23 Holiday Gift Ideas From Women-Founded Businesses
The51 Holiday Gift Guide 2024
As the holiday season approaches, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the joy and meaning behind every dollar we spend. Each purchase becomes part of something bigger—the ripple effect created when we choose to support women-founded businesses. It’s more than just shopping; it’s about fueling innovation, community, and growth. Now, that’s a gift that truly keeps on giving.
That’s why, as per tradition, we share the 2024 edition of The51 Holiday Guide, full of brands and organizations founded by extraordinary women. From Movement51 Founder Lab grads to our Founder Community Members and The51 Portfolio stars, these brands are lighting up our holidays (and lives) with innovation, purpose, and heart.
GIFT FOR INVESTORS
M51 Investing Bootcamp - For aspiring or current investors
M51’s Investing Bootcamp provides a unique, hands-on approach to early-stage investing, with insights from angel investors, venture capitalists, and academics. Learn from seasoned investors, network with like-minded peers, and build a strong foundation in early-stage investing.
Use the code EARLY20 for 20% off to give this course to yourself or someone you know.
What we appreciate: Our sister organization is doing an incredible job in helping participants invest confidently in early-stage companies.
GIFT FOR FOUNDERS
Virtual Gurus - For those seeking an extra set of hands
Virtual Gurus is a subscription-based talent marketplace that leverages proprietary technology to match organizations with highly skilled remote assistants from Canada and the U.S.
Our Tip: Their subscription model makes it simple to gift some extra helping hands to those around you. Enjoy a $200 credit when you sign up with promo code The51.
What we appreciate: They recruit talented remote assistants from traditionally underrepresented communities who may have faced barriers to employment.
Alder Apparel is a women-owned Canadian brand specializing in outdoor recreation clothing that blends fashion and function. They offer sustainable, durable apparel in sizes XS to 6X, ensuring inclusivity for all body types.
Our Tip: Alder's Go Explore Essential Pant is a versatile gift for lounging or the outdoors.
What we appreciate: Alder Apparel is rewriting the rules of outdoor fashion by combining sustainability, style, and size inclusivity in every piece they create.
MINDD Bra - For those looking for extra bra support
MINDD Bra Company specializes in designing wire-free bras tailored for D+ cup sizes, focusing on comfort, beauty, and innovation. Their patented knit zone technology provides support without needing underwires, ensuring a seamless fit that moves with you.
Our Tip: The Mid V Lined Wire-free Bra is an excellent holiday gift for those seeking both comfort and style.
What we appreciate: Investing in the complex innovation required to master inclusive sizing in bra design.
MADE Outdoor - For winter sports enthusiasts
MADE Outdoor is innovating the outdoor apparel industry with custom-made ski and snowboard jackets and pants tailored to your exact measurements.
Our Tip: Hard Shell Jacket built for that skier/boarder who wants all the stuff.
What we appreciate: MADE Outdoor redefines inclusivity in outdoor apparel with made-to-measure designs prioritizing fit and performance for every body type.
Mave and Chez - For the most comfortable slipper out there
Mave & Chez is a luxury ergonomic slipper brand designed for women, by women, blending cutting-edge science with timeless sophistication to nurture and elevate every aspect of their lives. Featured on Dragon's Den Season 18.
Our Tip: The Audrey Classic Loafer is an exceptional holiday gift for a woman who values style and comfort.
What we appreciate: Their dedication to creating classically stylish footwear that encourages alignment and improves posture.
BEAUTY GIFTS
Blume - Skincare essentials for the Gen-Z glow-up
Blume was created to make self-care easier and healthier while destigmatizing everyday things like acne, puberty, periods, and sex ed. We're here to protect, nurture, and shift the narrative away from perfect skin to healthy skin.
Our Tip: A Blume Self-Care Bundle is the ultimate holiday gift for anyone who deserves a little extra TLC. Enjoy 20% off with promo code The5120.
What we appreciate: Blume has our hearts for redefining self-care with clean, sustainable products while breaking stigmas around periods and puberty.
