It has been a busy year at Movement51 (M51) with many changes, including welcoming new team members, launching new programs, and celebrating new alumni.
UNPACKING OUR IMPACT
Beyond the Numbers
About Our Program NPS: Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a trusted measure of customer loyalty and satisfaction, with scores above 50 considered excellent and reflective of strong participant approval.
Our programs have earned outstanding NPSs, demonstrating their significant impact on our community. These scores speak to the quality, relevance, and transformative power of our initiatives.
Building Financial Acumen: We are committed to empowering women with the knowledge and resources necessary to navigate and excel in the financial landscape.
Our Financial Feminist Investing Lab graduates have exemplified this empowerment by activating an impressive $1.4 million in capital over the past year, bringing our total impact to $2.3 million since inception. Together, we are driving meaningful change and fostering a more inclusive and equitable financial future.
Scaling Up: This past year has been one of growth and innovation for our organization. We've expanded our programming to meet the evolving needs of our community. We're excited about the positive impact these new programs have already had, and we look forward to continuing to support our community with relevant and transformative content.
As we grow, so has our impact across Canada.
We analyzed the locations of all our participants and mapped out the percentages of where they are based (a special “hello!” to our friends in the Yukon, Atlantic Canada, and those residing outside of Canada!).
What We Do
M51 is powering the full, economic participation of women and gender- diverse people and eliminating gender disparity in financial knowledge.
Hear from OUR FOUNDER
“Movement51 (M51) goes beyond being just education — it’s changing the status quo. M51 continues to nurture the next wave of women and gender-diverse investors and founders across Canada. Since our inception, we've provided a platform for over 300 participants, many of whom are now actively transforming the world around us. Our alumni are not only investing in women-led, forward-thinking ventures but are also securing the capital needed to bring innovative, real-world solutions to life. As our programs continue to grow, I'm eager to see how we will further advance the economic participation of women and gender-diverse communities nationwide.”
— Shelley Kuipers, Co-Founder and CEO of The51, Co-Founder of Movement51
Who We Are
Hear from the voices of our team who represent who we are and why we do what we do at Movement51.
We asked our core team to reflect on this past year as we continued building capacity, growing awareness, and championing more investors and founders to make a difference with their capital.
Arielle Land
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"It truly takes a village, and we’re incredibly fortunate to have a strong one surrounding Movement51. From our expert speakers and dedicated program participants to our driven partners and internal small but mighty team, everyone has brought their unique touch to our programming—the key to what sets us apart."
Emily McBride
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"As a small but mighty team, we have diligently worked to sustain our core programs, Investor & Founder Lab. This year, we've also forged new partnerships and developed an exciting webinar series. It has been incredible to collaborate with our team, and I am thrilled to see how we can continue to innovate with unique programming, foster more partnerships, and expand our reach across Canada."
Kelly Tidalgo
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"I'm continually in awe of the power of the M51 community. From the impact of our flagship programs and new webinar series to the collaboration between our partnerships, each and every individual who has interacted with us has been instrumental in moving the needle toward a more inclusive and equitable economy. I'm proud to be part of this driven team and look forward to continuing the momentum."
Kristy Sadler
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"I loved seeing how the programming grew over the past year and how many incredible women participated in every different level of what was offered from free webinars to the flagship FFIL. The impact is truly inspiring! I'm really looking forward to seeing M51 expand across the country. It's already started and I have no doubt this will be an accelerator to the impact M51 will have moving forward."
Board of Directors
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Shelley Kuipers
Co-Founder, Board Director
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Anita Rossall
Board Chair
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Alison Pidskalny
Board Director
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Susan Snider
Board Director
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Salima Shivji
Board Director
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Aymie Rondeau
Treasurer
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Kelsey Armstrong
Acting Secretary
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Michelle De Souza
Board Director
Embracing all the change and growth this past year, we also had the opportunity to connect with our Board to ask:
What is one thing you want to celebrate from this past year and where do you see M51 growing?
Reflecting on this past year, I take incredible pride in the results achieved by a small but mighty team of people.
I would like to celebrate three attributes of people engaged with M51 either as staff, faculty, volunteer board members, program alumni, funders and partners. There is a courage amongst these individuals that exists to lead the creation of the financial feminist community. There is a curiosity to learn and to explore creative solutions to a complex reality. There is a conviction to deliver first class, educational and networking opportunities to improve knowledge and support amongst investors, entrepreneurs and those that aspire to be.
With people like this in our midst, M51 will continue to evolve as a successful leader in building knowledge and confidence, and creating networking opportunities that our community is craving.
Looking forward, the Board will be focused on strategic alignment with our sister organization, The51, and ensuring we have the talent, skills and funds to grow our programs nationally.
It takes people to make things happen, and we have a superior, dedicated team working together, that inspires me every day.
Many thanks on behalf of the M51 directors,
Anita Rossall, P.Eng, M51 Board Chair
Our Investor Lab is designed for everyone eager to learn how their money can support future-focused, women-led ventures. Our program allows participants to explore early-stage investing for its high potential returns, feel confident to invest with a gendered lens, and have the opportunity to drive innovation, creating a more diverse and inclusive entrepreneurial landscape.
