About EMI
We at Educational Multimedia Incorporated (EMI), a 501(c)3, are dedicated to put our diverse backgrounds and technological expertise to create effective interactive multimedia to educate young people.
Our mission is to educate youth about health and social issues that directly impact their lives, and to equip them with tools to make informed choices. We accomplish this by creating educational programs that are accessible and engaging, using multimedia formats. Our priority is to provide the curriculum to areas with the highest concentrations of racial and ethnic minority populations that are disproportionately impacted by these health and social issues.
EMI’s History
We developed the award winning documentary, “Voices: Perspectives on HIV and AIDS”, which focused on the voices of people infected at a young age, talking about what it’s like to live with HIV and/or AIDS. By presenting first person accounts of the consequences of HIV, and how it plays out over time, their voices and images collide with the viewer’s self-image and sense of the future.
We have initiated and/or participated in hundreds of community presentations and focus groups covering a variety of health issues that affect young people, especially those within underserved populations. We have worked with numerous health, education, and religious organizations, including the St. Louis City Health Department, the American Red Cross, the St. Louis Public School system, the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club, and many others.
We have also partnered with organizations in the St. Louis area, providing inspiring promotional videos that celebrate the important work they do to improve the lives of St Louisans. Doorways, Operation Food Search, and Focus St Louis are just a few examples of the community-centered organizations we have collaborated with.
We strive to support youth in underserved populations, collaborating with organizations and institutions that provide assistance in a variety of areas, particularly in health and education, so that we may help build a stronger community.
We have developed an extensive network of collaborative relationships with numerous community, medical, and educational leaders in St. Louis, dedicated to reaching minority teens.
Our staff brings an extensive background of health, education, social work, multimedia technology, software development, entrepreneurship, multimedia technology, public health, and community initiatives to our projects.
Meet the Team
Brittany Lueken
Executive Director
After serendipitously meeting EMI’s co-founder Steve Schoolman, Britt was finally granted a way to combine all of her interests in one career… using her artistic and educational backgrounds to promote social justice and public health. She was lucky enough that Steve invited her to work on one of EMI’s many compelling projects, Metabolic Magic.
Britt received a Fine Arts degree from Webster University and an MSW from the Brown School at Washington University, focusing on mental health. She is dedicated to ensuring that young people have opportunities that empower and inspire them to be changemakers in their own lives.
Mary Schoolman
Font of Wisdom
Mary is a native of St. Louis. Although Mary’s formal education is in sociology and health administration (from Webster University and Washington University, respectively), the main thrust of her experience has been in the non-profit sector.
In 2000, she and her husband Steve were Co-Founders of EMI whose mission was producing multimedia preventative educational products to help educate underserved young people about serious health and social issues that directly impact their lives. While Mary has had the privilege to serve on the boards of many nonprofits over the years, she is most honored to be joining EMI’s board under Brittany’s superlative leadership.
Mary would self profess that her greatest strength is her ability to communicate and connect with people from a place of heart and passion. Her greatest pleasure is as a facilitative educator who makes it stimulating, rewarding and safe for young people to grow, learn and empower themselves. How lucky is she?
Jim Heartney
Pixel Wrangler
Jim’s been doing commercial art since back in ancient times before there was an internet. A graduate of Washington University’s School of Fine Arts, Jim has been an art director, illustrator, 3D visualizer, web designer, and an interactive designer and programmer. He’s also the husband of the lovely Lisa, and Dad to three college students and a cat. In his spare time he miniaturizes vinyl records.
Jessica Schoolman
Linguistic Technician
A lover of the written word, Jessica has been writing, researching and editing content for EMI from its very beginning. Jessica studied psychology at Wesleyan University and pursued further studies in clinical psychology at Syracuse University. She passionately believes in the need for a holistic model of mental and physical well-being and is delighted to help bring Metabolic Magic to the masses. Jessica resides in New York with her cat Maxwell Smart.
Our Beloved Interns
We have been fortunate to have some of the best interns from in and outside of St Louis bring their diverse experience and expertise to our program!
EMI’s Board of Directors
Doug Lueken
President/Treasurer
I am a retired IT professional who worked in the Information Technology field for 42 years.
During my years in IT, I worked in several capacities: programmer, analyst, design and implementor of business applications. In addition, I held several positions: Team Leader, Project Manager, various Senior Level positions, Consultant and Contractor. I also wrote analysis, design, test and user documentation and assisted in training.
In my early adult life, I was an active member of the Knights of Columbus and served on several committees and held various Officer positions.
While my two children were in grade school, I served four years on the PTO board, three years as President. In addition, I also served four years on the Parent Advisory Board at my daughter’s high school, three years as President.
I served as an active Scout Leader for almost thirty years. As a Cub Scout leader, I served as Den Leader, Treasurer, Assistant Cubmaster and Cubmaster. In Boy Scouts, I served as Assistant Scoutmaster, Treasurer, Committee Chairman; and served at the District Level as District Chairman, a liaison between District and Scout Troops. I organized and MC’d twenty “Trivia Night” contests for my then local troop’s major annual fundraiser.
