Michelle Groulx
Executive Director, Ottawa Coalition of Business Improvement Areas
Michelle Groulx is a business leader and community builder. As an Ottawa native, she has spent her 20+ year career in this growing city advocating and facilitating positive change within the high-tech, non-profit and civic sectors.
Graduating in Business Administration with a marketing major, she began her career during Ottawa’s high-tech boom in a local VoIP technology start-up. This experience gave great insight into business needs and issues affecting businesses.
Afterward, a majority of Michelle’s career has been on the ‘agency-side’ as the strategic project director for digital technology implementations for small business to enterprise level clients locally, nationally, and internationally.
In 2013, Michelle joined the Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation as the Marketing Communications Manager. She sat on the QCH Foundation Board’s Strategic Initiatives Committee (ex-officio), forming new direction and planning for the Foundation in its support of the Hospital.This role expanded Michelle’s career into the not-for-profit and charity sector, providing great insight to development of fundraiser marketing, events management, board governance and community building.
She joined the Westboro Village Business Improvement Area (BIA) as Executive Director; serving over 250 business members and representing their interests in attracting business, building community and promoting Westboro Village. Michelle formed relationships with businesses and the community through various events and engagements with local charities including Canadian Cancer Society, Salus, local food banks and Cornerstone Housing For Women. She was responsible for numerous projects for Westboro Village, helping to create a lively and engaging neighbourhood.
Currently, as the Executive Director for the Ottawa Coalition of Business Improvement Areas (OCOBIA), Michelle plays a key role as advocate, partner, and resource for the 19 unique Business Improvement Areas in the greater city and the 6,400 business members they serve.
Michelle, through OCOBIA, strives to assure that Ottawa’s BIAs are the economic development pillars of thriving distinct neighbourhoods, and that the businesses within these areas are the drivers of a healthy and vibrant community.
She is active in her community through volunteering in her neighbourhood Community Association as the Chair of the Bylaw review committee, helping steer a new and up-to-date governance model.