Wednesday, November 26th 2025

Lise Birikundavyi, CFA

Managing Partner of BKR Capital

Lise Birikundavyi is the co-founder and managing partner for BKR Capital, the first institutional, black-led VC fund in Canada. Lise is an innovative finance specialist who has worked with several international institutions and acts as guest lecturer for prestigious organization, including Oxford University and the International Olympic Committee Accelerator managed by the Yunus Sports Hub. She began her career in the hedge fund industry in Montreal and her interest in mixing attractive financial returns with long term societal impact is what inspired her to transition to the impact finance sector.

SFWF - Opening Address - 8:00am EST

Jean-Marc Mangin

President & CEO of Philanthropic Foundations

Jean-Marc has been President & CEO of Philanthropic Foundations Canada since 2019. He currently sits on the Government of Canada’s Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector, the Advisory Council for Carleton University’s Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (MPNL) program, and the management committee of PhiLab, the Canadian Philanthropy Partnership Research Network. Prior to PFC, Jean-Marc led a renewal process of the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, the largest national organization of Canadian researchers and scholars as its Executive Director.

SFWF25 - Virtual Fireside - 9:00am EST

Systems Thinking & Sustainable Finance Panel -10am EST (Virtual)

Indra Sarju is a Senior Analyst at SecondMuse Capital, an impact and innovation company that invests in businesses and real estate. Sarju works on the Future Economy Lab team, which focuses on issues like gender and racial equality, climate change, and education.

Indra Sarju

SecondMuse Capital

Maryam Mohiuddin Ahmed

Founding Director of the Social Innovation Lab PHD in Sustainability Management

Maryam is a former human rights lawyer, serial social entrepreneur and social innovation evangelist. Her work and research centers ‘dialogues of wisdoms’ and explorations around alternate ways of knowing, doing and being to decolonize systems change. Maryam believes in enabling innovators to trigger transformative change in themselves and their communities, and through that process co-create more equitable, regenerative systems. Maryam previously co-founded the Social Innovation Lab, a social innovation ecosystem builder in South Asia and Daftarkhwan, a series of co-working spaces in Pakistan, alongside starting a number of impact focused initiatives over the last decade.

Kristin Richard MBA,

Impact Fund Manager EntrepreNorth

Kristin is currently the Impact Fund Manager at EntrepreNorth, where she focuses on reimagining how capital is offered to entrepreneurs in ways that resonate with Indigenous worldviews, values, and ways of life. Her work is deeply rooted in upholding good relationships, ensuring community responsibility, practicing land respect, and promoting economic reciprocity.

Wayne Miranda

Wayne is working towards building a community-led, place-based fund to flow capital to underserved communities in Toronto. Wayne was previously the Founder and CEO of Growth Mosaic, a ‘Best for the World’ B Corporation in West Africa putting to work US$26+ million across 140+ impact ventures in 3 countries, now exited to community under Mirepa Capital. Wayne has experience in social innovation and social finance from the nonprofit, social enterprise, philanthropic, public policy-making, and private sectors.

Director, Social Finance and Impact Investing at Definity Foundation

Mr. Dipo Alli is the executive director of the Black Business Ventures Association (BBVA), a non-profit that works to Discover, educate and mentor Black entrepreneurs. The BBVA serves as a bridge between the Black community and the technology ecosystem by connecting talents Black founders and entrepreneurs to tech and business curriculum, coaching and community, thereby increasing diversity in the tech and innovation ecosystem and positively influencing economic growth and development. The BBVA offers ideation and accelerator programming to provide support to both existing and aspiring Black entrepreneurs.

Founder of the Black Business Ventures Association

Dipo Alli

Following the Canadian fall economic statement of 2018, Jillisa started her journey in the Social Finance and Social Innovation sectors through her work as the Director of Community Engagement at Social Economy Through Social Inclusion (SETSI). Jillisa’s ecosystem mobilization work raised awareness within the community about the Investment Readiness Program (IRP) and the Social Finance Fund (SFF). Through her work at SETSI Jillisa expanded her skills through the development and facilitation of capacity-building sessions, mentorship incubators, community consultations, roundtables, focus groups and anti-racism training.

Jillisa Brown-Appiah

CEO of Funding Impact

Jess Tomlin

CEO of Equality Fund

Jess Tomlin is a social entrepreneur who has unleashed more than a $1 billion in new funding for human rights movements across the course of her career, working with politicians, leading philanthropists, business leaders and activists across the globe. As CEO of the Equality Fund, she has helped build a global fund that supports feminist movements at the frontlines of driving social change in over 100 countries. She has worked across Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Jess was a 2020 Women of Influence and the 2017 Stevie Awards Innovative Woman of the Year.

SFWF25 - Virtual Fireside Chat With Jess Tomlin at 11:15 am EST

Upkar Arora

CEO Of Rally Assets

Upkar Arora is a seasoned organizational leader and board director with a proven track record of delivering results. He is committed to systems change to create a more just and equitable society, using financial, human and social capital. Upkar is currently the CEO of Rally Assets, Canada’s leading impact investment management and advisory firm. Rally is a purpose-driven organization, and an award-winning B Corporation, committed to using business as a force for good. Prior to Rally he worked in finance and leadership roles with some of Canada’s most successful organizations for more than 25 years – building, operating and advising companies of varying sizes, stages and sectors, domestically and globally, private and public.

