Steven Ayer is the CEO of Common Good Strategies, a social impact research firm based in Kitchener, ON. He is a social strategist, data scientist, and public speaker. Combining his extensive management & social impact experience, Steven leads projects that bring a wealth of knowledge & networks to clients seeking strategy and research support. Steven is the author of dozens of reports on the nonprofit sector, revenue development strategies, and social issues like affordable housing, precarious work, food insecurity, and mental health. He is a professor in the Non-Profit & Social Sector Management program at Seneca College where he teaches strategy and financial management.
Andrew Chunilall joined Community Foundations Canada in 2013 and became CEO in 2017, following a six-year tenure as Vice-President of Finance for the London Community Foundation and his long-standing service as a finance and regulatory expert for Canada’s philanthropic milieu. Now at the head of the community foundation movement, Andrew is working closely with the Community Foundations of Canada Leadership team, Board and foundations in Canada and abroad to help the philanthropic sector transform, innovate and meet the new challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. An increasingly active public speaker, Andrew is helping raise awareness for how the philanthropic sector’s convening power, leadership and action around targets such as the Sustainable Development Goals can help Canadian communities reach their full potential.
Dr. Megan Conway loves sparking creativity, curiosity and capacity across teams, organizations and networks to mobilize social change. With twenty years of diverse leadership roles in government and the charitable, voluntary and academic sectors. Dr. Conway earned her PhD at the University of Waterloo in Urban Planning with a focus on community development and scaling social innovations across sites and scales.
Megan Conway is the President and CEO of Volunteer Canada and serves as an Executive in Residence at Capacity Canada and as a Fellow at Carleton University’s School of Public Administration and Policy where she leads international research on charitable sector capacity building and place-based change. Megan loves the snow and any chance she can to get on to a bicycle. She lives with her husband and two young children in the Ottawa Valley.
Dr. Wendy Cukier is the founder and academic director of the Diversity Institute, which has 130 full-time staff and more than 200 partners. Based at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University, she is also a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation with a PhD in information systems. She leads the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub and is the Academic Research Director for the Future Skills Centre. The co-author of the bestseller, Innovation Nation: Canadian Leadership From Java to Jurassic Park, her research on digital adoption, innovation, and equity, diversity and inclusion has helped shape policy and practice. As an ecosystem partner with Canada’s 50 – 30 Challenge, the Diversity Institute develops tools for SMEs to promote inclusive work environments and reduce barriers for equity-deserving groups. Her work has been widely recognized: She was named one of 100 alumni who shaped the century by the University of Toronto and has received two Harry Jerome Awards, a Women of Influence Award and a WXN Top 100 Most Powerful Women award.
Julie is a strategic and purpose-driven leader who is passionate about connecting people in a meaningful way to the brands and causes they support. As the General Manager, Donor Services & Brand Marketing, Julie brings a diverse background in marketing, communications and fundraising to support Canadians on their philanthropic journey and drive much-needed donations to charities that are working everyday to make our world better. Julie’s experience in the non-profit sector has centered on causes she’s passionate about and covers both the client and agency sides.
Emma Asiedu-Akrofi is the CEO of Fora: Network for Change and 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. Most recently, she served as the Executive Director at the Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women’s EmpowermentEmma’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. Her wide range of skills and comprehensive understanding of these areas enable her to effectively navigate complex challenges and drive sustainable change within an organization.
Nick is a Partner in Boyden’s Social Impact Practice. He recruits executives and Board Directors for a wide array of mission-driven and public-serving organizations including universities, hospitals, charitable organizations, and social enterprises. Nick is frequently called upon to lead or support searches with an EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion) focus.
Nick has led searches for a wide array of not-for-profit organizations including Toronto Foundation, Black Opportunity Fund, TIFF, Gardiner Museum, Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, Canadian Film Centre, Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario, Canadian Medical Association, YMCA of Greater Toronto, Mackenzie Health Foundation, and many others.
Born and raised in Toronto, Dave entered the executive search field in 1997 and has successfully placed senior-level candidates with a wide variety of organizations across a broad spectrum of the not-for-profit sector. Leadership driven and impact focused, Dave is often sought out as a source of information for those interested in a career in the not-for-profit sector. Well connected, Dave builds relationships with a long-term view for the advantage of clients and candidates alike. With over a decade of experience in board governance roles, he continues to serve as a volunteer Board member and Board Chair in the sector.
