Boosting Calgary is a passion and a key to Davis Yates’ success.
The high-energy Yates is co-founder and dynamo at Wrapped Media, the innovative, Calgary-based advertising agency specializing in high-impact, out-of-home campaigns, particularly by transforming gig-economy rideshare and delivery vehicles into mobile, wrapped billboards across Canada and the USA.
In the age of constantly evolving and transforming media, “vehicle wrap advertising,” utilizing cars from rideshare/delivery drivers to display brand ads is a growing popular advertising medium.
In addition to his successful Calgary-based business, Davis Yates is also an enthusiastic Calgary Foundation fundholder.
The Foundation nurtures a healthy, vibrant and caring community by inspiring philanthropy, supporting Calgary’s charitable sector and managing a permanent endowment to address Calgary’s current and future needs.
The Foundation connects donors with community causes, funds a wide range of charitable organizations and fosters strategic partnerships with fundholders and effective charities, making it possible to build a vibrant community.
It all relies on philanthropy and giving back. In 2024-25, the Foundation received more than $81 million in new contributions, established 81 new funds and granted $83.5 million to 1,313 Calgary charitable organizations.
“Especially in a community like Calgary, philanthropy is so important,” Yates says. “Particularly in Calgary, giving back is a basic of doing business.
“I think now more than ever it matters less and less where your business is located. All our buyers live in different cities and modern businesspeople are so good at working virtually. With that in mind, I think the things that make Calgary a great place to live also make it a great place to build your business.
“I work with many people, like a lot of DoorDash and Uber drivers, and I’’m consistently surprised with how close they live to the edge. What if more people could place a bet on themselves? What if more people didn’t have to think about just surviving? What if we gave people a bit more time and space to think about what they want to do in their lives? What impact could they make? Given the opportunity, people can do awesome things.”
As a driven and successful Calgary business leader, he notes that there are so many worthy causes and organizations in Calgary that it’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially trying to maximize philanthropic impact.
Recently, Yates has supported the Leftovers Foundation, the Calgary organization that rounds up extra food from grocery stores, bakeries and restaurants and distributes it to food banks, community kitchens and shelters; Calgary Wildlife, providing rescue and rehabilitation for injured and orphaned animals; and also donated to Calgary’s Movember campaign, the annual November program where participants (Mo Bros and Mo Sisters) raise funds and awareness for men’s health – specifically prostate cancer, testicular cancer and suicide prevention.
“The Calgary Foundation is so helpful, because, based on a donor’s interests, the Foundation can help connect select organizations and causes which have the highest impact.”
Davis Yates emphasizes that, as a business leader and a “fundholder,” the Foundation provides opportunities and a lot more confidence about giving back in Calgary.