SFWF25 - Virtual Fireside Chat With Upkar Arora at 2:00pm EST

Aatif Baskanderi

Chief Executive Officer, The Northpine Foundation

Aatif Baskanderi is the CEO of The Northpine Foundation, one of the largest private philanthropy foundations in Canada funding to unlock opportunities for Canada’s most underinvested and underserved communities. He is the Co-Founder of Salaam B’y, an anti-racism education initiative built with his wife and health equity physician advocate, Dr. Nazia Sharfuddin, based on a documentary film about his life growing up as a Muslim Newfoundlander. The film has toured internationally, including with the United Nations, screened at over 20 film festivals, won multiple awards and Aatif’s interfaith efforts were recognized by Queen Elizabeth II by being the third Canadian to be awarded Her Majesty The Queen’s Commonwealth Points of Light Award.

SFWF25 - Virtual Fireside Chat With Aatif Baskanderi at 3:30pm EST

Eric Agyemang

Founder & Managing Partner at Maple Bridge Ventures

Eric is the Founder & Managing Partner of Maple Bridge Ventures, an early-stage VC firm that invests in and champions bold, resilient, and visionary immigrant founders in Canada. A recipient of the Top Forty Under 40 Award in 2024, Eric brings over 15 years of expertise as a global trade finance executive, seasoned board director, and dedicated community leader. Before founding Maple Bridge Ventures, Eric spent nearly a decade at Export Development Canada (EDC), where he helped Canadian companies with revenues up to $100 million expand successfully into foreign markets and spearheaded EDC’s strategic partnerships with Canada’s leading innovation hubs, startup accelerators, and networks.

SFWF25 - Virtual Fireside Chat With Eric Agyemang at 4:45pm EST

Thursday, November 27th 2025

Conferences in Canada Dialogue & Deliberation Panel at 9am EST (Virtual)

Brad Offman is a management consultancy specializing in corporate-charitable partnerships and philanthropic advisory services. He is the former Senior Vice President, Strategic Philanthropy at Mackenzie Investments, former President of the Mackenzie Investments Charitable Foundation and Managing Director of the Mackenzie Charitable Giving Fund. Prior to joining Mackenzie, Brad served as Vice President, Development at the Toronto Community Foundation.

Brad Offman

Ryan O’Neil Knight

Anouk Bertner

Anouk has worked in social enterprises, non-profits, and sustainability for the past 15 years. She loves to tackle complex problems with system thinking to tease out new win-win solutions. Anouk is currently the Executive Director of EcoEquitable, a female-centric organisation that works primarily with vulnerable and visible minority women. EcoEquitable is the recipient of the United Way’s 2018 Community Builder of Year Award in Poverty to Possibility and the 2019 Best Performance in Social Entrepreneurship by the Best of Ottawa Business Awards.

Ryan has built multiple businesses over the last 10 years and spends a great deal of his time leading and mentoring young entrepreneurs. After starting Detailing Knights, a mobile waterless car cleaning company, Ryan was able to launch his first youth entrepreneurship program called Knighthood Academy. Knighthood Academy was designed to help underestimated youth in the community develop their leadership skills through an entrepreneurship bootcamp.

Founder and Managing Partner of Spire Philanthropy

Executive Director of Future of Good

Executive Director Of ACBN

Amanuel Melles

Louise Adongo

Louise Adongo is a bold and grounded leader with 15+ years' experience in systems change, policy, evaluation, strategic planning and governance. She is founder of Caprivian Strip Inc (CSI) and a co-steward with the Transition. She brings care and intention to uncovering the roots of tangled problems; enabling shifts to greater resilience, sustainability and impact. She believes that co-creating more nimble, transparent and creative institutional spaces is key to the reinvention that we have learned through our most recent pandemic that we all need.

Amanuel melles (aman) is the Executive Director of the Network for Advancement of Black Communities (NABC) at York University and Principal of Aman Consulting. He brings more than 25 years of senior management experience and expertise in settlement and immigration, community health, community development, community peacebuilding, funding and philanthropy. aman held various senior roles with OCASI, Lawrence Heights Community Health Centre, Family Service Toronto and United Way Toronto (UWT).

Principal Consultant at Caprivian Strip INC

Executive Director of the Network for Advancement of Black Communities (NABC)

André Vashist

Director Of Learning, Philanthropic Foundations Canada

I am a facilitator of multi-stakeholder and complex collaborations that support an inclusive, sustainable and resilient community through work with Pillar Nonprofit Network as the Director of Social Innovation. We are learning how to support initiatives that facilitate adaptive and meaningful collaborations between government, academic, business, finance and nonprofit sectors, such as: Women of Ontario Social Enterprise Network, Libro Social Enterprise Incubator, VERGE Capital, Impact Consulting and CityStudio London.

Community Impact Bonds Panel at 11:00am EST (Virtual)

Amma Lartey

CEO of Impact Investing Ghana

Amma is CEO of Impact Investing Ghana an initiative to mobilize $1billion in funds for impact investing in Ghana and West Africa. She is co-founder and board chair of Social Enterprise Ghana (SE Ghana), the association for organizations in the social enterprise sector in Ghana. Social Enterprises are businesses that are set up to solve a social or environmental problem. SE Ghana supports its members to grow their businesses, works to increase funding for social enterprises, advocates for policy and action by government and other stakeholders and conducts research to inform policy and action. She is a board member and led the Africa region of Reach for Change - a Venture Philanthropist that runs accelerators, incubators and hubs for social enterprises in key growth markets including Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia Rwanda, Tanzania, DRC and Chad.

