Nonprofit Driven 2024: Speakers

Erin Kang (they/them, she/her)

MC

Erin is a facilitator, storyteller, and dreamer living in Tkaronto. For over a decade, Erin has been examining the relationship between people, place, and power through her studies, profession, and creative projects. She is the founder of Stories of Ours, a grassroots project which aims to deepen community, invite solidarity, and challenge dominant narratives through intentional acts of storytelling and art. As a convener at heart, they thrive in spaces of community-building and mutuality. Erin’s work lies at the intersections of anti-oppressive pedagogy, community collaborations, and creative arts.

Patty Krawec (she/her)

Becoming Kin: Defining social justice on stolen land

Patty is an Anishinaabe/Ukrainian writer and speaker belonging to Lac Seul First Nation in Treaty 3 territory and residing in Niagara Falls. She serves on the board of the Fort Erie Native Friendship Center and sings with the Strong Water Singers, a hand drum group. She is the cohost of the Medicine for the Resistance podcast and in November 2021, after three years of personal fundraising, cofounded the Nii’kinaaganaa Foundation with journalist Nora Loreto and Blackfoot activist Terril Tailfeathers. Nii’kinaaganaa challenges settlers to pay their rent for living on Indigenous lands and then disperses that money to Indigenous people and organizations who are building their communities in a variety of creative ways. Patty worked for a sexual assault crisis center for four years, supporting victims through the medical care and collection of evidence after an assault. Following that, she obtained a degree in social work and went on to work in child protection for 16 years where she was also an active union member and served on her union local’s executive for several years before taking an early retirement. Her work has been published in Sojourners, Rampant Magazine, Midnight Sun, Yellowhead Institute, Indiginews, Religion News Service, and Broadview. She posts podcasts and essays with some regularity on multiple substacks. Her book, Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future was published in 2022 by Broadleaf Books.

Susan Somogyi Wells (she/her)

Is it time for nonprofits to embrace artificial intelligence (AI)?

Susan is the chief executive officer of Family Service Ontario. She has extensive front-line and leadership experience, working in various roles within a large multi-service agency. Completing master’s degrees in both Social Work and Business Administration, Susan is committed to the application of standard business practices and strategies that align with social work values to optimize the public funds that support the well-being of families in Ontario. More recently Susan completed a certificate program in Critical, Creative, and Design thinking, to enhance her ability to innovate for the benefit of her sector. Susan is confident her lifeline dream of having a robot will come true with the advancements in artificial intelligence, robotics, and artificial general intelligence. Susan has been advancing her skills through self-directed learning and daily practice with the use of AI.

Devi Thomas (she/her)

Is it time for nonprofits to embrace artificial intelligence (AI)?

Named one of 2022’s Top Women in Communications and a 2023 Social Impact Pioneer, Devi is a visionary and go-to-market leader who has 20+ years of experience overseeing communications, global campaigns, nonprofit and tech for good marketing using data-driven market insights to help NGOs and nonprofits meet the challenges of operating today. In her new role, Devi is the global head of Nonprofit Community Capacity at Microsoft Philanthropies. She leads a team focused on listening, learning from and bringing together nonprofit communities. With her background in the nonprofit sector, you will often find Devi at the intersection of technology and purpose. She is a trained journalist who leverages the power of stories to share world-changing ideas. Devi serves on the Executive Board of Project Scientist, a nonprofit dedicated to guiding underrepresented girls to STEM careers.

Andrea Gunraj (she/her)

Building a collective narrative for Ontario’s nonprofit sector

Andrea Gunraj is Vice President of Public Engagement at Canadian Women’s Foundation and a recognized writer, speaker, and thought-leader. She holds over two decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, communication, and public education for social change. A passionate advocate for feminism and human rights, Andrea has worked across public and private sectors in areas of equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and policy and program development. Her experience spans areas such as gender-based violence prevention, gender equality and justice, housing and homelessness, law and public policy, equitable and sustainable economic development, and sexual and reproductive health. She is a trainer and published author and holds a Masters in Criminology from the University of Toronto.

Mike Perry (he/him)

Effectively activating advocacy that meets this moment

A lawyer and social worker by profession, Mike is Executive Director of the Institute for Change Leaders in Toronto which provides leadership, advocacy, and organizing training to people and organizations across Canada. Mike has been active in the not-for-profit sector for years, having served on numerous boards of directors. Mike is in demand for his advising on governance issues including past work with the Council of Canadians, the Human Rights Legal Support Centre, and Yale University. Mike is an alumnus of the public leadership program at Harvard where he is currently a teaching fellow. In 2023, Mike was elected to City Council for Ward 3 in his hometown Kawartha Lakes where he currently lives with his two young children Abigail and Gabe. Mike is a proud citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario.

