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 […]
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For any media inquiries, or to connect with DiverseCity Fellows and ELN members, please contact Laurel Sallie, Director of Communications, CivicAction. 416-309-4480 x 533 | laurel.sallie@civicaction.ca
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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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
CivicAction Announces 2020 DiverseCity Fellows as Toronto Region Leadership Unites for COVID-19 Response
Posted on Cision. TORONTO (May 13, 2020) – Over the past few months Canada’s leaders have stepped up to address the COVID-19 pandemic. But as we move through recovery and build back a better region, there’s a unique opportunity to increase diversity in our leadership ranks and plug new voices into decision making tables. That’s […]
CivicAction Calls on Toronto Region Game-Changers for 2020 DiverseCity Fellows
TORONTO, Jan. 8, 2020 /CNW/ – Nearly 80% of Canadians say they think CEOs should take the lead on change. Yet as people look to leaders for action, decision-making tables continue to lack a rich cross-section of backgrounds, experiences or skills needed to effectively tackle tomorrow’s most pressing challenges. To change the leadership game in […]
NEWS RELEASE: Young Leaders Build Skills to Build a Better Toronto Region
TORONTO, Nov. 18, 2019 /CNW/ – Trust is shifting away from traditional institutions and leaders, and skills essential for the future are getting an overhaul. But preparing our region’s diverse young leaders to take on a new leadership mantle needs to happen in lockstep. That’s why over 150 rising leaders from across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) participated in […]
500 people to attend CivicAction summit to look for solutions to GTHA’s problems
Published on CBCWritten by Haweya Fadal Five hundred people from various sectors will converge on the Art Gallery of Ontario Monday to look for solutions to some of the biggest urban challenges facing the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Rising and established leaders from the business, government, academic and community sectors will attend Canvas, CivicAction’s 2019 Summit. […]
NEWS: Unsung hero: Rupal Shah helps newcomer artists find community
Published on LocalLove by Charlotte D’arcy By Charlotte D’arcy When she was just a teenager, Rupal Shah decided she was going to have a career in the theatre. “It just brought me so much joy and motivation—I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” she says. “When I look back on it, it was about making something […]
NEWS: CivicAction program aims to improve diversity of Toronto-region boardrooms
By Jason MillerPublished in the Toronto Star Biju Pappachan is focused on breaking down the barriers stymieing diversity in Toronto boardrooms and government, and a civic engagement organization is bringing him together with 29 others on a mission to do just that. “This program is trying to bring those diverse voices to the decision-making and […]
NEWS: Hamiltonian chosen for DiverseCity Fellows cohort
Published in The Hamilton Spectator “Hamilton’s own Daniel Lynn is among this year’s 30 hand-picked members of the DiverseCity Fellows cohort who will be working on a unique “civic MBA” to change the shape and face of leadership, to more fairly reflect the diversity of our cities. The DiverseCity Fellows cohort is an initiative of […]
NEWS RELEASE: CivicAction Activates 30 New DiverseCity Fellows to Change the Face of Leadership
TORONTO (February 6, 2019) – Toronto’s coat of arms may say, “Diversity Our Strength,” but when comes to who sits at our regional decision-making tables, a diversity of perspectives, identities, and experiences is missing. To breathe new life into the greater Toronto region’s future, the CivicAction Leadership Foundation today welcomed a new DiverseCity Fellows cohort […]
NEWS RELEASE: Youth Double Click on a Career at YouthConnect
TORONTO, July 20, 2018 – Today almost 400 youth and youth workers will gather for the award-winning YouthConnect, an annual training event that provides hands-on skills building to open new doors to jobs and people for youth using online tools. With the Toronto youth unemployment rate still hovering at 20% and job precarity on the […]
NEWS: CITY OF TORONTO: Fourth annual Partnership to Advance Youth Employment (PAYE) Leadership Awards presented by the City of Toronto
