Michelle Girard

Michelle Girard is an International Development Consultant with a focus on social impact strategy, lifecycle program management, and technical and organizational capacity building.23 She is the founder of Ivanhoe Development, a consulting firm she started in 2022 that takes a holistic approach to development work.1

Education and Background

Michelle earned her Master of Development Practice (MDP) from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota in 2020.1 During her time as a student, she was also an Acara Innovation Fellow at the Institute on the Environment.4

Professional Experience

After completing her master's degree, Michelle worked as the development director for Little Earth in Minneapolis, an indigenous-preference Section 8 housing community.1 She then transitioned to entrepreneurship, founding her own consulting firm, Ivanhoe Development.

Consulting Approach

Michelle's approach to development consulting is unique and comprehensive:

• She focuses on continuous accountability to community members.1
• Her firm helps nonprofits with financing, project design, and evaluation.1
• They emphasize community involvement, equitable work, and qualitative program evaluation.1

Current Work

Ivanhoe Development, under Michelle's leadership, works with a range of clients from small nonprofits to large statewide organizations. They typically manage about 10 clients at a time, including:

• A large statewide nonprofit
• An elder advocacy organization
• A Minneapolis-based affordable housing agency1

Skills and Certifications

Michelle is a Resilience Toolkit Certified Facilitator.2 She is known for her expertise in:

• Social impact strategy
• Lifecycle program management
• Technical and organizational capacity building3

Michelle is also recognized for her mentorship and guidance to current students at the Humphrey School, often hosting interns and providing advice on career building in the development sector.1