Emma Gilchrist is co-founder, editor-in-chief and executive director of The Narwhal, an award-winning non-profit online magazine that publishes in-depth and investigative journalism about the natural world in Canada. The Narwhal is a pioneer of non-profit journalism in Canada and since launching in 2018, has grown from a staff of two to 26. In March 2021, The Narwhal became Canada’s first English-language registered journalism organization, which allows the organization to issue donation tax receipts. In 2024, The Narwhal won the Michener Award for its collaborative reporting with the Toronto Star that uncovered Ontario’s Greenbelt scandal.
Before co-founding The Narwhal, Emma worked at newspapers and magazines in the U.K. and Canada, including the Calgary Herald. She also spent four years working in the non-profit sector, where she learned the digital marketing and fundraising skills that have helped make The Narwhal successful.