Alica Hall (she/her)

Day one opening plenary: Dreaming what’s possible for nonprofits

Alica Hall has been working at the intersection of art, communications and community development for over a decade. As a leader with deep roots in the community, she has served as the Co-Chair of Pride Toronto, helping the organization expand its strategic and artistic infrastructure. She oversaw the expansion of the festival from 10-days to a month and led the development of the organization’s first strategic plan. Over the years, Alica has formalized her practice as a curator through community based spaces and partnerships. Her curatorial practice is driven by a desire to explore identity and power, excavate lesser-known stories and a commitment to expand visual narratives surrounding the Black experience. In 2018, she took on the role of Executive Director at Nia Centre for the Arts, a Toronto-based charity that supports and showcases arts from across the Black diaspora in Canada. In her time at the Centre, she has curated their first Art Fair, doubled the operating budget and raised $12-million in capital funding. In 2023, Alica opened the doors of the newly renovated Nia Centre for the Arts: a 14,000 sq. ft facility serving as Canada’s first professional, multidisciplinary Black arts centre. Located in historic Little Jamaica, the Centre is a gathering space for Black artists, young creatives and community to showcase, support and promote artistic traditions from Canada’s Black diaspora.

Linxi Mytkolli

Day one opening plenary: Dreaming what’s possible for nonprofits

Linxi Mytkolli is a leader in healthcare innovation, with over a decade of participatory research fuelling her commitment to community-driven change. At the helm of Patient Partnership & Knowledge Mobilization at Diabetes Action Canada, she has redefined patient engagement, transforming individual narratives into powerful catalysts for systemic change. As a first-generation Canadian and person with a disability, Linxi champions inclusivity and patient-led innovation with enthusiasm. Her multifaceted identity as a devoted family member and friend is as integral to her as her professional pursuits, infusing her advocacy with an approachable warmth that invites a reimagining of healthcare as a community to which we all belong.

Hayden King

Day one opening plenary: Dreaming what’s possible for nonprofits

Hayden is Anishinaabe from Beausoleil First Nation on Gchi’mnissing. Hayden is the executive director of Yellowhead Institute, an Indigenous-led research and education centre focusing on issues of policy, law and governance. Previously he taught at McMaster and Carleton Universities as well as the First Nations Technical Institute, held senior fellowships at Massey College and the Conference Board of Canada, and served in advisory roles to provincial and tribal governments and Inuit organizations.

Dan Kershaw (he/him)

Is it time for nonprofits to embrace artificial intelligence (AI)?

For more than ten years, Dan Kershaw has steered Furniture Bank through a transformative era, merging social enterprise, impact measurement, social finance and technology to convert surplus unwanted home furnishings into a force for ensuring over 125,000 families have the comfort and dignity of a furnished home. Embracing #AIForGood since 2022, he’s positioned the organization to harness AI, enhancing their reach and efficacy within the social sector. Kershaw’s approach insists on AI as a critical tool that underscores his belief that social sector organizations must urgently embrace AI to amplify their impact.

Raymond Applebaum (he/him)

Effectively activating advocacy that meets this moment

Raymond Applebaum graduated from the Ryerson School of Social Work. Raymond has worked in the Health & Community Support Service sector for over 40 years, primarily with seniors and persons with a physical disability. Prior to serving in his current role as CEO with Peel Senior Link since 1998, Raymond was a business owner of an independent consulting firm, and managed several local, provincial and national non-profit charitable organizations in the development and delivery of human services. Raymond continues his career developing effective partnerships and integrated care services, innovative programs, system enhancements, and collaborates to best serve the needs of the community.

Raymond lives in Kitchener with his wife. He enjoys playing golf, travelling, reading and spending time with family. He has 5 children, and 13 grandchildren ranging in age from 3 to 25 years.

Emma Asiedu-Akrofi (she/her)

Day two opening plenary: Exercising our agency to shape the future

Emma Asiedu-Akrofi is a dedicated advocate for women and girls, committed to addressing gender-based inequalities. She holds a degree in political science and sociology from the University of Toronto and has over 10 years of experience working in the charitable sector. She currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Fora: Network for Change. Prior to her role at Fora, she served as the Executive Director at the Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women’s Empowerment, a role she has successfully fulfilled since 2016. Emma’s professional expertise includes financial and operational management, strategic leadership, governance and compliance, revenue generation, project management, risk management, stakeholder engagement, as well as program development and implementation. As a Black Canadian woman of Ghanaian descent, Emma’s work is deeply rooted in an intersectional, anti-oppressive, and inclusive framework. She recognizes the importance of acknowledging and addressing the intersecting forms of discrimination and oppression that individuals face. Emma is committed to creating an inclusive and equitable society for all.

