Advisory Council

Adil Dhalla is the Executive Director at the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) – a co-working space, community and launchpad for people who want to change the world. Previous to CSI, Adil worked as a community organizer for the Obama campaign, introduced micro lending technology to rural Tanzanian farmers and became a pioneer in the mobile video space when he launched My City Lives, a local video platform that had presence in 250 cities worldwide. It was this experience in social entrepreneurship that led Adil to CSI and the social innovation movement. Adil’s role as the Director of Culture is to act as the glue for the 1200 innovators who call CSI home, constantly weaving together connections and shared purpose through socials, summits and storytelling.

Amina Doherty is a feminist ARTivist and consultant whose work focuses on feminist philanthropy and creative arts for advocacy. Amina supports several community-led media platforms across Africa and the Caribbean and brings to her activism a passion for music, art, travel, photography, fashion and poetry. She has facilitated several learning initiatives on women’s rights, youth development, resource mobilization and economic justice. Prior to her role as founding member and general coordinator of FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund, Amina worked in the women’s rights grantmaking program at the Sigrid Rausing Trust in London and has also worked as a researcher and youth organizer at the Directorate of Gender Affairs in Antigua. She is a Caribbean advisor to Mama Cash and currently sits on the boards of Just Associates (JASS) and the Global Fund for Women. In 2012, singer Annie Lennox recognized Amina as a women’s rights champion for change. She holds a B.A. in Political Science & Women’s Studies from McGill University (Distinction) and an MSc in Gender, Development and Globalization from the London School of Economics (LSE). Amina has lived and studied in Nigeria, Antigua, Canada and the UK. She currently lives in Kingston, Jamaica.

Anne Webb’s focus is the design and coordination of qualitative research and learning processes to address and reduce gender inequality in Canada and internationally. She has been working with communities and research teams to this end for the past 20 years. Anne’s approach to feminist qualitative research brings together participatory action research, socio-economic analysis and critical self-awareness. She is currently designing and coordinating a two-year research and learning process at the request of CARE Canada. From 2005 to 2013 she was the Research Coordinator and Project Director of GRACE (Gender Research in Africa and the Middle East into ICTs for Empowerment). She is the co-editor of two books: African Women and ICTs: Investigating Technology, Gender and Empowerment (Zed Books 2009) and Women, Gender and ICT in Africa and the Middle East: Changing Selves, Changing Societies (Zed Books, forthcoming).Trained in sociology, adult education and gender studies in Toronto (OISE, University of Toronto) and Den Hague (Institute of Social Studies), her education and work have involved people from many walks of life and locations, formally and informally, in Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. She currently resides in Hull, Québec, Canada.

Diana Rivington is a Senior Fellow in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ottawa. She recently retired from CIDA as the Director, Human Development and Gender Equality, responsible for the stewardship of CIDA’s Gender Equality Policy. During her 2003-2007 posting to the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations, Ms. Rivington sat on the Advisory Committee of UNIFEM and on the governing Bureau of UNICEF and was a key player in Canada’s successful involvement in the global effort that created UN Women. Ms. Rivington has made significant contributions to international fora focused on women’s empowerment, including as Chair of the OECD Working Party on Gender Equality from 1998-2000. She also served on the Canadian delegations to the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994 and to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.

Jess Tomlin began her career working with female victims of violence in rural Ontario, Canada. Turning her focus internationally, Jess has worked in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Asia for a range of actors including the Canadian International Development Agency, the World Bank, the UN and USAID. Jess was the Director-Women’s Platform for CARE Canada’s signature advocacy, programmatic and marketing ‘I am powerful’ campaign. Most recently, Jess was with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), managing large-scale reform for the Agency that supports Palestinian Refugees in Jordan, the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. Jess’ latest appointment is the Executive Director of The MATCH International Women’s Fund, a Canadian international Women`s Fund that resources women’s rights organizations around the world to change systems and dismantle barriers. Jess holds an undergraduate degree in Women’s Studies and an MA in Leadership Studies.