Plume Science is a Canadian brand dedicated to creating clean, science-backed beauty products that enhance the natural beauty of lashes, brows, and hair. Their formulations are crafted with plant-based ingredients, ensuring high performance without harmful side effects.
Our Tip: The Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum is an exceptional holiday gift for those seeking to achieve fuller, healthier lashes and brows.
What we appreciate: Their clinically tested formulas, boasting a 97% efficacy rate.
HEALTH & WELLNESS GIFTS
BelliWelli - For the gut-conscious
BelliWelli is a wellness brand dedicated to creating gut-friendly snacks and supplements that cater to individuals with sensitive digestive systems. Their bold approach to combining clean, plant-based ingredients with science-backed benefits makes indulgence accessible to everyone, proving that snacks can be both decadent and functional.
Our Tip: The BelliWelli Taster Box is an excellent holiday gift for health-conscious individuals.
What we appreciate: It’s the brand that people trust not to upset their stomachs. BelliWelli for a Better Belly.
Blume - For superfood lovers seeking a hydration boost
Blume is tapping into the power of superfoods to lead a global wellness revolution rooted in kindness for both people and the planet. Their plant-based functional beverages, made with organic superfoods and no refined sugars, are crafted to naturally support energy, digestion, and sleep.
Our Tip: A Blume Superfood Beverage Set makes for a thoughtful and health-focused holiday gift. Enjoy 15% off any individual product with promo code The51.
What we appreciate: Their plant-based, superfood-powered drinks are not only good for you but also for the environment.
FLIGHTFŪD - For frequent travelers
FLIGHTFŪD’s flagship product, the Flight Elixir, is a natural travel aid formulated to reduce travel bloat, support circulation, replenish hydration, and prevent jet lag, ensuring you arrive at your destination feeling your best.
Our Tip: The FLIGHTFŪD Travel Supplement is an excellent holiday gift for frequent flyers or anyone planning a trip.
What we appreciate: FLIGHTFŪD fills the gap in the market by addressing common travel-related health concerns with natural ingredients.
Iris+ Arlo - For menstruators
Iris+ Arlo is a social and environmental impact brand created by and for menstruators, redefining periods with a line of natural, plastic-free, and sustainable menstrual products made from certified organic cotton and biodegradable materials.
Our Tip: Iris+ Arlo’s Sustainable Period Care Essentials make a meaningful holiday gift for anyone seeking to prioritize self-care and environmental impact. Enjoy 20% off with promo code M51.
What we appreciate: Iris+ Arlo transforms period care by prioritizing the planet and the people who use their products.
Loba - For wellness-focused planners
Loba tackles wellness routines with its smart pill organizer and companion app, designed to make supplement management both elegant and efficient.
Our Tip: The Loba At Home smart pill organizer is an exceptional holiday gift for health-conscious individuals.
What we appreciate: A beautifully designed organizer that integrates with modern technology, engaging daily health routines and promoting innovative solutions for better health.
LIFESTYLE GIFTS
BroodCare - For new parents
Brood Care is a modern care agency and community of birth workers, doulas, and parents, redefining family care by providing inclusive, accessible education and in-home doula services that support unique reproductive and life experiences.
Our Tip: A Brood Care Gift Certificate is a thoughtful holiday gift for expectant parents or new families.
What we appreciate: They build capacity for care workers and offer more support for families.
Natural Earth Paint - For artists in your life
Natural Earth Paint is dedicated to creating safe, sustainable, and vibrant art supplies for artists of all ages. Their products are crafted from natural earth and mineral pigments, ensuring a non-toxic, eco-friendly experience without compromising quality.
Our Tip: The Natural Earth Paint Kit is an excellent holiday gift for creative individuals, families, or educators.
What we appreciate: Providing toxin-free products and promoting health-conscious and environmentally responsible choices.
Fotostax - For those who love to capture moments
Fotostax brings instant photography to life with Fotostax Motion™, a handheld printer that creates high-quality 3D, motion, flip, and still photos directly from your smartphone. Made with modular, upgradeable design and recycled materials, it’s perfect for capturing and sharing memories sustainably.
Our Tip: The Fotostax Motion™ is the perfect holiday gift for anyone who loves blending creativity with technology.