Naheed Mustafa

Day two closing plenary: Threats to an active and thriving democracy

Naheed Mustafa is an award-winning writer, broadcaster, and producer with a background in print, radio, television, and film. Naheed’s work has appeared in a variety of media in Canada and internationally including CBC Radio, Radio Netherlands, The Walrus, The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, and Toronto Life. From 2008 to 2013, Naheed covered the war in Afghanistan as both a writer and audio documentary maker. Since 2016 she has been a producer at CBC Radio’s Ideas working on both documentary and feature interview programs.

Jefferson Darrell (he/him)

How to be prepared to communicate when a crisis hits

Jefferson Darrell is among Canada’s earliest outliers in the IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility) arena; successfully driving positive change management for organizations since 2015 resulting in more diverse and inclusive teams, increased revenue, and/or new business opportunities. Jefferson is an accomplished marketing communications and change management professional with more than 20 years of brand strategy expertise, generating earned and owned media using both traditional and digital channels.

In 2017 he founded Breakfast CultureTM Inc., a full-scale, data-driven, tech-forward diversity, equity and inclusion, marketing & consulting Company. In the DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) space, Jefferson was instrumental in the creation of the Diversity Inclusion Anti-Racism Action Team at the Ontario Science Centre and in organizing its involvement in the world’s first “International Pride in STEM Day” on July 5, 2018. He also represented the Centre on the DEI Committee for the Canadian Association of Science Centres (CASC).

Claudia Dessanti (she/her)

Moving the needle on social change by building unlikely allies

Claudia Dessanti is the Director of Policy at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), where she leads a broad range of policy initiatives to support Ontario’s business community. Claudia founded and co-chairs the OCC’s Energy Policy Council, oversees the Ontario Economic Report, and leads work around environment, energy, data, regional economic development, procurement, housing, diversity and inclusion, and more. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, the Executive Management Committee of the Toronto Region Conservation Authority’s Partners in Project Green, and the Advisory Board for Innovate Cities. In previous roles, Claudia researched mortgage markets for National Bank Financial and measured social impact for Charity Intelligence. She has a Master’s degree from the University of Oxford and a BA from the University of Toronto.

Zahra Esmail (she/her)

Day two opening plenary: Exercising our agency to shape the future

Zahra is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vantage Point, a non-profit organization that focuses on strengthening the capacity of non-profits across BC. Zahra has worked in the non-profit sector for over 15 years with experience in international development, housing and homelessness, community development, youth entrepreneurship, fundraising, and microfinance. Zahra sits on a variety of non-profit boards and is the Chair of BC’s Poverty Reduction Advisory Committee, an independent committee that advises government on policy developments related to poverty reduction and prevention. She is also on the board of Lookout Foundation, Cuso International, and Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society. Zahra was recognized as one of Business in Vancouver’s Forty Under 40 in 2019. She gratefully resides on the traditional, ancestral, stolen, and unceded lands of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) peoples with her husband and school-age daughter.

Racquel Bremmer (she/her)

Untangling what it means to lead and connect intergenerationally

Racquel Bremmer is an immigrant, social justice activist who has been championing issues related to anti-oppression, anti-Black racism and stigma and their impacts on access to healthcare and other social determinants of health. She has worked for international non-profit organizations like the Jamaica and Norwegian Red Cross, as well as other non-profit organizations in Canada in the fields of education, settlement and immigration, community development, and healthcare.

Racquel has dedicated her career to serving 2SLGBTQ+, African, Caribbean and Black Communities, and immigrant communities and always ensures that the voice of the most marginalized is never absent from discussions that impact their lives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she mobilized mobile teams of clinicians to provide COVID-19 testing and vaccines distribution to low-income housing and shelters residents across Toronto in her role as the Clinical Manager at Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre.

Racquel currently holds the position of Outpatient Allied Health Lead at Casey House, Canada first and only HIV Hospital and recently received the Runner Up Award for the Individual Recognition at the inaugural Gilead Community Awards in Madrid, Spain in Nov 2023 for her contributions over the last 15 years in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Canada.

