Jenny MacDonald

Impact Officer, Engage

Jenny joined Coady Institute in 2018 and has rich experience in marketing and communications, digital media, and social entrepreneurship. Jenny has a deep interest in communities, people, and their stories, as well as the roles of technology and entrepreneurship for social good.

From 2018 to 2024, Jenny supported the Institute’s work as Marketing Coordinator, developing the Institute’s digital growth strategies (paid and organic), coordinating promotional materials for fundraising, recruitment, and brand development, and organizing events for local and global audiences including participants/graduates, funders, and other stakeholders.

In 2024, Jenny joined the Engage! Women’s Empowerment and Active Citizenship team as Impact Officer, translating and disseminating knowledge outputs from the Engage project for policymakers, practitioners, graduates, and the public. This includes coordination of content from five local country partners (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Tanzania), analysis of project data, and developing engaging content for distribution and strategic communication channels.

In 2020, Jenny founded a social enterprise, The Little Shop Box, aimed to connect small Canadian business with conscious consumers during the upheaval of the Covid-19 pandemic. The business was nominated for several industry awards. After successfully building the business nearly three years, Jenny navigated a successful acquisition in late 2023.

Prior to joining StFX and Coady Institute, Jenny worked as a professional musician, music educator, and industry consultant in areas such as artist management, grant writing, and event design. She was nominated for two Nova Scotia Music Awards (2011) and earned the East Kings Chamber of Commerce Business Award for “Best New Business” (2011).

Jenny holds a Diploma in Music Arts and Business from the Nova Scotia Community College (2010) and an Advanced Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and Leadership from StFX University (2025).