Chris Gilbert, digital studio

Seventeen sites,
one independent studio in Leduc.

Owner of Growth Catalysts and Connecting Alberta.

If you've ever gotten a website quote that made you gasp out loud, we should talk. I work mostly with nonprofits, faith communities, and small businesses where every dollar has a job.

Photographed at The Light House Cowork, Leduc
17
Live builds
75k
Monthly visits
9
Avg. perf. score
Creative Branding Online Reputation AI and Automations WordPress Engineering Custom Plugins Local SEO Creative Branding Online Reputation AI and Automations WordPress Engineering Custom Plugins Local SEO

The person you hire is the person doing the work. Always.

Chris Gilbert, owner of Growth Catalysts
Chris Gilbert · Leduc, AB
About the studio principal

Twenty years of websites,
one honest operator.

I hold an Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design from Fanshawe College and an Honours Diploma in Sales & Marketing from Westervelt College, and spent over a decade in telecom before turning full-time to the web. Growth Catalysts is the result: a solo studio where the person quoting the work, designing the brand, writing the code, and picking up the phone is the same person — me.

Work is quoted in plain language with honest scope. You own your code, your domains, and your data. No retainers unless you want one.

Education
Fanshawe College
Advanced Diploma, Graphic Design
Westervelt College
Honours Diploma, Sales & Marketing
LinkedIn growthcatalysts.ca chris@chrisgilbert.ca
How I work

Three things I won't compromise on.

01
Trust

Your code, your domains, your data.

You own every credential, every file, every line of code I write for you. If you host with me, you get full access to the hosting account, not a locked-down reseller panel. If we ever part ways, you walk away with a working site and a full handoff. No lock-in.

02
Purpose

Built for the work, not the awards.

I've turned down projects that weren't a fit and I'll tell you honestly if your idea doesn't need a new website. Every build starts with what the business actually needs to do, then the design serves that. Clients stay on because the work keeps earning its place.

03
Budget

Honest scope, in writing, before we start.

You get a fixed quote, a plain-language scope, and no surprises on the invoice. If the work grows, we talk about it first. No retainers unless you want one.

What clients say

In their own words.

I had the pleasure of working with Chris while building the Drop Force website, and I can confidently say he was a huge asset to the process. Chris is clear, responsive, and genuinely cares about getting things right — not just making something look good, but making sure it actually works for the business. He took the time to understand my vision, offered smart suggestions, and executed quickly without cutting corners.

If you're looking for a website designer who's reliable, detail-oriented, and easy to work with, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Chris.

Grant Finstad
Co-Founder & Managing Director, Drop Force
February 2026

I have benefited greatly from Chris Gilbert's knowledge and technical skills regarding website hosting, setting up an email server and his knowledge of WordPress. He has been understanding, flexible and generally great to work with. His knowledge of the industry is excellent, and he's well connected regarding options for add-on services. One of the things that I like most about working with Chris is that he has been very responsive when I have needed technical help.

If you are looking for somebody to develop or host a website with, consider working with Chris. I have no regrets regarding having chosen to work with his company on my projects.

Jeff Krehmer, P.Eng., FEC, CSWP
President & Chief Engineer, Big Time Engineering
December 2025

Chris has been an incredible support as I've been setting up my business. Through Growth Catalysts, he has helped me with all things tech-related and has consistently gone above and beyond to make the process smoother and less overwhelming. He is kind, caring, intelligent, and extremely helpful, with a genuine desire to see others succeed.

I highly recommend Chris and Growth Catalysts to anyone looking for reliable technical support, thoughtful guidance, and someone who truly cares about helping businesses grow.

Jodi Grant
Founder, The Virtual Redhead
December 2025
Read more recommendations on LinkedIn →
Live Currently shipping

The work, this month.

A running log of what's moving through the studio. Updated by hand, roughly weekly. No fluff, no filler.

  1. albertahistory.org
    Scoping a modernized web presence for Alberta's longest-running historical organization.
    New engagement
  2. bisonmoon.ca
    Deployed Kevin's dark-earthy Alberta tree-service site. Full RankMath local schema, stump grinding & tree removal pages live.
    Trades
  3. separationagreement.ca
    Clear Path calculator plugin v2.5.0 — folded three WPCode patches into plugin source, cleaned the waiver + PayPal terms flow.
    Active build
  4. growthcatalysts.ca
    Full RankMath PRO configuration with local business schema. Homepage pivoted to AI & automation-first positioning.
    Studio
  5. weddingsbypat.ca
    Pat's officiant site — sticky nav, mobile hamburger, Contact Form 7 with Honeypot Plus spam protection.
    Services
Last updated
Featured case study

Clear Path Separation & Divorce Mediation
separationagreement.ca

The problem

Clear Path needed a real self-service intake pipeline: prospects arriving cold, getting a transparent fee estimate, agreeing to terms, and paying a $299 DIY package or booking mediation, without a phone call in between.

The approach

Custom-built clearpath-calculator WordPress plugin (now v2.5.0) handles the fee logic and admin submissions. WooCommerce carries the checkout with a waiver system, ILA acknowledgment, and PayPal gated behind Terms. Eighteen active WPCode snippets manage the edge cases the plugin shouldn't own.

The outcome

A live, self-serve mediation platform running continuously since 2024. The fee calculator and WooCommerce funnel now operate without daily intervention, and the client is on an annual care plan with ongoing iteration and bug fixes as the business grows.

v2.5.0
Custom plugin
18
Active snippets
2.84k
Monthly visits
2yr
On care plan
Visit the live site →

All, 17

Start a conversation

Want to be
the eighteenth?

Honest scope, in writing. Plain-language strategy. Code you actually own. Located in Edmonton, serving Alberta and beyond.

What to expect from this form
A real reply.
I read every inquiry personally and reply within one business day. If your project's a fit, you'll get a rough ballpark in the reply — not a "let's schedule a discovery call" runaround.
Prefer to skip the form? chris@chrisgilbert.ca or (825) 445-0066.