Place of Residence: Kentucky

Background and Personal History: Growing up on a large tobacco and cattle farm in the heartland of Kentucky, Emily Baker had a free-range childhood, full of adventure and exploration. From assisting with farm chores such as bottle-feeding calves, administering inoculations, providing basic daily care, and by watching her father, Emily cultivated a deep love of animals and a strong understanding of what it takes to successfully manage a farm business — and the challenges that come along with it.

As young girls have a tendency to do, she eventually grew up and fell in love with a man. This man, Christopher Baker, not only loved animals, he was also clever, creative, and tenacious. It wasn’t long before the two of them were able to turn their shared interest into a viable product, creating and launching the ReptiPro brand of incubators in 2008, after discovering a market deficiency.

With the high expectation of possibly being able to pay their monthly phone bill with the profits, they were pleasantly surprised to find that the business quickly became much more than that. Soon after launch, they were featured in a Forbes.com article titled “Tech for Your Pet”. This exposure was exactly what they needed to turn their product into a full-fledged business.

It wasn’t long until they expanded beyond the reptile market that they had initially targeted. In 2010, they created and launched the Incubators.org website, a complete incubation and poultry supply business, bringing on additional manufacturers such as GQF, R-Com, and Brinsea to add to their incubator product line.

The business sold in 2012, and Emily took a position as managing consultant with the new organization. She has proved to be a vital component of the business, due to her depth of product and incubation knowledge. Emily has personally assisted thousands of hobbyists and breeders in selecting appropriate incubation equipment and supplies, proper use of that equipment, and providing general incubation support. She has also had multiple articles published regarding incubator selection and technique.

Current Projects: Emily is actively involved in her local 4-H chapter, and is dedicated to developing the future of our country by building a sense of community, self-reliance, and inquisitiveness in the next generation.

Other Fun Facts: Emily is an avid outdoor adventurer, martial artist, scuba diver, mother, and wrangler of a flock of six Ancona Ducks.