Early-stage investors are the backbone of the startup scene. We can think of a few good reasons to consider investing your financial or human capital: 3 Reasons to Become an Early-Stage Investor
Potential for High Returns and Wealth Building: Weighing both risk and reward, successful startups can experience rapid growth, leading to a significant increase in the value of the investor's initial stake.
Support Entrepreneurs and the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: Early-stage investors can play a mentorship role in addition to providing financial support.
Foster Innovation and Shape the Future of Industries: Where you choose to invest your capital helps you shape the world you want to live in.
Movement51 programs are built on the foundation of community—even single-day sessions are all about connecting with the local ecosystem in an uplifting environment.
You know what they say: “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.”
“Early-stage investing plays a critical part in the success of ventures that are accessing support through accelerators like Innovation Factory.
As we work with hundreds of companies every year, many at this critical point in their capital raising journey, we maintain relationships with the investor community so we can make relevant introductions and facilitate connections that foster early stage investment in our client companies. We have a vested interest in the success of these efforts and knowing these individuals and also the next gen of investors are informed and equipped when it comes to early stage investing.
We have firsthand experience to see how M51’s investing bootcamp provides this education. Investors, aspiring early stage investors and companies alike will gain from participating in it.”
VP, Operations Innovation Factory
Want to know more about why our community loves our one-day investing lab bootcamp?
Here’s a few reasons why together is better:
Diverse Perspectives and Inclusivity: Community-engaged learning exposes learners to a wide range of perspectives and experiences within their community.
Enhanced Learning Experience Through Practical Application: Community-engaged learning offers an immersive environment that goes beyond traditional, static classroom settings.
Increased Financial Literacy: Community-engaged learners gain both theoretical knowledge and practical financial skills for personal finance. Think: budgeting, investing, managing debt, and more.
Dive into the 7 Benefits of Community-Engaged Learning to learn more.
It Takes a Village
“At the Haskayne School of Business, we are so pleased to partner with Movement51 to shape a future where women investors are no longer a rare breed. We know that education has the power to change lives.
Through the Financial Feminism Investing Lab we are building the capability of women investors, facilitating more women to activate their capital, and ensuring a more equity-driven financial community. We are proud to be a part of this community and to see the impact that quality education has on the lives of women founders and investors.”
— Gina Grandy, Dean and Professor at Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary
Interested in joining the next FFIL Cohort?
The Movement51 Founder Lab is much more than your average accelerator program. It’s a celebration of women and gender-diverse founders across Canada; it’s a group of motivated entrepreneurs learning from highly accomplished experts to sharpen their skills and become investor-ready.
We are so proud of our Founder Lab alumni and want to shout from the rooftops about their successes.
Hats off to the Founder Lab Class of 2024!
Wrapping up the 2024 cohort and their accomplishments, Demo Day was the perfect bow that tied all the modules together and brought the program to a close.
20 brilliant women founders and co-founders. 11 intensive weeks of jam-packed modules. 1 pitch to showcase their hard work.
Words From Our Community
“The Founder Lab was instrumental in shaping my approach to business. This experience offered allowed me to deep dive into the nuts and bolts of running a successful venture, from understanding cap tables to navigating the complexities of VC funding.”
— Cheryl LeBarr, Co-founder of MADE Apparel & MADE Tech
“The lab went far beyond just preparing a pitch. I gained a deeper understanding of how to position my CPG business for success, set tangible milestones, and effectively weave my story into my pitch. Overall, the lab has fundamentally changed how I approach my business and I am genuinely grateful for the growth and preparation this program has provided.”
— Celeste Trujillo, Co-founder & CTO of The Better Butchers
Building Together
A moment to thank our sponsors, partners, funders and champions who have helped build Movement51 into what it is today. These supporters worked with us to bring our programs from ideas to realities. Without them, none of this would be possible. Thank you for being our champions.
NEW
Programming
We were thrilled to expand M51’s programming to reach a larger audience across Canada to transform their investment journeys together. The new programs will continue to support women and gender diverse individuals across varies industries and parts of Canada.
UNLOCKING IMPACT with SSFPA
Early-Stage Investing in Canadian Food and Agriculture
Not only do women make up less than one-third of Canada’s early-stage investors, but they also only receive less than 2% of global venture investment. This underinvestment is equally glaring in sectors like impact investing, food, and agriculture—especially in the Canadian landscape.
The challenge for aspiring investors is knowing where to start in order to support and grow these critical areas and businesses. It comes back to our mission to make change in this industry: education. Through our partnership with the Small Scale Food Processor Association (SSFPA), we help Canadians thrive through impactful investment opportunities.
“The Women's Program of the Small Scale Food Processor Association (SSFPA) conducted national policy research from 2018-2023 which confirmed that women are more likely than men to start food value-added businesses. The research showed that all small scale food processors face major food system barriers but women face even more serious challenges accessing finance than men. This is common in the entrepreneurial world but more effort is being made by governments and organizations such as M51 to make change.