Charlotte is a fundraiser and digital native with more than a decade of experience in communications and fundraising. She’s a strategic thinker with a mind for integrating offline and online tactics to create cohesive donor journeys that generate exceptional results. As a partner at Good Works, she’s worked with charities of all sizes and causes to raise funds from annual and legacy donors. Charlotte is a co-author of ‘You Can’t Take It With You: The Art & Science of Legacy Fundraising’ (2019), a regular on the conference circuit, and pronounces ‘GIF’ with a hard ‘G’.
Janine Manning (she/her) is Anishinaabe and a member of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation (Neyaashiinigmiing, ON). Janine’s paternal community is Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point. Janine identifies as urban Indigenous as she was born and raised (mostly) in Toronto. She now lives and works in her maternal traditional territory of Saukiing Anishinaabekiing in Owen Sound, ON.
Janine is the Executive Team Lead of Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund. She is driven by a personal social impact mission of promoting wise practices in philanthropy, grant-making, and fundraising with Indigenous people and communities. Teaching of humility, abundance, and reciprocity, guide her work.
Wen-Chih O’Connell is passionate about bridging the gap between the charity and corporate worlds to leverage the strengths of each toward positive community impact. As the Executive Director and President of PayPal Giving Fund Canada, she is working to increase funds raised online for Canadian charities by partnering with tech companies (such as PayPal, Meta, GoFundMe, Twitch, and others) to integrate giving opportunities into their platforms and make giving part of everyday life. Wen-Chih has over 20 years’ experience in the charitable space that ranges from implementing grassroots community projects as a Peace Corps Volunteer, to developing and refining fundraising, partnership and community investment strategies for nonprofits, multinational corporations and large grantmaking foundations. She recently joined the rest of her family in becoming a Canadian citizen, and loves to eat yummy food and spend time with her partner and two sons.
B.A., LL.B, TEP, Trademark Agent – Managing Partner of Carters Professional Corporation, Mr. Carter practices in the area of charity and not-for-profit law, and is counsel to Fasken on charitable matters. Mr. Carter is a co-author of Corporate and Practice Manual for Charitable and Not-for-Profit Corporations (Thomson Reuters), a co-editor of Charities Legislation & Commentary (LexisNexis), a contributing author to The Management of Nonprofit and Charitable Organizations in Canada, 5th Edition (LexisNexis), co-author of Branding and Copyright for Charities and Non-Profit Organizations, 3rd Edition (LexisNexis). He is recognized as a leading expert by Lexpert, The Best Lawyers in Canada and Chambers and Partners. Mr. Carter is a former member of CRA Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector, and is a Past Chair of the Canadian Bar Association and Ontario Bar Association Charities and Not-for-Profit Law Sections
Trish is an accomplished award-winning entrepreneur, diversity & inclusion strategist, mentor, board professional, author, speaker, and a local government elected official. Her unique journey is rooted in her educational background and impressive early career in microbiology & embryology, combined with her extensive experience as an entrepreneur and Consultant. She is the Founder and CEO of Synergy Executive & Boards Consulting Group, a pan-Canadian diversity-oriented consulting company which specializes in Executive and board recruitment, Board Governance Training and EDI consulting. Synergy is committed to helping companies attract and retain BIPOC talent, create brave, safe and inclusive spaces as well as build diverse, world-class management teams through exceptional talent and solutions.
Ratna Omidvar is an internationally recognized voice on migration, diversity and inclusion. She came to Canada from Iran in 1981 and her own experiences of displacement, integration and citizen engagement have been the foundation of her work. In April 2016, Ms. Omidvar was appointed to the Senate of Canada as an independent senator representing Ontario. Senator Omidvar is the Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology and served as Deputy Chair of the Special Senate Committee on the Charitable Sector. She is a Vice-President of the Canada-Germany Parliamentary Group.
Senator Omidvar is a Director at the Century Initiative, a Councillor on the World Refugee and Migration Council, a Founding Committee Member of Lifeline Afghanistan and and Chair Emerita for the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council.
Ratna Omidvar is an internationally recognized voice on migration, diversity and inclusion. She came to Canada from Iran in 1981 and her own experiences of displacement, integration and citizen engagement have been the foundation of her work. In April 2016, Ms. Omidvar was appointed to the Senate of Canada as an independent senator representing Ontario. Senator Omidvar is the Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology and served as Deputy Chair of the Special Senate Committee on the Charitable Sector. She is a Vice-President of the Canada-Germany Parliamentary Group.