The healthcare field is built on a foundation of creating an atmosphere of comfort and trust. Emerging Energy founder Mary Claire Dilks has taken precise measures to create a relaxed and safe space for her practice of acupuncture. Her success in building a thriving practice has brought her to the point of needing to expand.

Dilks came to appreciate the power of alternative medicine as a teenager suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Upon entering the field of integrative medicine after college, she continued to observe patients manage and find relief from chronic pain conditions, she returned to school where she completed a Master’s program at the largest college of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the U.S.

In 2004, Dilks opened Emerging Energy Acupuncture, with a mission of working “with compassion to help people overcome health conditions that hold them back from living a full and complete life.” In the years since becoming established, she has built a thriving practice around this commitment. With a primary focus on pain management, the practice has grown mostly through word of mouth but her social media footprint has paid dividends. Her brand also receives exposure and develops faithful clients near and far with the business’s line of custom Chinese herbs, nutritional supplements, topical herbal products, and a line of natural skin care products branded as Pearl Apothecary.

Thanks to the business acumen of its owner, Emerging Energy just purchased new office space. With the help of the RISBDC, Dilks was able to navigate the financing process. Of the SBDC, Dilks says that it helped her to “make financial projections that will help my business grow in a sustainable way.” Ocean State Business Development Authority and Savings Institute Bank & Trust provided the financing that will enable her to add staff and lease space to another health and wellness service provider, serving even more clients from the Ocean State and beyond!