SFWF25 - Community Impact Bonds Panel at 11:00am EST

Suzanne Faiza

Knowledge Lead at Tapestry Community Capital

Suzanne Faiza is an urban planner and community finance practitioner and researcher based in Montreal, Canada. As Knowledge Lead at Tapestry Community Capital, she builds practical tools and insights to strengthen community-driven finance models, such as community bonds. Suzanne works to create partnerships that empower local organizations to achieve their goals and unlock new opportunities for investment and growth. Previously, Suzanne served as the Project Coordinator for Fairbnb Coop Canada and supported grassroots efforts through Coming Together Vancouver, a mutual aid initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is committed to fostering innovative, results-oriented solutions that promote sustainable economic development and community self-reliance.

SFWF25 - Community Impact Bonds Panel at 11:00am EST

Julia Grady

Co-Founder of 10C shared Space (10C)

Working with long-term community benefit as her core purpose, Julia has led 10C through nearly 15 years of innovation, expanding into new project areas and providing a voice for valuable community content – and action. Julia is passionate about connection, community building, placemaking and demonstrating the linked potential of social finance and social enterprise, as 10C continues to explore locally relevant changemaking projects. Using design thinking practices, she likes to make connections between multiple problems that might align to possible solutions, and enjoys seeing systems in complex multi-layered ways.

SFWF25 - Community Impact Bonds Panel at 11:00am EST

Presentation at 1pm EST (Virtual)

This presentation will articulates the business and macro cases for EO - including profit-sharing - in SSA, as well as opportunities, challenges, a legal review, case studies, emerging best practices, and other useful guidance. At the heart of the playbook is a belief that EO has the potential to build more inclusive and resilient economies, not only in markets like the US, Canada, and the UK, where EO is gaining traction, but also in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), where wealth concentration and economic inequality remain deeply entrenched challenges across and within countries. The African continent has only 1.2% of the global wealth, but 16.7% of the global population. The richest 0.0001% in the continent own 40% of the continent’s entire wealth. The largest and strongest economies in SSA are also the most unequal. By giving workers a direct stake in the businesses they help build and sustain, EO offers a transformative pathway toward long-term prosperity, improved business performance through aligned incentives, and stronger, as well as more resilient communities and international relations.

Co-Founder & Executive Director, Predistribution Initiative

Delilah Rothenberg

Presentation on the Investor Playbook on Employee Ownership (EO) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)

Catalytic Capital in Canada Panel at 2:00pm EST (Virtual)

Wendy Cooper

Graham Singh

Graham is Relèven’s founder and CEO. For the past 20 years, he has specialized in working with closed churches, including as a Priest in the Anglican Church in England and Canada. He is a regular speaker and author in areas of urbanism, social finance, heritage, adaptive re-use of churches and social purpose real estate.

Experience in mission-aligned investing, philanthropy, non-profit organizational growth and development, relationship management, and collaboration. My past work has focused on a number of areas including land conservation, Indigenous youth leadership, freshwater health, climate resilience, local sustainable food systems, and toxic elimination.

CEO of Relevan

Drangon Fly Ventures

Adam Spence

CEO, Co-Founder and Director of Social Venture Connexion (SVX)

Adam Spence is the CEO, Co-Founder and Director of Social Venture Connexion (SVX). Adam helped startup VERGE Capital, the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing, B Lab Canada, the MaRS Catalyst Fund (now Amplify Capital), and the School for Social Entrepreneurs – Ontario. He was Executive Director of the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) and he led a number of higher education and training organizations. Adam has spoken to audiences across the country on issues related to education, poverty, and impact investing and he has been featured in numerous media outlets, including CNN, TVO, CTV, CBC Television and Radio, BNN, Forbes, GlobalTV, the Toronto Star, the Financial Post, and the Globe & Mail

Credit Unions, Philanthropy & Social Impact in Canada Panel at 3:30pm EST (Virtual)

Genesa Greening

Susan Henry

Susan Henry has over 25 years’ experience working with underserved, underrepresented individuals and communities. Her passion and dedication focus on the foundation of “Financial Inclusion for all”. Susan was instrumental in leading the launch of Alterna Savings’ award-winning Community Microfinance Program and the Community Loan Funds Partnership Programs. Since its inception in 2000, over $9.9 million in loans have been disbursed, directly improving the economic participation of underserved communities and groups such as BIPOC, new and racialized Canadians, women, and others who face barriers to financing.

Genesa is an unapologetic feminist and social justice advocate at her core. She has committed her 25-year career as a leader in the non-profit sector to catalyzing community change, sparking innovation, and developing deep and lasting relationships that will see our communities transformed. As the CEO of the Vancity Community Foundation Genesa has been tasked to facilitate systemic change by leveraging the Foundation’s assets to address the disproportionate impacts of a lack of affordability and climate change on communities pushed into the margins.

Director of Community Impact & Financial Inclusion at Alterna Savings

CEO of the Vancity Community Foundation

Keith Taylor

Executive Director, DUCA Impact Lab

Keith Taylor is an Executive Director, DUCA Impact Lab at DUCA Financial Credit Union based in Toronto, Ontario. Keith received a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Francis Xavier University and a Master of Business Administration from York University - Schulich School of Business Founded in 1954, DUCA Financial Credit Union is a Canadian credit union that offers services such as Personal, Business and Commercial banking. DUCA is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Jay-Ann Gilfoy

CEO of Meridian Credit Union

Jay-Ann Gilfoy joined Meridian as President & CEO on January 3, 2022. She is focused on leveraging Meridian’s unique value proposition to transform the business, achieve its winning aspiration and secure its future. In collaboration with the Board and senior management, she is responsible for articulating the organization’s strategy and delivering on its purpose on helping Members and customers achieve a better life, while growing the business. Jay-Ann’s wealth of business transformation, social impact and leadership expertise has been cultivated over more than 20 years as a senior executive in a broad range of roles and experiences in the private and public sector, and co-operative financial services.

