June is National Indigenous History Month and June 21st is National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada. This is an important time to centre Indigenous voices and seek out opportunities to unlearn the incomplete narratives many of us have been taught about Indigenous peoples and communities. At CivicAction, our work is centred in the region we […]
ELN Spotlight: The Ontario Election
Calling all rising leaders—the Ontario election is coming up on June 2nd, where we will select the next provincial government! The election period is an important opportunity to reexamine the most pertinent issues impacting the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and Ontario, including education, the environment, housing, healthcare, and more. As emerging leaders, we […]
ELN Spotlight: Aleem Punja
Meet Aleem Punja, a dedicated ELN member who sits on the ELN Executive Committee and works with the Aga Khan Council for Canada. In this month’s Spotlight, Aleem talks about what guides his leadership journey, his commitment to living a purpose-driven life, and his love for Toronto. My name is… Aleem Punja I was born […]
Toronto’s turning some of its offices into housing. Advocates say it’s a ‘model’ for other governments
Council unanimously approved plans on Wednesday to modernize city real estate Published on CBCWritten by Vanessa Balintec City experts and housing advocates are applauding a move by Toronto council to change the way it manages city-owned buildings — and they’re hoping other cities and governments follow suit. On Wednesday, councillors unanimously passed the next phase of the city’s plan […]
ELN Spotlight: International Women’s Day
March 8th marked International Women’s Day, an important opportunity to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, girls, and gender diverse people across the globe. This year’s theme urged all of us to #BreaktheBias by promoting a gender-equal world where everyone can live free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. To mark this […]
ELN Spotlight: Julius K. Lindsay
Meet Julius K. Lindsay, ELN member, Director, Sustainable Communities at the David Suzuki Foundation and co-founder of the Black Environmentalist Alliance. Julius is passionate about equity and climate action and is a man of many hobbies. Learn more about him through our Spotlight Q&A. My name is… Julius K. Lindsay I was born in… Toronto, […]
Fellows in Focus: Jaskaran Sandhu
In January 2022, CivicAction Project Officer Maddie sat down virtually with Jaskaran Sandhu, 2019 Fellow, Public Affairs Consultant with State Strategy and Co-Founder of Baaz News, to talk about storytelling, power, and responsibility, as well as staying connected to community in challenging times. You were part of the 2019 DiverseCity Fellows Program. What were the […]
ELN Spotlight: 2022-2023 ELN Co-Chairs
Meet Anowa Quarcoo, Meryam Al-waadh, and Wes Iqbal, the 2022-2023 Co-Chairs of the Emerging Leaders Network. With three new leaders at the helm of the Network, we asked them a few questions to learn more about their work, passions, and what makes them excited about the ELN. Meet Anowa Quarcoo My name is… Anowa Quarcoo. […]
ELN Spotlight: Future Proof Me
This November marked yet another successful ELNstudio, and, for the first time ever, ELNstudio went virtual! ELNstudio: Future Proof Me brought together ~100 rising leaders from across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) for two days of engaging workshops, panels, networking sessions, and solution building, with the goal of future proofing our leadership skills to build a more inclusive and resilient region. On November 20th, we kicked off the first day of ELNstudio with some inspiring […]
CivicAction launches Transform Leadership campaign to catalyze an inclusive economy across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area
The organization launched a multimedia campaign to focus on the need for economic inclusion for Indigenous, Black, and racialized leaders across the region November 30, 2021 – Toronto, ON Today, as part of #GivingTuesday, CivicAction launched Transform Leadership, a multimedia campaign featuring diverse rising leaders from across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) as […]
ELN Spotlight: Six Takeaways on “Running for Office”
On October 27th, the ELN was joined by The Samara Centre for Democracy, a campaign strategist, and a panel of elected officials for an engaging discussion to give rising leaders the inside scoop on what you should know before running for political office. If you missed it, you’re able to watch the recording here. We’ve also compiled a list of our six key takeaways if you’re considering […]
Fellows in Focus: Ish Aderonmu
How would you describe your Fellows experience? What were the biggest take-aways for you both during and post-program? In a word: challenging. Just like the rest of the world, our cohort was learning how to take a traditionally in-person experience and make it digital. All our programming was done through Zoom. This had its difficult moments for […]
Future Proof Me: The ELN Podcast
The ELN is excited to announce the launch of Future Proof Me: The ELN Podcast! This four-part series co-hosted by 2020-2021 ELN Executive Committee member Meryam Al-Waadh and 2018-2019 ELN Executive Committee member Alyssa Lai explores how to future proof your leadership skills and prepare for times of uncertainty. The Emerging Leaders Network aims […]
CivicAction Leadership Foundation appoints Layth Ashoo to the Board of Directors
The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area-based non-profit announces changes to its Board’s leadership September 27, 2021 – Toronto, ON Today, the CivicAction Leadership Foundation is pleased to announce that Layth Ashoo, Partner, Maverix Private Equity, has been appointed to the Foundation’s Board of Directors. “As we work together to recover from COVID-19 and build a […]
Make Sure Your Voice Is Heard: Vote.
