Meet Our Team

Shelley Kuipers
Co-CEO, General Partner

An activist in business, entrepreneurship and investment, Shelley Kuipers is building the world she wants to live in. Shelley likes to take on the status quo, and seek out democratized business models and platforms. Discovering that the role of “Co-founder” really suits her, Shelley currently co-founds The51, consumer participation company IOVIA and family office Adventure Capital. Oh, and she also designs clothing (why not?) through yet another business she’s co-founded, 100% sustainable direct to consumer, House Kuipers.

Judy Fairburn
Co-CEO, Fund Managing Partner

A change-maker, board director, engineer, Creative Destruction Lab Fellow and early-stage investor, Judy has been at the vanguard of environmental sustainability, corporate/entrepreneurial partnerships and diversity as critical to future-proof business. Along with her impressive experience as a C-suite corporate executive, Judy co-founded a $100 million digital/cleantech venture fund and led substantial change as the first Chair of the consolidated Alberta Innovates. In her spare time (ha) Judy is the very definition of “outdoorsy”, an avid hiker, skier and cyclist.

Alice Reimer
Co-Founder, General Partner

Alice is a successful tech entrepreneur and dedicated community mentor and leader. She co-founded Calgary-based Evoco, leading the innovative software firm from initial concept through to a 2012 acquisition. Evoco's technology became the standard construction management system for global retailers including Home Depot, Walmart and Luxottica. Most recently, Alice was the CEO of Chaordix, a pioneering software leader in the crowdsourcing and open innovation space, with global clients including LEGO, Procter & Gamble, KPMG and IBM.

Alice was the recipient of PROFIT’s W100 designation as one of Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs and was named one of Alberta's 50 Most Influential People for 2013. She is on the Board of the A100 and is the Board Chair for Startup Calgary.

Alison Sunstrum
GP, Food & AgTech Fund

With decades of experience in the agrifood, agtech, innovative tech and venture capital industries, you could say Alison always has a lot on the go. Currently, she is the Founder/CEO of CNSRV-X Inc. (Conserve X), a Canadian company developing and investing in emerging technology in agriculture. She is also a Founding Partner and Fellow in the Ag Stream of the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) Rockies; and the Supply Chain stream, Montreal. She is also a Venture Partner and LP at Builders VC, a San Francisco/Calgary venture capital fund investing in founders re-imagining large underinvested, antiquated industries.

Chelsea Gillett
Principal, Fund I and II

Having grown up with a climbing wall on the side of her house, it only makes sense that Chelsea jumps and rises effortlessly from chemical engineering, to motherhood, to an MBA (Dean's List), to start-up expert through CDL and now Venture Manager with The51. All while raising a family and--oh right--continuing to literally jump and climb, ski, hike, bike, and occasionally skydive. No big deal.

Carina Ludgate
Advisor

A certifiable expert in all things brand-communication, Carina supports The51 with content strategy, events, and pretty much anything else we can trick her into helping us with. Between mentoring the next generation, volunteering and keeping her heart rate up, Carina is desperately trying to finally finish her MA in Communications at the University of Alberta.

Courtney Dragani
Chief of Staff

In addition to being a frighteningly organized and savvy business strategist, Courtney is a relentless advocate for community wellness. It's this rare and wonderful combination that makes her a force of nature at The51, where her skills in planning, strategy, financial management, project management and stakeholder engagement are put to work to build the feminist economy we all need. Courtney supports the Co-CEOs in executing against our plans and optimizing their time, in service of The51 community.

Iva Kubickova
Community Director

Meet Iva, The51's Community Director! With nearly a decade of experience spanning Fin-Tech, Startup, and Social Impact sectors, she's a seasoned pro at fostering tight-knit communities and forging impactful partnerships. Having lived in 5 countries as a migrant, Iva understands firsthand the importance of belonging and shared purpose—both in life and at work. 

Kelly Tidalgo
Content Marketing Manager

Constantly curious and looking at the world through a lens of empathy and understanding, Kelly aims to bring this to her work and writing. With an English degree as her foundation, she's found her way into the content marketing world. Kelly has explored the craft from a couple of unique angles—from writing for a SaaS company, engagement and moderation with a global retail brand, and as a founding member of a digital marketing agency. Big on balancing work and play, you can catch Kelly obsessing over her old dog and feisty cat or planning the next road trip with her partner.