SFWF25 - Fireside Chat with Jay-Ann Gilfoy, CEO of Meridian Credit Union at 5pm EST

Friday, November 28th

Jess Housty

Co-lead of the Right Relations Collaborative

Cúagilákv (Jess Housty) is Co-lead of the Right Relations Collaborative, a parent, writer, and community organizer from the community of Bella Bella, Canada. They bring their life experience and mixed settler and Heiltsuk ancestry to bear on work related to food security, land-based healing and education, and community-led social change. Jess is the parent of two Heiltsuk children and is privileged to raise them on the land and in their culture surrounded by their extended Heiltsuk family and non-human kin.

SFWF25 - Fireside Chat with Jess Housty at 8am EST

Kim Hardy

Co-lead of the Right Relations Collaborative

Kim Hardy is a settler of Scottish and Northumberland ancestry living in the homelands of SENĆOŦEN speaking people (North Saanich, BC, Canada) where she Co-lead's the Right Relations Collaborative. With roots in community and co-op development, Kim has worked boldly at the intersection of philanthropy, investments and Indigenous communities for the last 25 years. An Integrated Capital Practitioner, Kim works with money holders, change makers and community organizers to collaborate around and activate capital towards a just economy. Kim values learning/unlearning, correcting conventional power dynamics and cultivating awareness and healing in the financial service sector towards equity and ecological resilience.

SFWF25 - Fireside Chat with Kim Hardy at 8am EST

Future of Philanthropy Panel at 9am EST (Virtual)

Liban Abokor

Duke Chang

Duke Chang is the President and Chief Executive Officer of CanadaHelps, the country’s largest online platform for donating and fundraising. Duke is leading CanadaHelps’ efforts to transform how Canadians support charities, ensuring organizations of all sizes can thrive in a digital-first world. With a dedication to innovation, he is working to enhance CanadaHelps’ technologies to make charitable giving easier, faster, and more impactful, while helping charities grow their fundraising and advance their digital transformation journeys.

Liban Abokor is a non-profit executive with over 15 years of experience in developing high-impact initiatives in education, employment, healthcare, housing, and social service.  He is presently the Managing Director of Reimagine LABS, a social innovation lab that assists social and public sector organizations evolve their strategic goals into well-designed programs. He is also a co-author of the report Unfunded: Black Communities Overlooked by Canadian Philanthropy, which highlighted the inequitable funding of Black communities by Canada’s philanthropic sector.

President and Chief Executive Officer at CanadaHelps

Co-Founder of Foundation for Black Communities

Jane Rabinowicz

President and CEO of McConnell Foundation

Jane Rabinowicz was named president and CEO of the McConnell Foundation in August 2024. Jane has served as Chief Program Officer at the Foundation since 2021, supporting partners taking action on climate change, reconciliation and Indigenous leadership, and working to decrease systemic barriers faced by equity-deserving groups. Prior to joining McConnell, Jane worked in nonprofit organizations for 20 years, primarily in the fields of seed and food sovereignty. She held leadership roles with organizations including Santropol Roulant, Equiterre and SeedChange, and has extensive governance experience on the Boards of Directors of the Clean Economy Fund, the Foundation of Greater Montreal, MakeWay, Centraide du Grand-Montréal, and others.

AI & Social Impact Panel at 11:00am EST (Virtual)

Lynnsey Chartrand

Tamar Huggins

Tamar Huggins is a Canadian tech entrepreneur, author, and educator, based in Toronto. She is a trailblazer for diversity, equity, and inclusion in tech education and pioneered the development of the Black tech ecosystem in Canada. Tamar is an accomplished multi-hyphenate who has made significant contributions to the field of technology. Tamar’s passion for innovation and technology became evident early as she watched her father build computers from scratch without formal computer engineering experience. Throughout her life, she has embraced challenges, pushed boundaries, and carved a path of excellence for herself.

Lynnsey works with Branches in Enrolment Services as its advisor for Indigenous initiatives, including the IMPRESS program. In this capacity, she is committed to working collaboratively to increase access and remove barriers to higher education for Indigenous students. Prior to working with Branches, Lynnsey spent six years doing policy work within the innovation sector, including on issues related to equity, diversity and inclusion within higher education. Lynnsey’s background is in Sociology, where she specialized in citizenship, nationalism and state violence. In particular, Lynnsey's research focused on the state's use of education as a tool to inculcate Indigenous and African American students into their citizenship roles.

Indigenous Projects Manager at MILA

Deepa Chaudhary

Founder of GrantOrb

Deepa works at the intersection of technology, nonprofits, and fundraising. She has navigated the entire spectrum of the grant process, from writing winning proposals to allocating grants. Having raised millions in grants from prestigious foundations, including Rockefeller, Ford, Salesforce, Filecoin, Lien Foundation, and the Government of Singapore. Previously, she worked with the Salesforce Foundation and co-founded United Way Mumbai.

CEO of Tech Spark AI

Michelle Baldwin

Alex Tveit

Alex Tveit has nearly two decades of experience in the private equity sector in Canada. During his time as an active day-to-day partner, he led three main divisions which included advances of close to $2B, working closely with entrepreneurs and organizations across virtually any sector and funding vehicles, both in Canada and internationally.During the same time, he mentored and ran a growth accelerator focusing on scale-up with several national partners such as Futurpreneur, BDC, Dentons, and Spin Master, for close to 6 years.

