Willa Dunk-Gifford is a Master of Public Policy candidate at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and a Consultant with The Purposeful Group, a social-impact consulting firm working across Atlantic Canada. Her work focuses on community economic development, social finance, stakeholder engagement, and applied research, with experience spanning affordable housing, rural development, sustainable food systems, and impact investing.

Willa holds degrees in Business Administration and Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences from Western University, bringing a multidisciplinary perspective to complex social, economic, and environmental challenges. Most recently, she has supported the development of the Atlantic Community Investment Fund, a proposed regional investment fund aimed at addressing financing gaps for social purpose organizations. Through this work, she has engaged with investors, financial institutions, and community organizations to explore innovative financing models that mobilize private capital and support community-led development.

Willa is particularly interested in the role of public policy and innovative financing mechanisms in accelerating climate solutions, with a focus on climate adaptation, blended finance, and community wealth building. As part of the GCFA Accelerator In-Residence Fellowship, she hopes to deepen her understanding of how public and private capital can work together to overcome financing barriers, advance climate technologies, and ensure that communities share in the economic benefits of the climate transition.