Kulwant Duhra
Investor Services & Operations Manager

When Kulwant isn't driving her basketball-loving boys around, she is probably reading, meditating, and/or cooking something to feed them. And as it turns out, Kulwant's masterful multi-tasking and task-transitioning abilities have served her well; with 15+ years' experience in male-dominated industries like brokerage, private equity, venture capital and banking, Kulwant's corporate cross-functional experience enables her to connect strategy, operations and people to deliver results. Today, Kulwant is proud to apply her skills to powering women in these very same industries by working with investors and keeping us organized at The51, because as she tells her boys: when you empower women, you empower everyone.

Rachel Bodor
Senior Analyst

At heart, Rachel Bodor is a scientist. Double-majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology, Rachel began her career with MRI research on placenta & fetal brain development, before completing her Masters of Biomedical Technology with a focus on innovative treatments for Cerebral palsy. Transitioning from the lab to the biotech industry, Rachel completed an internship with the Creative Destruction Lab where she dove into the local startup ecosystem. When she’s not investigating potential ventures for The51, you might find Rachel at the gym, baking, spending time outside or watching crime documentaries (which she assures us is completely normal, and nothing to worry about).

Anita Ludwar
Principal, Food & AgTech Fund

Anita's career is rooted in deep science and technology innovation, with experience supporting innovators from applied research through to commercialization. She has managed multi-million-dollar genomics funding programs, led the inaugural Ag Stream at the Creative Destruction Lab (Rockies), and most recently led innovative projects at a biotechnology-focused supply chain startup before joining The51 Food & AgTech Fund.

Anita deeply values the impact that early-stage innovators can have on the world, especially within agriculture and food, and loves exploring the limits of technology.

Jodi Roworth
CFO, Food & AgTech Fund

Joining the team in 2023 as CFO, Jodi brings over 7 years of experience as CFO with a leading private equity firm where her responsibilities included orchestrating financial analysis, budgeting, financial reporting, investor communication, tax, insurance, treasury, regulatory policies and compliance, HR, and information technology. Prior to that, she gathered 21 years of experience in taxation, tax planning, accounting, and financial reporting in increasingly senior positions at KPMG. Jodi is committed to our communities, volunteering for youth sports teams and school classrooms, as well as fundraising for numerous health-related charities. For her contributions professionally and in the community, Jodi was recognized as one of Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2007.

Kebbie Brown
Associate, Food & AgTech Fund

With a degree in Mathematics and Economics from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from Queen’s University, Kebbie is innately curious and constantly asking questions - to everyone from founders to farmers (like her dad!) to fellow fitness fanatics (current obsession: road biking). After starting her career in operations roles in fintech and disability tech, she developed a deep passion for supporting early-stage companies who champion positive social change.

In her "downtime", you can find Kebbie volunteering in the angel investing space with organizations like SheBoot, at +19,000 ft trekking some of the world’s tallest peaks, or scuba diving at 100 ft underwater.

Shannon Masleck
Controller, Food & AgTech Fund

Shannon Masleck is a PwC trained CPA, CA with 15 years of professional experience in financial reporting, start-up scaling, audit and taxation in Calgary, Canada and internationally in London, UK. Shannon has worked in financial reporting for a range of companies including a global commercial real estate company, a large utility company and a publicly traded ESG start-up. When Shannon is not crunching numbers, you can find her on the ski hill with her husband and two kids or training for her next distance run, because a marathon in Portugal and over 10 destination half marathons certainly are not enough.

Shannon holds a Bachelor of Commerce – Accounting from the University of Calgary and studied at Maastricht University (Netherlands), School of Business and Economics.

Emily McBride
Program Manager, Movement51

Meet Emily, a Health Sciences graduate with a passion for high-altitude physiology who unexpectedly found themselves thriving in the dynamic world of startups. After a captivating research stint in Nepal, Emily graduated in 2018, she embraced the fast-paced environment of a local startup in Calgary.

Emily excels as a strong communicator, building lasting relationships and prioritizing operations across diverse settings. With a proven ability to plan and coordinate, Emily brings enthusiasm and drive to connect and build diverse communities. Beyond the professional sphere, you can find Emily throwing pottery, playing beach volleyball, skiing, indulging in a good read in her spare time, and enjoying moments of coziness while cuddling with her kitties.

Kristy Sadler
SVP Marketing, Movement51

Kristy’s love for analytics and all things measurement led her down the marketing path over 20 years ago and she’s had her head in a spreadsheet ever since. She’s built marketing teams from the ground up at a half dozen startups as well as having had a role as an EIR at the DMZ in Toronto. Kristy is passionate about sustainable living, empowering women, and sees positivity as her super power. When she isn’t walking her Australian Shepherd, Jasper (who needs a lot of walking!), you’ll find her whipping up plant-based recipes, running or spending time with her family.