As a social innovator whose personal mission is to be a community connector, Michelle is passionate about connecting people and organizations. Michelle believes in the collective power of networks and cross sector collaboration to create change. Michelle has been in her role as Executive Director of Pillar Nonprofit Network where she founded and collaborated to create Innovation Works, a shared space for social innovators and VERGE Capital, a social finance program for Southwestern Ontario . She is currently a faculty member in the Governance, Leadership, Ethics program at Huron University College. Michelle recently participated in a Reflective Practice & Research Fellowship in her role at Pillar focused on reflection, strategic projects and capturing the evolution and network approach of the organization.

Senior Advisor, Transformation At Community Foundations Of Canada

Norman Valdez

Director, Technology and Design, Marketing and Communication at CERIC

An experienced web designer, graphic designer and online community manager, Norman Valdez oversees the websites, social media strategy and IT infrastructure for CERIC. He is the co-founder of Vivid Design, a brand identity design firm, and has taught at the University of Toronto and Sheridan College for the Communication Culture and Information Technology (CCIT) program. He is also an avid blogger and is passionate about a range of topics like social media, politics, health, psychology, philosophy and others. Norman holds an HBA in Communications, Culture and Information Technology with a specialization in Digital Enterprise Management and an MA in Information Systems.

Co-Founder and CEO of Sustainable Impact Foundation,

Aunnie Patton Power

Academic (Oxford, LSE), Author (Adventure Finance), Advisor (The ImPact, BEAM network, Jumo, Nyala Venture), Angel Investor (Dazzle), Founder (Impact Finance Pro)

Aunnie Patton Power is the founder of Intelligent Impact, a technology for social impact advisory firm, and a university lecturer on Innovative Finance, Impact Investing and Technology for Impact. At the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School, she holds the title Associate Fellow as well as Entrepreneur in Residence at the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship. At the UCT GSB she holds the title Adjunct Faculty as well as Senior Advisor to the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She is also a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics’ Marshall Institute.

SFWF25 - Virtual Firside Chat - Friday, November 28th at 1:00pm EST

Alasdair Maclay

Managing Director of GSG Impact

Alasdair was the Director of Strategy at the Rhodes Trust from 2014-2019, leading on over £300m of philanthropic fundraising, driving international expansion across Africa and Asia, and building strategic operating partnerships. He has over 20 years’ experience in financial services, with a focus on emerging markets investment. After joining CDC, Alasdair spent over a decade at Actis, the emerging markets private equity fund manager. He previously worked for Sovereign Capital, the UK private equity firm, and Bain and Company, the global consulting firm.

SFWF25 - Virtual Firside Chat - Friday, November 28th at 2:00pm EST

Virtual Fireside on Entrepreneurship Through Acquisitions at 3pm EST

Scott Stirrett

Founder and CEO of Venture for Canada

Melizia Mensah

Managing Director of Sisters in Solidarity

Coro Strandberg

Chair and Cofounder of the Canadian Purpose Economy Project

Coro Strandberg, President of Strandberg Consulting, is an influential social purpose and sustainability / ESG strategist and thought leader. Coro is a Canadian trailblazer and visionary in marketplace innovation to advance social, environmental, and financial progress and has contributed to the evolving field of social purpose and sustainability for more than 35 years. She works with boards, businesses, governments, and industry associations to create strategies and pursue business models to solve society’s problems and address social and environmental risks and opportunities that propel society towards a sustainable future. She is a Cofounder and current Chair of the Canadian Purpose Economy Project, and a Cofounder of the United Way BC Social Purpose Institute.

SFWF25 - Virtual Firside Chat - Friday, November 28th at 4:00pm EST

Saturday, November 29th

Shady Hafez

Programs Manager At The National Association Of Friendship Centers

The National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) is pleased to announce the promotion of Shady Hafez to the role of Programs Manager. Mr. Hafez is Algonquin Anishinabe from Kitigan Zibi Anishnabeg and has worked at the NAFC on both research and program files, most recently as the Special Projects Advisor working on Infrastructure and the Investment Readiness Program. Shady is also a PhD student in Sociology at the University of Toronto, and a Research Fellow at the Yellowhead Institute. Hafez will focus on moving the Programs teams projects ahead as we grow and continue to provide the best support to the Friendship Centre Movement. "Shady has been a valuable member of the Programs team since 2019.

SFWF25 - Fireside Chat - Saturday, November 29th at 11:00am EST

Philanthropic Asset Management Panel at 1:00pm EST (Virtual)

Alia Abaya

Carla Leon

Carla Leon is an innovator. When approached with the opportunity to become part of Just Like Family Home Care, she spearheaded the first social acquisition by charities in Canada. With her vision, JLF has been transformed into a Social Enterprise, with the majority of profits going to charities. During her career, Carla has provided leadership, coaching, mentorship, and education to thousands of entrepreneurs and small business owners—experience she brings to Just Like Family Home Care. She strives to make a social impact, transforming home care across Canada for franchise owners and the families they support. She holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from University of British Columbia.

Alia Abaya is a highly collaborative and strategic leader with expertise in the areas of community development, social finance, and cross-sector and stakeholder engagement. Ms. Abaya is passionate about improving social and economic inclusion through initiatives that capture emerging opportunities while maintaining operational integrity. Her work is currently focused on Affordable Housing as the CEO of Circle Community LandTrust. Ms. Abaya comes to Circle with over a decade of leadership experience acquired in both the not-for-profit, and financial services sectors.

CEO, Circle Community LandTrust

Crystal Thompkins

Director, Strategic Impact Crystal at Daylight Advisors

A Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® and Certified Specialist in Planned Giving with over 20 years of experience in planned giving program management, Crystal brings a depth of expertise in nonprofit and family legacy planning. Crystal most recently served as Head of Philanthropic Solutions for BNY Mellon Wealth Management leading the national strategy and thought leadership for the firm’s philanthropic businesses. Crystal was the direct manager of the planned giving business responsible for the administration and organizational support of over 100 national nonprofit planned giving programs, leveraging her extensive experience in charitable tax preparation, operations, and fiduciary services.

