Danielle Gifford joins the Movement51 team as the new Executive Director
Movement51 is thrilled to share that Danielle Gifford has been named as the successful candidate following a nationwide search for an Executive Director (ED).
Calgary, Alberta, September 6, 2022 — Formerly with AltaML and the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), Gifford joins Movement51 (M51) with a wealth of experience in building national accelerators and training programs, as well as leadership in tech, entrepreneurship and business. Gifford is a natural fit for the ecosystem where M51 exists having worked as CDL’s Venture Manager and Head of Site Recruitment where she sourced and managed a portfolio across energy, agriculture, fintech, and health, leading to over $250M in equity value creation.
“Movement51 was founded with a singular focus and purpose: to develop financial acumen, investing capacity and investment readiness in women and gender-diverse people,” says M51 Co-founder and Board Director Shelley Kuipers. “To date we have graduated over 100 new early-stage investors from across Canada and the US, and we’ve only just gotten started. We now have the opportunity to fully leverage our funding, academic and industry partners with Danielle at the helm to achieve our national plans, growth and impact objectives. Danielle brings a lot to the table, from her experience in technology ecosystems to building programming and experiential learning labs from the ground up. We are thrilled!”
As the new ED, Gifford replaces outgoing ED Salima Shivji, who will transition to a seat on M51’s board. Over the past 18 months, Shivji was instrumental in helping to set up M51 and establish the burgeoning non-profit, including its core program, the Financial Feminism Investing Lab: Investor Edition, which was built in partnership with the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary.
“I can’t think of a better individual to take over the reins of M51,” says Shivji. “While I will miss the day-to-day activities of working with the M51 team, I’m looking forward to continuing to contribute through the board. M51’s work has never been more important. I know Danielle will amplify the organization and take it to the next level.”
Gifford’s first step in taking over the ED role will be to ensure a smooth transition between herself and Shivji and focus on taking Movement51 to its next growth phase across Canada. Gifford will also be jumping feet first into the upcoming cohort of the Financial Feminism Investing Lab’s Investor Edition Early-stage Investing Course scheduled to begin on September 28, 2022 (applications now open!), as well as the Financial Feminism Investing Lab’s very first pilot of a Founder Edition beginning in early September.
“I have long admired the brand and platform that the team at The51 and M51 have created and everything the organizations stand for,” says Gifford. “I am excited to build on that foundation to further scale Movement51’s ecosystem and drive a presence nationally. Having built accelerator labs, teams, and technology products from zero, I have a deep appreciation for what it takes to scale an organization like this to the next level. I look forward to working closely with Shelley, the Board and the rest of the leadership team to create the blueprint for how women and gender-diverse people build their confidence and capacity as investors and founders.”
The Financial Feminism Investing Lab: Investor Edition is currently accepting applications for the Fall 2022 cohort. Get in while there’s still time. APPLY NOW: https://the51.com/ffil-ie
For more about M51, please visit: movement51.org.
About Movement51 and The51
Movement51 is a not-for-profit organization established to address financial feminism inequalities that affect women and gender-diverse people across Canada. Specifically, Movement51 drives change in the areas of financial acumen, financial education and entrepreneurship and investing through an inclusive lens. Movement51’s initiatives include leveraging partnerships to provide opportunities for woman-identifying and gender-diverse people to acquire tools, practise skills and build their financial confidence, thereby powering their full and equal economic participation.
Movement51 was created by its sister organisation, The51 Ventures. The51 is a Financial Feminist™ platform where current and aspiring investors (particularly women and gender-diverse individuals) come together to democratize access to capital for women and gender-diverse founders. By driving capital and commercialisation, The51 builds mutual wealth and social/environmental impact, shares knowledge and experiences and practices intersectional feminism through financial action. Our community of influential feminist investors, innovators, and consumers are building the Financial Feminist™ economy.