Gabrielle Donnelly
Gabrielle Donnelly (MA IDS 2008)
Assistant Professor of Community Development, Acadia University
Working to develop leadership capacities in Nova Scotia, Gabrielle Donnelly tells us that "motivations often age into something much more nuanced, rich, critical and thoughtful".聽聽
When Gabrielle Donnelly finished her Master鈥檚 in International Development Studies, she found her initial aspirations of working with the UN or an NGO had changed. However, she says motivations often age into something 鈥渕uch more nuanced, rich, critical and thoughtful.鈥� Instead, Donnelly decided to work within Canada and develop leadership capacities in Nova Scotia.
From 2008 to 2010, Donnelly worked on staff with the , where she worked as a project coordinator for an initiative called 鈥淩ural Communities Leading鈥� to cultivate leadership in rural Nova Scotia.
Donnelly is a Principal Consultant with a Halifax-based company she co-founded with Marguerite Drescher in 2013. Brave Space is a collective of facilitators and artists who provide expertise in several areas: hosting conversations, trainings, workshops, event design, graphic facilitation, panels, research, and sensemaking.
We care about equity, we care about radically inclusive spaces and the importance of conversation.
Donnelly says Brave Space has worked with communities, governments, and agencies across Nova Scotia and abroad.
In June, Donnelly helped facilitate and host a participatory conversation about sexual violence on university campuses at Saint Mary鈥檚 University. A range of people from across Canada attended the conference and panel, including researchers, university staff, campus security, community organizations and government agencies.
鈥淲e care about equity, we care about radically inclusive spaces and the importance of conversation,鈥� says Donnelly.
Donnelly also has a burgeoning international consulting practice, working with individuals and organizations on creativity and leadership.