President & CEO of Just Like Family Home Care

Cathy Taylor

CEO of the Lawson Foundation

Cathy Taylor (she/her) is an experienced leader whose belief in the power of networks and passion for public policy has translated into over 30 years of work and advocacy for nonprofits and charities locally, provincially and nationally. Cathy joined the Lawson Foundation as President and CEO in April 2024. She previously served as the Executive Director at the Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN) for 12 years, before which she was the founding Executive Director of the Volunteer Centre of Guelph/Wellington.

Entrepreneurship & Impact Investing Panel at 3:00pm EST (Virtual)

Melisa Ellis

Rusul Alrubail

The founder and Executive Director of Parkdale Centre for Innovation. I founded Parkdale Centre in 2017, a leading not-for-profit incubator and accelerator on a mission to create a more inclusive innovation economy for underestimated entrepreneurs. Parkdale Centre supports early-stage entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups, such as women, newcomers, and racialized communities, to start and grow their businesses, and since then has supported over 1500 entrepreneurs and community members. With over 10 years of experience in education, writing, and community engagement, I have a passion for creating opportunities and pathways for diverse and talented individuals to access the innovation, tech, and entrepreneurship sectors.

Melisa Ellis is an award-winning philanthropist, technology professional, and the Founder & CEO of Nobellum Enterprise, a social and technology enterprise with a mandate to support the startup of at least 100 Black-owned businesses in STEM by 2025. In recognition of her amazing work, Melisa was recently awarded the BMO Black Tech Community Builder of the Year and “Alumni of the Year” by the University of Toronto Scarborough.

Executive Director of Parkdale Centre for Innovation

Founder and CEO of Nobellum

Alfred Burgesson

Founder and CEO of Tribe Network

Alfred Burgesson is the founder and CEO of Tribe Network, an organization that supports Black, Indigenous and people of colour who are pursuing entrepreneurship. Born in Ghana and raised in Nova Scotia, Alfred is a thoughtful leader who enjoys social entrepreneurship and is passionate about building bridges between people, places and ideas. Alfred’s unique talents include convening leaders, and an ability to launch grassroots movements and coalitions while utilizing digital tools and technology platforms. Alfred is an active leader in the Halifax community and is passionate about entrepreneurship, youth engagement, and employment. Burgesson has experience advising local community groups, non-profit organizations, and government/crown corporations and he’s been an advisor to many leaders in Canada, including the Prime Minister, Senators, and First Nation Chiefs.

Olu Villasa

Sarah Juma

Sarah Juma is a serial entrepreneur and champion for diversity and inclusion. While developing StyleID, a mobile app that identifies items worn and seen on screen, she discovered a severe lack of programs, mentors and support that took into account her unique perspective as a woman of color. She therefore launched Innovate Inclusion to advocate for the economic success of tech talent and entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities and was recently honored as one of Canada’s top 25 Women of Influence.

Olu Villasa is the manager of the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance, a nonprofit business incubator with the mission of amplifying and advancing the next generation of Black entrepreneurs and professionals. Olu has over ten years of professional experience in community planning and local economic development, leading several innovative projects that address economic inclusion, building community infrastructure and supporting the growth of minority-owned retail businesses.

Founder & Director of Innovate Inclusion

Program Manager Of The Black Entrepreneurship Alliance (BEA)

Brad Andrews

Social Impact Investor at UCeed

Brad provides support for Innovate Calgary’s social innovation portfolio. This work includes the development and delivery of impact-focused programs for students and researchers, as well as engaging with stakeholders to help develop the local ecosystem. Brad works to support ventures at all stages of the innovation process, and challenges them towards providing real impact in the community.

Linda Best

Founder of FarmWorks, Chair Friends of Agriculture in NS, & Medical Microbiologist

Linda Best grew up on a farm in the Annapolis Valley. Since graduating from Acadia University in 1966 she has been involved with the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Halifax as a Medical Microbiologist (1966 – 1995), Medical Researcher and author of peer-reviewed Gastroenterology papers and presenter at Research Conferences (1995 – 2012) and as a Director of the Capital District Health Authority (2001 – 2005). For twelve years she operated Alderbrook apple orchard on weekends while working at the hospital. She founded Frame Plus Art which grew to three stores, a production facility and 10 employees. She served as a Director of Sutton Gardens Condominium Corporation for twelve years.

SFWF25 - Fireside Chat - Saturday, November 29th at 5:00pm EST

Sunday , November 30th

Elena Yugai

Executive Director of the Table of Impact Investment Practitioners

Elena Yugai has served as an Investment Manager and Director of Advisory Services at Helder Ventures, an impact investment firm. She has lead incubation strategies and investment activities in immigrant, refugee and women-led social enterprises. Elena serves as a Strategic Advisor to Groundswell, Social Ventures Mentor at e@UBC serves as an advisor to SFU Radius Refugee Livelihood Lab, member of the Pacific Impact Investor Network, and has been named one of BC’s Most Influential Women in Tech – STEM Stars 2018 by BC Magazine for her work advocating for and supporting women in technology.