I received B.S. degree in Business Management and Administration from Bradley University in 1975.
Received M.S. degree in Computer Science from Bradley University in 1983.
Jessica Schoolman
Secretary
A lover of the written word, Jessica has been writing, researching and editing content for EMI from its very beginning. Jessica studied psychology at Wesleyan University and pursued further studies in clinical psychology at Syracuse University. She passionately believes in the need for a holistic model of mental and physical well-being and is delighted to help bring Metabolic Magic to the masses. Jessica resides in New York with her cat Maxwell Smart.
Mary Schoolman
EMI Co-Founder
Mary is a native of St. Louis. Although Mary’s formal education is in sociology and health administration (from Webster University and Washington University, respectively), the main thrust of her experience has been in the non-profit sector.
In 2000, she and her husband Steve were Co-Founders of EMI whose mission was producing multimedia preventative educational products to help educate underserved young people about serious health and social issues that directly impact their lives. While Mary has had the privilege to serve on the boards of many nonprofits over the years, she is most honored to be joining EMI’s board under Brittany and Justin’s superlative leadership.
Mary would self profess that her greatest strength is her ability to communicate and connect with people from a place of heart and passion. Her greatest pleasure is as a facilitative educator who makes it stimulating, rewarding and safe for young people to grow, learn and empower themselves. How lucky is she?
Alison K. Brown
Board Member
Alison Brown is a litigation attorney who specializes in complex business litigation. She represents multi-national clients before state and federal judges and juries in matters ranging from contract disputes and various types of fraud – including RICO, to alleged breaches of fiduciary duty by shareholders and private equity fund investors. Alison has experience litigating before state and federal courts on both the trial and appellate level, including the state Supreme Court.
Most notably, Alison served as a law clerk to United States District Judge Kenneth L. Ryskamp and has litigated numerous cases before federal district courts in the Southern District of Florida. She also served her home state of Missouri as an Assistant Attorney General.
Before beginning her legal career, she served on the parliamentary staff of the Rt. Hon. Lord Chris Smith of Finsbury, during his term as the United Kingdom Secretary of State of Culture, Media and Sport.
Alison received her BA from Millikin University in Illinois and her JD from Vanderbilt University Law School.
Kyleigh Kirbach
Board Member
Kyleigh Kirbach is currently a medical student at U of CA San Diego. She works with the Chula Vista community on advancing healthy outcomes for youth.
Valerie Butterbredt
Board Member
Valerie is an enrolled member of the Bishop Paiute Tribe and graduate of the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University. She brings over five years of experience in the non-profit field related to Tribal communities. She had previously served in roles with Toiyabe Indian Health Clinic in Bishop, CA, and National American Indian Housing Council in Washington, DC. She also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of California – Merced.
Brandon Stevenson
Board Member
Brandon is a thinker, an architect of sorts, who is drawn by the tensions of opposites that color our world. Substance based dialogue is equivalent to breath. He is quite authentic and direct, desiring engaging and purposeful experiences, in both his personal and profession life.
Over the years he has become increasingly introspective, with a focus on the cultivation of intentional empathy for himself and others. He is an advocate of diversity in many aspects to include culture, policy, and philosophy.
After serving in the United States Air force for 10 years as an Aircraft Maintainer, Program Manager, and Logistics Coordinator, he returned home Honorably Discharged and completed a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Management (minor), and a Master of Social Work (major) in Social and Economic Development at Washington University in St. Louis.
He is now working as a Senior Clinical Research Coordinator, independently overseeing and managing complex medical and surgical oncology clinical trials.
After his military service Brandon took employment in the Federal Civilian Service sector, holding positions with the Department of Justice (DOJ), US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), and the 375th Air Mobility Command, Department of Defense (DOD) where he was awarded Employee of the Quarter in 2016.
Brandon’s ambition is centered around placing Veterans and their families in touch with the medical professionals, resources, and information necessary in creating quality healthcare experiences, promoting health and wellness, emotionally, physically and psychologically.
Annie Wiseman
Board Member
Annie Wiseman is a Learning & Development professional at Facebook, Inc in Menlo Park, California. Her current role has her building multi-media learning experiences for the 10,000+ managers at the company. Long before joining the big tech world, she earned her Bacherlor of Arts in Psychology from Truman State University and Master of Public Health (MPH) from St. Louis University School of Public Health. After receiving her MPH, Annie accepted a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia where she worked in the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO). While there she led a project coordinating with hospitals across the country to offer healthier patient and visitor food. That led her to a job at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene where she worked with CEOs of Fortune 100 firms to make the food food they served to their employees healthier and more sustainable. Annie went on to work as Director of Learning & Development for a network of Federally Qualified Health Centers in New York City before heading West.
Annie currently lives in Mountain View, California with her husband and two young daughters.