After being sentenced to a four-year jail term, Emily set out on the mission to transform herself and make her time in jail as meaningful as possible. Having fostered an entrepreneurial career before her sentence, Emily developed the idea for Comeback Snacks to create mouth watering popcorn flavours, inspired by her experience of it being the perfect social snack to bring her and her fellow inmates together, and make the most of a tough time.
Aware of the hardships of being incarcerated, Emily is driven to help remove the stigma surrounding people with prior convictions, as well as connect them with opportunities for reintegration through training, empowerment and education.
Testimonials
“Emily speaks from the heart with passion, humour, and grace. She shows audiences how they too can be resilient, and come back from what may appear to be insurmountable challenges. Everyone can apply her grit and determination to build a business and life to be proud of.”
— Stacey Smith, Program Manager
“Thank you again for speaking at the YW event. So many people are still talking and posting about it. You are a real inspiration.”
— Christine Michaud, Director of Development
“I am thrilled to endorse Emily O’Brien for her extraordinary ability to deliver inspirational talks to clients. Having witnessed her passion and eloquence firsthand, I can confidently say that Emily possesses a unique gift for connecting with audiences and igniting positive change.”
— Tom Best, CEO
“CMHA Fort Frances Branch was fortunate to have Emily O’Brien from Comeback Snacks present to us during our All Staff meeting. Emily is a passionate speaker who inspired our staff with her personal story. Truly inspirational and would highly recommend.”
— Pauline Hyatt, Director of Services