What we appreciate: It’s a fun, modern way to share memories that truly stand out.
Better Basics - For eco-friendly home and self-care products
Better Basics is a Vancouver-based, female-founded company committed to reducing single-use plastic by offering eco-friendly home and self-care products.
Our Tip: The Ever Soap Dispenser paired with the Bliss Wash Hand Soap Refill makes a thoughtful holiday gift.
What we appreciate: By focusing on reducing plastic waste and using biodegradable or reusable materials, they make eco-friendly living accessible and elegant.
ALT-PRO Advantage - For those committed to their dog's health and the planet
ALT-PRO Advantage is revolutionizing pet nutrition by offering hypoallergenic, nutrient-rich, and sustainable dog food and treats powered by clean proteins. Their products are crafted using alternative proteins like insects, fungi, plants, and algae, providing complete nutrition without relying on traditional livestock or fish ingredients.
Our Tip: The Nose-to-Tail Wellness is an amazing holiday gift for pet owners.
What we appreciate: ALT-PRO Advantage's dedication to sustainability and innovation in pet nutrition.
GIFTS FOR CHILDREN
Fledge - For curious little learners
Fledge is pioneering the future of children's education and wellness by delivering research-backed mental health education through meaningful and interactive methods. Their platform offers gamified activities that foster mindfulness and emotional competency, empowering young minds to thrive.
Our Tip: A Fledge Annual Subscription
What we appreciate: By focusing on experiential learning and adaptability, they ensure that no child is left unheard, fostering resilience and emotional intelligence from an early age.
Small Bits of Happiness - To boost the mental health of your teen
Small Bits of Happiness is a teen-founded initiative dedicated to enhancing daily joy through practical tips, motivational content, and engaging activities. Their mission is to help individuals, especially teens, discover and cultivate happiness in everyday life.
Our Tip: The Mission: Small Bits of Happiness interactive game is an excellent holiday gift for teens and individuals seeking to build positive habits.
What we appreciate: Small Bits of Happiness is a burst of youthful energy in the mental wellness space.
GOURMET GIFTS
RICCI Cannabis - For relaxation
RICCI Cannabis is redefining social rituals with their cannabis-infused, non-alcoholic Italian-style beverages. Crafted to deliver a delightful drinking experience without the negative side effects of alcohol, their offerings include decadent flavors.
Our Tip: A RICCI Cannabis Beverage Sampler makes an exceptional holiday gift for those seeking a sophisticated, alcohol-free alternative.
What we appreciate: Their focus on crafting products that promote relaxation and enjoyment without the drawbacks of alcohol.
The Better Butchers - For plant-based food enthusiasts
The Better Butchers is revolutionizing plant-based eating with their mushroom-based meats, offering delicious and sustainable alternatives that satisfy both taste buds and environmental consciousness.
Our Tip: A Plant-Based Meat Sampler from The Better Butchers makes an excellent holiday gift for food enthusiasts and eco-conscious friends.
What we appreciate: The Better Butchers leads the way in sustainable food innovation by crafting plant-based meats from oyster mushrooms, with protein sources high in protein, iron, and fiber.
Silver Swallow - For lovers of luxurious beverages
Silver Swallow offers the world's first champagne-inspired non-alcoholic kombucha, crafted from rare white tea buds handpicked in Yunnan, China.
Our Tip: The Luxury Kombucha Blanc 3-Pack is an exceptional holiday gift for those who appreciate fine, non-alcoholic beverages.
What we appreciate: Luxurious, non-alcoholic options catering to a growing audience seeking sophisticated alternatives, ensuring that celebrations are inclusive and enjoyable for all.
Happy gifting! 🎁✨
The goal of The51’s Holiday Guide is to transform your gift-giving experience with intention and care, spotlighting extraordinary women-funded businesses within our community. Thoughtfully curated over the past year, each recommendation embodies the values we champion.
This guide is more than a collection of gifts; it’s a celebration of stories, innovation, and the power of supporting women-led ventures. Because the best gifts don’t just bring joy—they inspire meaningful connections and leave a lasting impression.