Purposeful Movements : Building Strength from Within

Cody Gonsalves is the Founder and Head Coach of Purposeful Movements Ltd., an Indigenous-owned holistic health company based in Winnipeg whose mission is “to empower individuals, teams, and communities to prioritize well-being and lead by example.”

The organization delivers structured, year-round wellness systems that support physical, mental, and emotional health. Through fitness, nutrition, habit development, mindset coaching, and breathwork, Purposeful Movements serves youth, adults, Elders, leadership teams, organizations, and businesses using in-person, online, and hybrid models. As demand grows, the team is expanding with a vision of building sustainable systems that can support communities across the province.

Addressing the Root, Not the Reaction

Gonsalves believes one of the biggest challenges in today’s health and social systems is that they are reactive. “Support,” he says, “often comes only after crisis, burnout, addiction, or chronic illness, placing strain on already overloaded systems.” At the root of many of these challenges, he further explains, is our environment. Without consistent, positive, and supportive spaces, unhealthy patterns can take hold.

This understanding is deeply personal. After battling addiction for 15 years, Gonsalves turned his life around by changing his environment. “The gym changed my life,” he shares. Being surrounded by people committed to self-improvement gave him the structure, accountability, and encouragement he needed. That experience became the foundation for Purposeful Movements.

Empowering Communities

Today, the company is intentionally creating those same empowering environments, both in person and online, so individuals can access support before reaching a crisis point. Their work goes beyond traditional wellness programming : It focuses on building leadership capacity, employment pathways, and meaningful collaboration.

Purposeful Movements is developing opportunities for community members to become certified coaches, wellness ambassadors, and eventually social workers serving their own First Nations communities. Rather than relying solely on outside services, the organization emphasizes empowering local leaders to become part of the healing within their communities.

By collaborating with health departments, educational organizations, specialists, and private-sector partners, Purposeful Movements helps create integrated systems of support designed for long-term sustainability.

A Vision Measured in Lives Changed

The organization’s impact is already being recognized. Purposeful Movements is a recipient of the 2025 Visionary Indigenous Business Excellence Award through the University of Manitoba Asper School of Business.

With a goal of positively impacting over 22,000 lives by 2035, Purposeful Movements is aiming to build a scalable proactive wellness model, says Gonsalves. By strengthening environments, leadership, and community-driven support systems, they are helping communities heal from within.