SFWF25 - Fireside Chat - Sunday, November 30th at 10:00am EST

Kayla Isabelle

CEO of Startup Canada

As CEO of Startup Canada, Kayla has dedicated her career to supporting entrepreneurs and is passionate about leveraging the power of storytelling in the business community, particularly for women entrepreneurs, as the host of the Startup Women Podcast. Kayla is also the Founding Executive Director of the Innovators and Entrepreneurs Foundation, Board Member at the Ottawa Board of Trade, Past-President of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Ottawa Chapter, and Board Member at StartUP Sault Ste. Marie. “I am honoured to have been selected as a recipient of the 2023 Changemakers award and to be amongst such great company with my fellow recipients,” says Kayla Isabelle. “Every day, I get to work with and hear from the incredible people that make up Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and be a part of the many changes being made to make Canada the best place to start a business.”

SFWF25 - Fireside Chat - Sunday, November 30th at 11:00am EST

Implementation of the Canada—Africa Strategy Panel at 1:00pm EST (Virtual)

Minerva Saddler Gray

Tapfuma Musewe

Tapfuma Musewe is a trade and investment executive dedicated to increasing the connectivity between African markets and other regions of the world. Having grown up a Canadian citizen, his passion led him to spend most of his working life across Africa. He began in community development, then pivoted to
entrepreneurship and established a couple of companies including a logistics company that moved. FMCG’s for a blue-chip company. He then worked in market intelligence, consulting multinational clients seeking to penetrate African markets.

With over 20 years of expertise in international development, strategic partnerships, and advocacy, I’ve ​focused on building alliances that drive transformative change. I ​specialize in resource mobilization, stakeholder engagement, and leading high-impact ​projects that shape policies and foster community development.
Throughout my career, I’ve consistently delivered measurable results in roles that ​require innovative ​solutions and cross-sector collaboration. My work spans global development, policy advocacy, government relations, and stakeholder engagement, t​transforming complex challenges into opportunities for ​meaningful social and economic progress.

Associate Director of Sustainable Finance at EYElliance

Partnership & Engagement Lead at One

Kenneth Oguzie

Founder of the Africa Canada Trade Investment Venture

Kenneth Oguzie is an International Trade Specialist, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, residing in Nova Scotia since 2014. Born in Nigeria, Ken considers himself a global citizen having lived in Asia, Europe, Africa and presently North America. A Masters graduate of Social Policy and Development from the London School of Economics, he is presently the CEO of Africa Canada Trade and Investment Venture (ACTIV), an organization which promotes international Trade and business between Canada and Africa, both within private sector as well as creating public sector collaborations. He is also the founder of ACTIV Research Strategy and Training Group, which focuses on business strategy development and corporate Diversity and Inclusion training as well as board Governance.

Affordable Housing & Community Land Trusts in Canada Panel at 3:00pm EST (Virtual)

Cheryll Case

Tapfuma Musewe is a trade and investment executive dedicated to increasing the connectivity between African markets and other regions of the world. Having grown up a Canadian citizen, his passion led him to spend most of his working life across Africa. He began in community development, then pivoted to
entrepreCheryll Case is the Founder and Executive Director of CP Planning. Her interest is in bringing a human rights-based approach to urban planning and community-led solutions to improve access to housing and community space.Cheryll is the Founder and Executive Director of CP Planning, a Toronto-based non-profit that practices a human rights-based approach to urban planning

Founder & Executive Director at CP Planning

Isaac Olowolafe Jr.

Founder of The Dream Legacy Foundation

Isaac Olowolafe Jr. is the Founder and General Partner of Dream Maker Ventures (DMV) a Toronto based, early-stage venture firm. DMV Fund II, “The Diversity Fund” is the firm’s second fund that primarily invests in early-stage tech companies with founding teams inclusive of persons of colour, women, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ+, immigrant, refugee and indigenous entrepreneurs. Isaac is also an award-winning real estate entrepreneur, angel investor and philanthropist. Isaac’s corporation, Dream Maker Inc., successfully operates multiple divisions including a brokerage, real estate development, wealth management, property management, education, private equity and insurance.

Pedro Barata

President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada

Pedro Barata is the President & CEO, Habitat for Humanity Canada. He is a passionate and values-driven leader with two decades’ experience driving multi-sector collaborations that achieve solutions for communities. Prior to joining Habitat in 2024, Pedro was executive director of the Future Skills Centre, where he led the start-up of the national research impact centre and launched multi-sector innovation pilots across Canada. Previously, at United Way Greater Toronto, Pedro held senior roles in partnerships, research, policy, evaluation, public affairs, and communications. Often called on for his insights into building inclusive and equitable communities, Pedro has held numerous advisory roles locally and nationally, in innovation, housing strategy, income security and poverty reduction.

Omar Yaqub

Riaz J. Kara D

Riaz Kara, based in Ottawa, ON, CA, is currently a Vice President - Equity at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Société canadienne d'hypothèques , bringing experience from previous roles at Emploi et Développement social Canada (EDSC) / Employment and Social Development and Public Works and Government Services Canada | Travaux publics et Services gouver. Riaz Kara holds a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Economic History @ London School of Economics and Political Science. With a robust skill set that includes Organizational Development, Strategy, Management Consulting, Policy, Management and more, Riaz Kara contributes valuable insights to the industry.

IslamicFamily has been an integral part of Omar’s service journey. Omar has worked in non-profit management, global development and for-benefit consulting. He holds an MBA and BSc from the University of Alberta, where he also teaches Corporate Sustainability to MBAs. Before joining as staff, Omar played a key role in the development of IslamicFamily's youth program, and partnership development. He is proud to have worked alongside exceptional leaders who helped the organization expand to serve more people in more ways and more places.

