Elyse Schipper Email & Phone Number

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Pleo is a non-profit family peer support organization for parents whose children to age 25 are facing mental health, addiction, or behavioural challenges. Based in Ottawa, now serving families across Ontario. As Executive Director of Pleo I have strengthened and grown the organization to help more families achieve excellent outcomes, and created tangible improvements in the mental health system. I have facilitated a transformational culture shift, achieved significant growth in revenue, capacity, and reach, and established Pleo as a core service and trusted voice in the mental health sector. • More than doubled and diversified annual revenue to $1MM+. • More than doubled the number of families served each year to 2,000+. • Improved client outcomes to more than 90% success for families served.• Facilitated a transformational culture shift resulting in 100% of staff voting Pleo as a good place to work, and winning a national award for Best Non-Profit Employer - Workplace Mental Health in 2022.• Established Pleo as a core service provider and valued contributor in the mental health sector, and with provincial and federal government.• Shifted the entire organization to virtual with no interruption of service or decrease in reported outcomes, and supported a team of 27 dispersed staff to maintain connection, wellness, and resilience. • Guided the Board through a complete re-branding for a renewed mission, vision, and voice, effectively raising Pleo’s profile.• Provided the Board and Staff with the support and resources required to be successful in their roles.

A high value team member for special projects, including:• Development of a culturally relevant mental health and addiction treatment program for First Nations youth • Development of a post-secondary diploma program in Nature-based Therapy for a local college, including research, curriculum creation, and community/industry outreach • Advisor on growth, business and fundraising strategy to a non-profit organization providing economically disadvantaged youth with recreation and skill-building programs • Strategy, marketing, and front-end web development for a software start-up

Ottawa, Canada Area

The Emporium is a family-run specialty furniture store and design business in Ottawa, established in 1978. • Set-up, designed, developed and managed a customized e-commerce site on the Shopify platform• Implemented administrative systems to support e-commerce growth including shipping and order/customer management• Developed and executed marketing and advertising strategy• Designed and produced materials for print, web, and social media including copywriting and product photography• Content creation for both web and print, copywriting and product photography

Toronto, Canada Area

Pine River Institute is the only program of its kind in Canada – a live-in treatment centre and outdoor leadership experience for youth, ages 13 to 19 who are struggling with addictive behaviours and other mental health issues. Pine River Foundation raises funds to support Pine River Institute, and advance the field of adolescent mental health and addiction treatment. • As co-founder, I helped build Pine River Institute and Foundation from the ground up. I worked collaboratively with a small team to research and develop a clinical model based on international best practices, a business model for a nuanced Canadian health care market, and to navigate a politically challenging sector. I contributed to all aspects of implementation including recruitment and training, facility planning, and program design. Pine River Institute opened as a fee-for-service program, welcoming its first student in 2006. Soon after, the Ministry of Health began funding 29 of 36 beds, Pine River achieved accreditation, and to this day delivers unprecedented outcomes for the youth and families it serves. It has now expanded to a 72-bed facility. • As Director of Communications and Development, I managed two successful multi-million dollar campaigns totalling $7MM, fund and friend-raising events, direct mail campaigns, and secured multiple grants; cultivated and stewarded a community of individual, corporate, and foundation donors; developed a compelling voice that connected clients, volunteers, donors and colleagues to an ambitious vision; and led and executed on strategy, creative, and production of all communications materials.

Ottawa, Canada Area

A private chef and catering service based in Ottawa.• Cheffing, event planning and management for clients ranging from in-home dinners for 10 to weddings for 200 • On-call and sous-chef services for catering companies, event venues, and diplomatic residences, including managing a team, and providing events for 1000+ guests

Aimedia was a graphic design and marketing company founded in Toronto, and awarded an Ontario Youth Entrepreneurship Award in 2002.• Developed marketing and communications strategy, and produced brand and advertising materials for clients including high-end retailers, professional firms, and non-profit organizations

Master Of Philanthropy And Nonprofit Leadership

Front-End Web Development

Cuisine

Personal And Professional Development

Undergraduate Studies, Department Of Social Science