Age: 39
Occupation: Founder and CEO, Canadian Equality Consulting and Equality 360
Marcie Hawranik began volunteering as a young child when her parents started Manitoba’s first rural food bank. “I was always raised to serve the community, and to also constantly strive to be an ally for other communities that I’m not a part of,” Hawranik says.
Her roots in community-building have led to a career devoted to supporting others. Hawranik is the CEO and founder of two companies: diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) firm Canadian Equality Consulting and DEI microlearning company Equality 360. In both, Hawranik improves equality at workplaces by helping businesses drive impactful DEI initiatives, as well as educating employees about DEI topics through courses and access to other expert-curated content. “It’s an incredible privilege to be invited into workplaces by people that are struggling or frustrated with the culture that they operate in,” Hawranik says.
Canadian Equality Consulting has been growing rapidly over the past five years and currently has a team of 12 full-time employees and a network of approximately 20 contractors. It has helped change the culture at more than 500 organizations, and impacted more than 8,000 individuals through its work to advance equity. The company gives back, too, donating more than $25,000 in 2023, alone, to grassroots movements and non-profits that do equity-centered work.
Equality 360 is run by Hawranik and one part-time contractor. With revenue of more than $100,000 in its first year, it was recently accepted into the Alberta Accelerator by 500 program, an initiative to strengthen the tech sector in the province by providing tools and mentorship for startups to scale.
Hawranik says one of her keys to success is to find people who share your goal or mission, then mobilize together. “It’s a collective achievement — how both companies have really flourished,” she says, “and I think that’s due in large part to working with such incredible people.”
Thank yous
“My partner, Craig Loewen; my two kiddos Bennett and Hudson; my parents for instilling in me the values and importance of community service; and the best mentors ever, Shaheel Houda and Tash Jefferies, for their honest advice and supportive guidance.”
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