Emma Maier is a former journalist turned social researcher, communicator, and behavioural scientist. After 20 years writing and editing business magazines, she set up Ask Why to work with likeminded people in the public sector and media industry to help them to answer their questions, engage with stakeholders and make change happen. 

Previously she was publisher and editor of award-winning Inside Housing magazine, known for its fire safety campaigning before and after the Grenfell Tower tragedy. She also set up Inside Housing’s conferences division and launched the HousingExpert data intelligence service. Before that, she edited Local Government Chronicle, written for senior council officials and politicians since 1855. She has also deputy edited social work magazine Community Care and voluntary sector publication Third Sector. 

She is currently vice chair of a primary school governing board, and previously chaired a community group that took a valued local library that had been threatened with closure into community management.