Rising Leaders Take On the 2021 Federal Election With a federal election right around the corner, and advanced polling starting today, we know that rising leaders will play an important role in shaping the future of our country – by voting in the upcoming federal election and encouraging those in our communities to do the […]
ELN Spotlight: 2020-2021 Executive Committee
The 2020 – 2021 ELN Executive Committee is a team of passionate, inclusive, and collaborative rising leaders who have volunteered their time over a two-year term to grow the impact of CivicAction’s Emerging Leaders Network and support fellow rising leaders across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). With applications now open for the 2022-2023 […]
ELN Spotlight: Camilo Garay
Camilo Garay recently joined CivicAction as the Senior Manager of Development. A DiverseCity Fellow alum, he brings a commitment to building a more inclusive region that values diverse leadership and provides a platform for all stories to be heard. How would you describe your 2020 Fellows experience? What were your biggest take-aways during the program and now as […]
ELN Spotlight: Pride Month
June is Pride Month, a time for members of the 2SLGBTQ+ communities to reaffirm their identity, celebrate their culture, and commemorate the past. For allies, this is also a time to educate yourself on the diverse lived experiences of people in these communities, learning ways to breakdown systemic barriers and discrimination that still exist today. […]
ELN Spotlight: Rohit Goenka
Meet Rohit Goenka, an emerging leader whose journey has taken him from Kolkata, to Winnipeg, to Toronto. His volunteer and professional work has led him to support thousands of students in pursuing their educational journeys and equip millions of Ontarians with financial safety. As a newer Torontonian and ELN member, Rohit reflects on what he […]
5 Key Takeaways from Digital Dish with Brampton Civic Leaders
On March 31st, 2021, the ELN brought together a panel of civic leaders from Brampton to discuss the city’s current and future priorities as it looks to not only recover from COVID-19 but build back better. The panel featured: Jaipaul Massey-Singh, Moderator: 2020 CivicAction DiverseCity Fellow and Principal at Aurora Strategy Group Gwyn Chapman: Senior […]
ELN Spotlight: Simone Samuels
Simone Samuels joins Civic Action as the inaugural Director of Inclusion. She brings with her almost a decade of experience working with youth and marginalized communities. Before joining Civic Action, Simone was the Director of Outreach at the Ontario Justice Education Network a non-profit that delivers public legal education to vulnerable young people. To learn […]
Spotlight on Black Rising Leaders
This Black History Month, we’re spotlighting some of the incredible Black rising leaders within our network to showcase the work they do, the leaders who have inspired them throughout their leadership journeys, and what it means to be a Black rising leader at this moment in history. Keep reading to meet nine incredible leaders! Alicia […]
CivicAction Leadership Foundation launches “Under the Influence” campaign to raise awareness of sex trafficking in Canada
TORONTO, February 22, 2021 – Today, on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, CivicAction hopes to educate young people on the signs of unhealthy relationships. Sex trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes in Canada, yet many Canadians still do not understand the issue. In a 2020 survey conducted by CivicAction, a majority of Canadians […]
Speakers Spotlight: 2021 ELN Snowcial
On January 28th, 2021, we’ll be welcoming eleven inspiring rising leaders to the virtual stage at our annual ELN Snowcial to share PechaKucha talks on the theme of inclusive cities. Scroll down to learn more about their leadership journeys and get a sneak peak of their presentation. Excited to tune in to their talks? Join […]