Vice President, Policy @ Public Policy Forum | Former Exec @ GoC & СМНС

Servant of Servants at Islamic Family and Social Services Association (IFSSA)

Michael has over 30 years of experience creating innovative solutions to better support vulnerable people. Michael joined Blue Door in March of 2019 as CEO and has since helped launch Blue Door’s first employment social enterprise called Construct, three supportive housing programs including the first safe space for 2SLGBTQ+ youth in York Region, a national housing and homelessness podcast, a merger with Mosaic Interfaith Out of the Cold, and is currently executing a Solutions Lab in collaboration with SHS Consulting and Habitat for Humanity to explore the journey from homelessness to homeownership.

Michael Braithwaite

Chief Executive Officer of Blue Door

Social Value Bank Presentation at 5:00pm EST (Virtual)

Stephanie Robertson

Executive Director, SVC Board Member and Co-chair of Social Value International

Stephanie Robertson is Chair of the Board of Social Value Canada and CEO of SiMPACT Strategy Group. Throughout her career, she has lead the development of methods and tools to demonstrate the value of investment in community & society. Stephanie’s social value work connects her with leadership in the private, public and social profit worlds. Recent clients include Canadian corporations, all levels of government, and many inspiring social profit and social enterprise organizations.

Impact and Evaluation Virtual Presentation at 6:00pm EST

Neil Price

Co-Founder and Executive Director of LogicalOutcomes

Neil’s consulting practice focuses on strategic planning, stakeholder consultation and evaluation. Neil brings several years of extensive leadership in the higher education and non-profit sectors to his role. As a frequent writer and commentator on social and community issues, Neil’s writing has appeared in numerous publications.

Monday , December 1st

Marguerite Mendell, PhD

Distinguished Professor Emeritus, School of Community and Public Affairs

Marguerite (Margie) Mendell, who earned her PhD in Economics from McGill University (1983), has been teaching at the SCPA since 1986. Her current research and teaching are on the social economy in Quebec and internationally, social finance and impact investing, social innovation, the commons, economic democracy, and the work of Karl Polanyi whose influence continues to grow today Margie Mendell is participating in a growing international dialogue on innovative economic initiatives to reduce inequality and develop new collective forms of wealth creation through her participation at scholarly conferences and international meetings of the OECD, the European Commission, the Global Social Economy Forum (GSEF) and civil society gatherings

SFWF25 - Fireside Chat at 9am EST

Elena Yunusov

Executive Director, Human Feedback Foundation

I founded and run the Human Feedback Foundation, an ambitious Linux Foundation AI & Data nonprofit focused on the human input layer for open source AI, — for a more open and transparent AI future that respects and protects our shared humanity. I am an executive leader, marketer and community builder with a career that spans finance, entrepreneurship, public sector, and journalism. Experience includes: Head of Marketing at RBC Borealis (formerly Borealis AI, an AI research institute founded by RBC);

SFWF25 - Fireside Chat at 10am EST

Hanae Bezad

Director of Market Engagement

Hanae is an impact entrepreneur, international project manager, board advisor, and author of Being Other, a personal reflection on culture, gender, and identity. With a background in technology and a history of building vibrant tech communities, Hanae bridges innovation, social finance, and sustainable development to create transformative impact. She has worked across Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia, developing tech-enabled ventures that empower communities and advance inclusion. Her expertise spans government, international development, and civil society, with a focus on leveraging innovation, technology and finance to drive equitable growth.

SFWF25 - Showcasing the Social Finance Hub Presentation (Virtual) at 12pm EST

Brian Iler

Counsel & Former Partner at Iler Campbell LLP

I didn’t always want to be a lawyer. I was far more comfortable with the harder skills of math and science, and was well on my way to graduating as a civil engineer from the University of Waterloo. It was 1968, and like so many others, my life and goals changed in that year – fundamentally. The next year, I entered law school with two other friends. On our first day, we were the only long-haired students in jeans. Perhaps obsessively staying away from Bay Street law firms, I established a general practice on my own, doing whatever came in the door: criminal defence, civil litigation, union-side (and union-dissident) labour law, real estate, and corporate and commercial law.

SFWF25 - Fireside Chat at 1pm EST

Jehad Aliweiwi

Executive Director of the Laidlaw Foundation

Jehad Aliweiwi has been working in the public benefits sector for nearly 25 years. Before joining the Laidlaw Foundation in January 2014, he was the Executive Director of Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office, Regional Director of Catholic Cross-Cultural Services, Metro Region, and Executive Director of the Canadian Arab Federation. In all of these roles, he has been an advocate for inclusion, diversity and equity. He is passionate about building bridges between Canada’s oldest residents and its newest citizens. He strongly believes that the well-being of Canada rests with Indigenous Peoples and immigrants and refugees. In his work at Laidlaw, he is constantly inspired by young people’s ability to provide solutions to some of society’s seemingly intractable problems.

SFWF25 - Fireside Chat at 2pm EST

Louis-Edgar Jean-François, CPA, EMBA

Président-directeur general, Groupe 3737

Il est l'architecte et stratège derrière la réalisation et la mise en place de la vision des co-fondateurs du Groupe 3737. Son mandat est clair: pérenniser l'organisme. l est en voie de le réaliser: mise en place de la structure; établissement/confirmation de partenariats stratégiques; réalisation de collaborations réciproques; obtention de financements; et création/consolidation de sources de revenus autogénérés, etc. Ancien de Deloitte, Bombardier et RDS, il a fondé en 2009 une firme de comptabilité et services juridiques qui a connu, suite à son arrivée au 3737, une grande croissance en compagnie d'autres entreprises. Il veut aider d'autres à faire de même et favoriser la création d'emploi à grande échelle.

SFWF25 - Closing Keynote Address at 6pm EST