Spotlight: Haven Movement Centre

Marissa is a mom of two little ones, and has a big passion for helping families grow and thrive through their children’s developmental milestones, and joy of movement.

Marissa has an extensive competitive dance, theatre, and AllStar cheerleading background. She fell in love with the foundation of movement that recreational gymnastics provides (and the families it serves) through early post-secondary jobs, and knew one day she wanted to start a business like this!

If Marissa is not at Haven (or deep in computer work), you can find her drinking coffee, at cross fit or the slopes, or with her kids!

Why did you decide to start Haven Movement Centre?

I recognized through a job that I had fresh out of high school, at a place called the Little Gym, that gymnastics as a foundational movement experience for really young babies and kids had so many benefits. Even as a young person, with no kids yet, I saw first-hand the benefits and the non-skill ones too- which impressed me even more. I knew one day I wanted to develop a program like that and serve a community of parents! And once I had my own kids, I had no doubts that I could do this successfully!

What are the most important things you want families to get out of Haven?

I want families to feel seen and heard. I want them to feel safe and cared for, and to see the value in what we offer no matter the program. I want them to have a variety of opportunities to move their body in fun and functional ways, and to provide an opportunity for parents to get rest and reset, while we jump around with the kids.

I want families to go out into their community and excitedly share about their experiences at Haven.

What are your goals this year with the business?

My goal this year is to dig deeper into community connections, and continue to grow the business with creative program expansion and collaboration. I also want to provide my staff with deeper training opportunities so that they can become even more valuable instructors!

Marissa believes in collaboration and cooperation for her business, and so does Little Words! That's why we will be sharing our opportunities and resources with each other, to make sure that families in the Lower Mainland have a chance to learn about the great programs that both businesses offer.

We plan on having some shared classes and events in the future, stay tuned!