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 […]
DiverseCity Fellows
Stories help us to connect, to inspire, to understand. On this page, we share the stories of people in our network who have taught us, entertained us, been a champion for diverse civic leadership, and who have galvanized us to think differently. Be prepared to be inspired.
Why leadership matters
For over 10 years, we’ve brought together senior executives and rising leaders from all sectors to tackle big challenges in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Region, let them tell you why leadership really matters, and what we can do when we open doors and minds for the young, emerging and under-represented leaders in our communities.
Spotlight on our Members
The Emerging Leaders Network (ELN) brings together diverse, energetic and motivated city-builders from across our region, each with a unique story to tell about where they came from, what they’re passionate about, and where they want to go next. Check back often – new profiles are added regularly.
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 […]
Fellows in Focus: Brad Bradford
Leading an All-Hands-on-Deck Effort (and How DiverseCity Fellows Played a Part!) A profile on 2018 DiverseCity Fellow Alumna Brad Bradford. TIME IN THE DIVERSECITY FELLOWS PROGRAM How would you describe your Fellows experience? What were the biggest take-aways for you both during and post program? For me, the DiverseCity Fellows program was one of the most […]
Fellows in Focus: Ruby Latif
Connecting with Community A profile on 2013-14 DiverseCity Fellow Ruby Latif. It’s rare to find someone who harnesses the power of connecting with community as masterfully as Ruby Latif—the driving force behind meaningful community relations for some of Ontario’s most high profile political campaigns. Ruby started engaging with her community from a young age. While […]
Fellows in Focus: Ravi Jain
Changing the world one show at a time A profile on 2011 DiverseCity Fellow Ravi Jain. If all of the world is a stage, then why not use a stage to change the world? Ravi Jain, 2011 DiverseCity Fellow and Artistic and General Director of Why Not Theatre, aims to do exactly that—harness the power […]
Fellows in Focus: Jenn Miller
Building the future of workers A profile on 2011 DiverseCity Fellow Alumna Jenn Miller. The future of work can bring up sometimes scary images of robots replacing humans everywhere we turn. Concerned with how these changes will impact our cities and communities, organizations across the region are trying to come to terms with how to […]
Fellows in Focus: Ritesh Kotak
Coding Inclusion A profile on 2015-2016 DiverseCity Fellow Alumnus Ritesh Kotak. For Ritesh Kotak, the DiverseCity Fellows program changed the course of his career. When he joined the Fellows program in 2015, Ritesh was a Research and Innovation Strategist at the Toronto Police Service, working on the incorporation of technologies and cyber security in the […]
Fellows in Focus: Naseem Mithoowani
Countering Hate A profile on 2018 DiverseCity Fellow Alumna Naseem Mithoowani. Naseem Mithoowani has never been one to sit on the sidelines and be a spectator to hate. Yet changing attitudes is not easy—something Naseem, an immigration and refugee lawyer and 2018 DiverseCity Fellow, learned first-hand. In 2006, Naseem and a group of fellow law […]
ELN Member Spotlight: Mike Brooks
2019 DiverseCity Fellow Mike Brooks provides expert advice to decision makers on supporting positive development for children and youth across Ontario as a Senior Policy Analyst with the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. Mike helped catalyze efforts to move the needle on education and employment outcomes for youth through the Collective Impact […]
ELN Member Spotlight: Janelle Hinds
2019 DiverseCity Fellow Janelle Hinds combined her experience in technology with her passion for youth civic engagement to create Helping Hands—a platform that helps youth volunteer and get civically engaged while building career skills. As someone with a passion for helping young people become more civically engaged, Janelle uses Twitter as platform of choice to […]
ELN Member Spotlight: Sean MacKay
ELN Communications Lead Sean Mackay is a digital marketing and communications professional working in Toronto’s real estate industry. Sean works as Managing Director at Livabl, an online publication covering stories that help home-buyers better understand real estate market trends. In his spare time, Sean is a mentor with the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC), […]
ELN Member Spotlight: Sarah Wardrope
