Meet The Founders
Olivia Villalta
Co-founder, CEO
Olivia Villalta is a former HR and Operations professional turned startup CEO. With a passion for business at a global scale, Olivia studied International Business at the University of Ottawa, graduating in 2014. After completing internships in finance with uOttawa as well as global integrated marketing both locally and in Paris, Olivia returned to Ottawa where she forged a career as an Operations Manager for Eastern and Central Canada with a global leader in recruitment and HR services. While in her corporate role, Olivia confirmed her passion for operations, developing vision and growth strategies, and finding creative solutions to solve challenges. This passion inspired Gift Better Co., which solves problems for the customers that Olivia knows best: top stakeholders of Canada’s leading organizations. When she’s not working on the business, Olivia can usually be found either travelling abroad (barring global pandemics) or planning her next adventure.
Vanessa Griffiths
Co-founder, CMO
A product of her early 2000s adolescence, Vanessa Griffiths’ career has been fuelled by her love for all things internet. After graduating from Carleton University with a degree in Communications Studies, Vanessa earned her stripes as a marketer at startups in various industries, from natural beauty to high tech. Vanessa’s experience in Canada’s startup scene has given her a front-row view into how to build a scalable business from the ground up. She thrives at the cross-section of culture, technology, and human behaviour, which is exactly where she often finds herself at Gift Better Co. When she’s not working, you can usually find this new mom spending time with her baby boy or nerding out about the latest marketing technology.
