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 […]
Fellows in Focus: Vani Jain
From Toronto to Montreal and back again, 2011 DiverseCity Fellow Vani Jain‘s leadership journey had many twists and turns. In her recent return to Toronto, Vani is taking on the role of founding Executive Director at The Daymark Foundation where she will be seeking positive community impact in the areas of mental health and food security. In this “Fellows in Focus” profile, read about how Vani’s life […]
The ELN Top Ten: Highlights of 2020
You may be thinking: highlights and 2020 in the same sentence?! Despite a challenging year in so many ways for all of us, the ELN has done our best to make the most impact we could. And boy, was there impact! We launched new programming, hosted thirteen events, and brought hundreds of rising leaders to […]
3 ways to get involved in #GivingTuesday in the GTHA!
by Nicole Danesi, Communications Lead with the ELN Executive Committee and Associate Manager of Donor Marketing with CanadaHelps Following the retail rush of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, GivingTuesday is a day celebrating generosity and giving in all forms. On December 1st, 2020, millions of Canadians and people around the world will come together (while […]
ELN Spotlight: Leslie Woo
From founding member of the ELN, to the new CEO of CivicAction! We’re so excited to be welcoming Leslie Woo, a respected leader with over 25 years of experience building sustainable communities and shaping urban growth, to the team. Learn more about Leslie and her city-building journey. My name is… Leslie Woo I speak (other […]
Fellows in Focus: Kendra Kerr
Reflections on allyship and anti-racism conversations Kendra Kerr is a member of the DiverseCity Fellows 2020 cohort and Manager, Partnerships and Projects at MLSE Foundation. The world is changing. The activism we are seeing today through massive social media campaigns (#blackouttuesday), or countless brands releasing statements calling for racial justice, or even the significant demonstrations […]
DiverseCity Fellows: An Open Discussion on Anti-Racism
On June 6th, CivicAction held a space for 2020 DiverseCity Fellows to discuss the ongoing issues of systemic racism in our region. It was an exercise in vulnerability, active listening, empathy, and critical thinking on subject matter that often can be uncomfortable and difficult to address. The Fellows session focused on how diverse leaders are […]
Real Talk on Anti-Black Racism in the GTHA
On June 18, the Emerging Leaders Network (ELN) Co-Chairs Letecia Rose and Idil Burale and Executive Committee members Debora Jesus and Anika Harford hosted Real Talk with Black Leaders, a dedicated space for Black rising leaders in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) to come together to share experiences and aspirations for building a […]
Real Talk on Reconciliation: Allyship in Action
On June 23rd, the ELN brought together rising and risen leaders from the Indigenous community in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area for Real Talk on Reconciliation. Over 100 ELNers joined us to hear what these incredible Indigenous rising leaders had to say about allyship, land acknowledgements, taking action beyond Indigenous History Month, and more. Below […]