Emily Berry is an organizer with Public Bank LA. Her interest in public banking emerged from the 2008 housing and financial crisis, when banks labeled “too big to fail” received bailouts while millions of people lost their homes and savings. That moment exposed how profit-driven financial systems produce inequality.

As a public finance investment banker, she advised state and local governments on funding projects with debt. She was working in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Federal Reserve backstopped the municipal bond market in 2020 to prevent systemic collapse. Experiencing Wall Street decision-making during a crisis made clear that profit is a poor metric for managing public money, and that financial expertise is neither mysterious nor unattainable. Emily believes Los Angeles has the capacity to manage its own funds rather than sending public dollars to Wall Street institutions.

As Co-Chair of DSA’s Climate Justice Committee, Emily focuses on the intersection of climate, housing, and economic equity. She is committed to building a public bank that keeps capital local and aligns public finance with public values.