ELN executive committee member. Event management guru. Proud Hamiltonian. Sarah Wardrope is one of The Hammer’s best. When she’s not strategizing and executing key corporate and digital communication projects at Hamilton Health Sciences, Sarah is finding ways to bring together her fellow rising leaders; most recently, she served as co-chair of HIVEX, an annual conference […]
ELN Member Spotlight: Shazlin Rahman
Fresh on the heels of October as Islamic Heritage Month, our ELN spotlight for November features Shazlin Rahman, a prominent advocate in the Muslim community. As a communications professional, Shazlin approaches all of her work from an equity-based, inclusive lens. Currently she works as the Stakeholder Engagement Specialist at Inspirit Foundation, is lending a hand […]
ELN Member Spotlight: Jesse Darling
Meet Jesse Darling, one of our fearless ELN co-chairs. As Manager of Policy Innovation Platform at the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship, she works to designs initiatives that bring human insights into policy development and service design. When not at work, you can also spot Jesse volunteering, picking up a stack of holds from the […]
From out of “The Cuckoo’s Nest,” Pat Capponi embodies true and honest leadership
Pat Capponi is CivicAction’s 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award for civic leadership recipient. A tireless mental health advocate, Pat was recognized for her work at MetroNext on March 23, 2018 at Union Station. For more leadership spotlights, click here. — Imagine being discharged from a mental health facility and attempting to get back on your feet, […]
Like father, like daughter: Karen Restoule and the power of conversation
Karen Restoule is CivicAction’s 2018 Emerging Leader Award recipient. A leading convener and rising Indigenous champion, Karen was recognized for her work at MetroNext on March 23, 2018 at Union Station. For more leadership spotlights, click here. — When Karen Restoule speaks of her late father Robert, it’s clear how much he meant to her. […]
8 GTHA women who #PressForProgress
They’re fierce, talented, and driving real change. For International Women’s Day 2018 we’re featuring 8 amazing women from the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area who #PressForProgress in all they do. Today, take some time to read the stories of the women below, and join @CivicActionGTHA on Twitter in using #PressForProgress today to share what issues […]
Leadership In Focus: Dr. Joseph Wong
Dr. Joseph Wong has contributed greatly to civic life across our region and has had great impact as a social activist in the Chinese Community. In all his work, Joseph has proven how successful community building is when we tap into the diversity and multiculturalism across our region. As Chair of the Board he used his […]
Leadership Spotlight: Idil Burale
In the lead up to July 1st, we’re profiling five Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area city builders, past and present, who have not only made significant positive impact in our communities, but have challenged us to be better civic-minded, inclusive, and collaborative individuals. Join us today as we take a quick look at Idil Burale, […]
Leadership Spotlight: Sylvia Maracle
In the lead up to July 1st, we’re profiling five Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area city builders, past and present, who have not only made significant positive impact in our communities, but have challenged us to be better civic-minded, inclusive, and collaborative individuals. Join us today as we take a quick look at Sylvia Maracle, […]
Leadership Spotlight: David Pecaut
In the lead up to July 1st, we’re profiling five Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area city builders, past and present, who have not only made significant positive impact in our communities, but have challenged us to be better civic-minded, inclusive, and collaborative individuals. Today we take a brief look at David Pecaut, the original founder […]
Leadership Spotlight: Olivia Nuamah
In the lead up to July 1st, we’re profiling five Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area city builders, past and present, who have not only made significant positive impact in our communities, but have challenged us to be better civic-minded, inclusive, and collaborative individuals. Today we take a brief look at Olivia Nuamah, current Pride Toronto […]
Leadership Spotlight: John Christie Holland
In the lead up to July 1st, we’re profiling five Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area city builders, past and present, who have not only made significant positive impact in our communities, but have challenged us to be better civic-minded, inclusive, and collaborative individuals. Today we take a brief look at John Christie Holland, Hamilton, Ont., […]