Johnny Misley B.P.E, M.H.K. (he/him)

Exploring the power of collectively negotiating funding agreements

Since 2015 Johnny has been leading operations and working closely with the Board of Directors as its Chief Executive Officer. A respected sports industry executive with over 30 years of professional experience who is inspired by the power of sport and the developmental process of playground to podium. Prior to his arrival at Ontario Soccer, Johnny served for 12 years as the Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations with Hockey Canada, leading Canada’s National and Olympic Teams at World Championships and Olympic Games. While with Hockey Canada he was a part of the management group of 14 Gold Medal Championship teams that included four Olympic Gold Medals and one Paralympic Gold medal with the men’s and women’s teams in 2002, 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Johnny also served as the Director of Technical Leadership for Canada’s Own The Podium program where he led the technical leadership strategy for Winter and Summer Olympic sports. In this multi-sport leadership role, he held close working relationships with organizations such as Sport Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Coaching Association of Canada, Canadian Sport Institutes, Canadian University Sport and all National Olympic Sport Organizations. Johnny also held the position of President with Canadian Tire Corporations’ Jumpstart Charities, a national organization that has helped over 1 million kids from across Canada get ‘in the game’ by offsetting the costs associated with sports and physical activity programs. Johnny attended the University of British Columbia and achieved his Masters of Human Kinetics (Sport Business Management) and Bachelor of Physical Education (Coaching Sciences) degrees. Johnny resides in Toronto with his wife, Teri and have two sons, Brayden and Bryce who both work in professional sports.

Cheryll Case

Advancing economic justice and building solidarity economies

Cheryll Case, is the Founder and Executive Director of CP Planning, a Toronto-based non-profit organization defining the practice of a human rights-based approach to urban planning. This includes the co-design and implementation of neighbourhood, city, and nation-wide planning strategies that have aligned for public, non-profit, and private sector organizations to invest millions of dollars into community-led solutions that uphold the economic, social, and cultural rights of marginalized people to have access to good housing, good jobs, and an adequate standard of living.

Cheryll has contributed in various committees and facilitated public discourse to advance professional planning practices. This includes serving as co-chair of the BSH Knowledge Mobilization Committee at the Canadian Housing Evidence Collaborative, on the advisory committee of the national network steering the development of a Black-led and Black-focused development technical resource centre, and previous roles as a member of the Urban Land Institute’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee, and as a member of the City of Toronto’s External Advisory Committee for the production of their 2020-30 Affordable Housing Plan. She co-authored and co-edited “House Divided”, and taught housing innovation at the Rotman School of Business and Waterloo University’s School of Architecture.

Her impact is recognized in her honour as the University of Toronto’s inaugural Early Career Canadian Urban Leader in 2022, in addition to recognitions from the Azure Magazine, Spacing Magazine, and the Jamaican Canadian Association.

Matti Siemiatycki

The lease is up! Now what?

Matti Siemiatycki is a Professor of Geography and Planning and Director of the Infrastructure Institute at the University of Toronto. His work focuses on delivering large-scale infrastructure projects, social purpose real estate development, and the effective integration of infrastructure into cities. His recent studies explore mixed-use buildings as a form of place-based infrastructure policy, transit policy, and the diversity gap in the infrastructure industry workforce.

Alexandra Whiteduck (she/her)

Advancing economic justice and building solidarity economies

Alexandra Whiteduck (she/her) is a First Nations woman from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg. She has just completed her undergraduate degree from the University of Ottawa in English and Biology. She is the CEO for Project Nibi. Her degree and volunteer work help her advocate in her job as Policy Analyst at the Assembly of First Nations in the Infrastructure and Water sector, to enable inclusive policy to help First Nations communities get access to safe and clean drinking water.

Aisha Francis

Exploring the power of collectively negotiating funding agreements

Aisha Francis is solidly rooted in her faith, her deep commitment to her family and her genuine love for people. She is a perspicacious leader who easily connects narratives, experiences, and ideas with structure, strategy, and systems to embolden agile business solutions and purpose-driven action. Her experience spans the corporate, charitable, and chosen (entrepreneurial) sectors.

In 2014, Aisha founded Project: Restore FIBI (Families Impacted by Incarceration), an organization that catalyzed a ‘family-first, family-focused’ approach to address the traumatic and collateral effects of incarceration on individuals, families, and communities across the Greater Toronto Area.

Recognized as one of 2020’s 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women, Aisha is currently the Director of Development and Communication at CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals. She also holds the position of Board Chair at Eva’s Initiatives for Homeless Youth.

Beth Jordan

Untangling what it means to lead and connect intergenerationally

Beth Jordan is one of the founders and a Co-CEO of There Management Consulting. With over 24 years of leadership experience, Beth is a sought-after management consultant, strategist, facilitator and speaker, who is recognized for her ability to effectively lead organizations and large groups to an understanding and achievement of their common goals. She is a strategic thinker and skilled organizational developer who has collaborated and consulted with local, provincial, national and international non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) on a range of organizational development issues. Beth has successfully secured over $15 million in major capital and service expansion funds for her clients. She received honourary credentials from George Brown College in 2021, is the recipient of the 2005 YWCA Toronto Women of Distinction Award for Social Justice and the 2006 Premiers Award. Beth currently sits on the board of Inter Pares, a Canadian social justice organization working in Canada and around the world to support people’s struggles for peace, justice, and equality.

