show up as the most authentic version of yourself. The fashion industry is rapidly changing, and showing up exactly as you are is truly the most powerful way to do it. You'll be a role model to other younger ladies, younger men, or however you identify - if you can do it, they can do it. This industry needs to change, and we need people of all shapes and sizes and backgrounds and just walks of life to be showing up in the fashion industry and being bold about it. We've had this idea of what you have to look like and what you have to do in the fashion industry for so long, and that's definitely not how it has to be. So truly, just show up and do it, because this industry needs you.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is being a nonprofit organization and finding the funding to sustain it. In the past 7 years, we have not been grant funded at all - we rely entirely on fundraising. The grants we could apply for are so specific, and we don't always meet that criteria. So we do a lot of fundraising, and some of it is pretty labor-intensive. We're always asking ourselves: what kind of fundraiser can we do? How can we raise the most amount of money? Do we have the people to physically be there to do it? Another challenge is that I don't have any paid employees, not even myself - we all volunteer our time. Making sure we can align with people's values and connect them to the reason why they can make a positive impact, even though they're volunteering all of their time and energy, can be very challenging. Working with people and finding that middle ground, and sometimes just finding the people to help, are ongoing obstacles. But they're also the greatest opportunities for growth.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are intentionality and community. Being intentional with my time is essential - if I'm committed to something, I show up and do it. I'm intentional with what I say and how I do things. Community is equally important to me. I value people who are just showing up and doing good with or without any sort of recognition. Those are the people who make a real difference, and surrounding myself with them matters deeply. Intentionality and community guide everything I do.