We reached out to M51 as a finance training partner to help us reach investors to encourage them to invest in women founders in food and agriculture. We are grateful that M51 is offering training support to investors to help inform them of the opportunities for impact and financial benefit for investments made in the food system. At a time when global supply chains are showing serious vulnerability, major efforts are needed in Canada to increase the bioregional production of food products, most of which are now imported. Women are ready to create products that will increase Canadian food security. Investors are being asked to work with them to help improve the outlook for our common food future.”
— Sandy Mark, Manager of Women's Programs/ Chef de project, Small Scale Food Processor Association
Aligning our partnership with SSFPA and our mission to afford people of underrepresented genders opportunities to learn and activate their investing and entrepreneurship potential, read more on impact investing, food and agriculture, and building the world we want to live in—today and for future generations:
“How To” Webinar Series
for INVESTORS and ASPIRING INVESTORS
In the spirit of accessibility to education, we introduced a monthly “How To” Webinar Series: a carefully curated lineup of 10 webinars designed exclusively for experienced and aspiring investors.
With this brand new program, we asked a few of our guest speakers…
What motivated you to participate in our webinar series?
How do you see accessible education and resources playing a role in an investor's journey?
How do you see women taking more active roles and activating their capital?
Panache Ventures
“As an undergraduate science student, I never once saw myself represented by the venture capital world, nor did I even truly know what VC was. I knew I loved meeting new people, brainstorming business ideas in my notes app, and connecting with those who have revolutionary visions of how they want to change the future. Had early-stage venture capital been presented to me as I experience it today, and if I had seen more female role models in venture, I would have pursued this path much sooner (rather than stumbling into it).
I love the mission behind M51 because I believe it is important that we democratize opportunities, access to information, and networks to address gender inequity in venture capital as a whole. Beyond this, the embarrassingly small percentage of capital being deployed into female founders is in part due to the lack of women on the other side of the table. Success on one side perpetuates success on the other, and I am thrilled to be along for the ride with M51 as we strive towards creating a more equitable ecosystem.”
Amplitude Ventures
“I was motivated to participate in the webinar series because I knew that with minimal effort, Sarah and I could lift the veil on the black box of early-stage investment decisions. By transparently sharing how we evaluate market potential, I believe we could inspire others, especially those from non-conventional finance backgrounds like ours, to get involved with early-stage investing.
Just five years ago, I didn't even know what VCs or angels were. If programs like M51's webinar series had existed back then, I could have familiarized myself with the industry and learned that my voice and future capital could profoundly impact my life and society. These programs are crucial because they create awareness about how women can exert more control over their wealth and open up numerous avenues for self-sustainability and outsized returns.
I encourage other investors with access to bespoke financial knowledge to share their insights with the community. By doing so, we can elevate everyone and contribute to a more inclusive and dynamic investment landscape.”
Looking Ahead
One effective way to activate the female economy is by creating customized programs with like-minded organizations. These collaborations help us drive our mission of empowering the women-led economy while expanding our reach and visibility.
We are proud to present our partnership with Imaginal Ventures to deliver the Women Innovators Scale-Up and Investment Program.
Designed for women-led companies ready to scale and grow sustainable ventures, the virtual seven-month training, coaching, and experiential learning program addresses challenges faced on the path between raising seed and Series A funding.
Victory Ventures is a 12-week accelerator program designed to transform athletes into successful business owners. The program fast-tracks elite athlete’s ideas into market-ready pitches, supporting the many elite athletes with the desire to give back, build meaningful ventures after their competitive careers, and extend legacies.
As strategic partners with Victory Ventures, we are thrilled to be on board as faculty members to lead key content for the financial literacy modules.
As we look to our next year of programming, here is what’s been especially driving our initiatives:
The Great Wealth Transfer
Amid the unfolding Great Wealth Transfer, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment where women everywhere are poised to inherit, create, and control unprecedented wealth. By 2030…
$30 trillion will shift into the hands of women from baby boomers
Women will control 65% of the nation’s wealth
Millennials will control 4x the wealth they do today
We know that not only are women's financial needs are underserved, setting the global wealth management industry back $25 billion each year. Women, who make up 51% of the population (a nod to our sister company, The51), receive only less than 2% of all venture capital. Yet, female-founded companies outperform all-male teams by 63%.
How can Canada’s economy reach its true potential during the Great Wealth Transfer if 51% of the population isn’t fully participating?
This past year, we’ve continued the momentum of building the financial acumen of the next generation of women and gender-diverse investors and founders through new initiatives, enhanced programming, and scaling strategies. While there is still much to do, we’re proud of the progress we’ve made with our community and look forward to further fostering knowledge and empowerment.
Stay In Touch
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Invitations to free webinars presented by leading experts in the industry and academia.
Announcements with early-bird discounts on our Early-Stage Investing Lab.
Notifications when applications open and close for our highly-coveted Founder Lab program.
Insights and tips around early-stage investing.
Resources for attracting capital to early-stage businesses.
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Want to Learn More?
If you're interested in participating or partnering with our programs, please reach out to our Program Director, Arielle Land, at arielle@the51.io