Britt Hudson (they/them)

Day one opening plenary: Dreaming what’s possible for nonprofits

Britt is an Afro and Indo-Caribbean community developer with over 10 years of experience in program design, content creation and community-based facilitation. Currently, Britt is the Manager of Programs at the Enchanté Network, a national network connecting and supporting over 200 pride centres and 2SLGBTQI+ service providers across Canada.

They are passionate about creating equitable environments for BIPOC, 2SLGBTQI+ and people living with disabilities. Their work is grounded by the experiences and knowledge shared by Black people across the diaspora, especially on topics such as Queer liberation, and Indigenous spiritualities. Throughout the years, Britt has worked within various sectors focusing on disability justice, faith formation, decolonization and reconciliation.
When they are not working, Britt enjoys exploring the outdoors, playing basketball and cultivating Queer joy.

Adriana Beemans

Advancing economic justice and building solidarity economies

As Inclusive Local Economies Program Director at the Metcalf Foundation, Adriana works closely with community partners to support long-term strategies that enable economic dignity and prosperity for low- income people and communities in Toronto. In 2023 Adriana received a ‘Bousfield Distinguished Visitorship in Planning’ as a Professor of Practice in the University of Toronto’s Department of Geography and Planning. Adriana brings extensive experience in community development, capacity building, and program innovation to her role. Prior to the Foundation, she was the Director of Programs & Services at Working Women Community Centre, and Social Investment Fund Manager at Toronto Community Housing. Before moving to Toronto, Adriana worked with the Aga Khan Development Network in Pakistan and UN-Habitat in Afghanistan.

Myrtle Sodhi

The Well: Moving towards the center of ourselves in a concept rooted in Kongo cosmology

Myrtle Sodhi is a Canada Graduate scholar and PhD candidate at York University in the Faculty of Education. She is an artist, writer, and researcher. Her research focus is Black feminist thought, Indigenous African thought, research-creation and their application in re-designing systems within institutions and organizations. Through her work with community organizations, she has conducted civil engagement arts-based research projects. Visit www.myrtlehenrysodhi.ca to learn more about her work.

Ginelle Skerritt

Untangling what it means to lead and connect intergenerationally

Ginelle Skerritt, an executive with over 30 years of experience in the non-profit sector is the Chief Executive Officer of York Region Children’s Aid Society.  Previous roles include Regional Director of UNICEF Ontario, leadership roles at The Neighbourhood Group, United Way of Greater Toronto, Tropicana Community Services, and on Boards and Committees throughout the GTA. She is an initiate in the Akan Rites of Passage tradition and a published author on the topic of traditional savings and credit associations, ROSCA’s.

Sree (she/her)

Day one opening plenary: Dreaming what’s possible for nonprofits

Sree (she/her) is the Co-Executive Director of the Toronto Neighbourhood Centres, a network of multi-service organizations dedicated to strengthening local neighbourhoods to advance equity and a healthy life for all. She holds a long-standing commitment to social justice through community development and participatory filmmaking work, reflected in her collaborations with a broad range of organizations including Sakshi Human Rights Watch in India, the Arab Jewish Community Center in Jaffa, the Community TV Network in Chicago and Native Child and Family Services Toronto. Her work focuses on supporting movement building and research in the areas of equity and belonging, reimagining leadership, and community-led community development practices. She also serves on the International Federation of Settlements and Neighbourhood Centres Board of Directors and works as a field documentarian for Mobilizing for a Research Revolution, a global health research team working to ensure LGBTQIA+ inclusion in Asia.

Suzanne Faiza, Knowledge Lead, Tapestry Community Capital

The lease is up! Now what?

Suzanne is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto’s Masters of Science in Planning. As Knowledge Lead, Suzanne researches community bonds and their application. In particular, Suzanne works to scale the use of community bonds by building awareness of the model through knowledge mobilization, translation and generation. She also works to build the necessary partnerships that help support knowledge mobilization and generation. Outside of Tapestry, Suzanne loves to sing, weave, climb and bike.

Brian Iler, Board Chair, Hugh’s Room Live

The lease is up! Now what?

Brian is a cofounder of Iler Campbell LLP, a community organizations activist, cofounder of the Northwind Folk Festival, and music lover who has played an integral part in bringing back Hugh’s Room Live.