Published in Toronto Business Daily by City of Toronto This morning, Councillor Michael Thompson (Ward 37 Scarborough-Centre), Chair of the Economic Development Committee, presented the Partnership to Advance Youth Employment (PAYE) Leadership Awards at the Economic Development Committee meeting. […] 2017 PAYE Leadership Award for Impact Presented to Youth Connect, CivicAction Leadership Foundation and LinkedIn […]
NEWS: Why corporate boards don’t reflect the diverse population
Published in The Globe and Mail By Sevaun Palvetzian CEO, CivicAction Most skilled painters choose to harness the power of the entire colour spectrum to create compelling masterpieces. If all artists chose instead to only use one brush and one colour, our art galleries would be filled with flat, monochromatic paintings lacking vibrancy and movement. […]
NEWS: Startup and Slay
Eva Wong, is a member of our Emerging Leaders Network (ELN) and a co-founder of Borrowell. During her time as an ELN member she met Andrew Graham and together they went on to create and build Borrowell. Hear her chat with Matt Galloway about her experiences and give him the details of Startup and Slay, […]
NEWS RELEASE: Last stop for awards season, CivicAction’s MetroNext
TORONTO (March 23, 2018) – Last night at MetroNext leaders from all stripes and sectors punched their ticket to the best civic party in town at Union Station to recognize two exceptional leaders shaping our city-region. As movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp continue to grab headlines, CivicAction’s MetroNext celebrated two outstanding women who are making […]
NEWS: There’s a New Generation of Black Women Shaping Canadian Cities
Published in FLARE Magazine By Jay Pitter Writer and placemaker Jay Pitter profiles six city builders from across Canada who are creating inspired public spaces and doing exceptional work. […] Today, I’m sitting at more tables with women and people from racialized backgrounds. A small, but growing number of these professionals actually look like me. […]
NEWS: Shattered ceilings: How 7 leaders in the GTA real estate industry got where they are
Published in Toronto Star By Carola Vyhnak On International Women’s Day, leaders share their advice after lessons learned in what was once a man’s world. […] Salima Rawji, 38, vice-president, development, CreateTO No woman is an island. That, in a nutshell, is Salima Rawji’s philosophy behind helping the sisterhood advance in their profession. Rawji, who holds a […]
NEWS: Clarke and Hayles are DiverseCity Fellows
Published in Ron Fanfair By Ron Fanfair Staff As a 2018 DiverseCity Fellow cohort, she is among 25 emerging leaders poised to take action on issues critical to the health and prosperity of Toronto. […] “We are facing increasingly difficult urban challenges that require an all-hands on deck approach,” said CivicAction chief executive officer […]
NEWS: How to Reach Your Potential: An Interview with Toota Nihal Hassanien
Published on How to Reach Your Potential By Alex Rascanu Toota Nihal Hassanien, program manager for CivicAction’s Emerging Leaders Network, took part in the “How to Reach Your Potential” initiative, a series of 100 interviews with leaders who inspire Alex Rascanu and whose insights can help you reach your potential. About Toota: Toota Nihal […]
NEWS: Gabrielle Scrimshaw on liberating the past and embracing the future
DiverseCity Fellow Gabrielle Scrimshaw delivered the third annual Vancouver Island University Indigenous Speaker Series this past November. After what was a powerful talk, she sat down on CBC Ideas with host Paul Kennedy to talk about ways to make the idea, and the ideal, of reconciliation more than just a noble sentiment. Listen to both her conversation with […]
NEWS RELEASE: Zabeen Hirji Announced as New Chair of CivicAction
TORONTO, February 13, 2018 – CivicAction announced today that Zabeen Hirji is the new Chair of its Board of Directors. A respected leader in the corporate and community sector, Zabeen spent 40 years with RBC – including 10 years as Chief Human Resources Officer. She is currently an advisor in the private, public and academic […]
NEWS: Meet one of Toronto’s new DiverseCity Fellows
25 Torontonians with ideas for improving our city will have the chance to build on those ideas, through CivicAction’s DiverseCity Fellowship program. Matt Galloway speaks to one of them, lawyer Naseem Mithoowani. Hear the conversation and find out more about Naseem.