Julie Lafrenière is an independent consultant specializing on issues related to violence against women and girls. A bilingual lawyer by training, Julie has spent the last ten years living in Africa and Afghanistan where she has gained extensive experience in research, analysis, evaluation and management of projects focused on human rights and gender-based violence, with a special focus on humanitarian settings. She has worked for a variety of actors, including the United Nations, international NGO networks and local civil society organizations. Currently, Julie is working for the global Gender-based Violence Area of Responsibility Working Group (GBV AoR). In this role, she is supporting the finalization of the GBV Coordination Handbook and revising the 2005 IASC Guidelines for Gender-based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Settings—a resource that establishes standards across all areas of humanitarian response related to prevention of and response to GBV, particularly sexual violence in the early stages of an emergency. Prior to moving overseas, Julie worked on human rights issues in Canada through her role as legal counsel for the Commission to Investigate Public Complaints Against the RCMP. Julie is married with two young daughters.

A lover of all things blueberry and/or avocado, Hamoon Ekhtiari is the director of Studio Y at MaRS, a program that supports exceptional young people in driving positive change in their own lives, in our communities, and in the systems we live in. He is also the co-founder of CatalystsX, a social enterprise that has raised over $900,000 to date, and a fellow of the School for Social Entrepreneurs-Ontario. Hamoon joined MaRS from Deloitte, where he most recently helped build the company’s consulting business in the Caribbean. He has also served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Waterloo and previously worked at Family Services Toronto. Hamoon completed both his undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Waterloo, and was recently recognized with an Alumni Achievement Award from the school.

Luc Lalande is a seasoned professional specializing in the design, development, and execution of innovation programs for communities seeking to enhance economic and social development. He has recently joined the University of Ottawa as the first Executive Director of the new Entrepreneurship Hub. His primary responsibility will be to develop and grow the university’s array of programs and services across all faculties to support student entrepreneurship and innovation. Luc is at the forefront of establishing novel economic development initiatives that link the global maker movement, the tools of the digital fabrication revolution (i.e, 3D printing, open source hardware, etc), and local talent to drive indigenous innovation and design, skills development, and entrepreneurship. He is co-founder of Young Maker, a community social innovation project focused on introducing 3D printing to vulnerable youth in Ottawa.

Marcia Cardamore is the Founder & Executive Director of PeopleSense Foundation (and PeopleSense Inc.) which provides philanthropic support through consultation and leadership that aids in the development and effectiveness of organizations run by women for the benefit of women and girls, globally. With over 30 years of expertise in organizational development in the high tech/software industry and academia (teaching at the University of Toronto and Ryerson University) Marcia commits to high potential organizations that are poised as either early start-ups or undergoing reinvention and intent on making profound improvements in women and girls’ human rights and social justice through systemic change. Marcia is driven by the conviction – coupled with a deep sense of urgency – that; “There is no greater imperative facing the world today than the alleviation of pain, suffering and persecution of females and the inclusion of women within the global community as leaders who can help heal the world.”

Patricia Harewood currently works as a labour lawyer for the Public Service Alliance of Canada and has worked as a litigator for the Department of Justice in HRSDC Legal Services. Patricia holds a B.A. in Geography with a minor in International Development as well as law degrees in common and civil law from the University of Ottawa. For over fifteen years, Patricia has worked to advance gender equality with feminist organizations such as the National Association of Women and the Law, the research action project on women’s access to city services (precursor of the City for All Women Initiative), le Groupe de Recherche et Initiative pour la libération de l’Afrique (GRILA), and as a member of the steering committee of the Black Women’s Civic Engagement Network and POWER Africa-Canada. She is also an avid supporter of community radio and co-hosts Black on Black on CHUO 89.1 FM – a public affairs show with a panafricanist and feminist approach that focuses on issues affecting black communities in Canada and internationally. Patricia is currently the Board Chair of The MATCH International Women’s Fund.

Sarah Saska is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Women’s Studies and Feminist Research at Western University. Sarah’s research is the first scholarly assessment of its kind, seeking to understand how social innovation can advance women’s rights and gender equality, in collaboration with The MATCH International Women’s Fund. Her research seeks to re-write, re-frame, and re-imagine the field of innovation in order to better support women and girls as entrepreneurs and innovators. She completed her Master’s at the Institute of Gender Studies at the University of Ottawa and her undergraduate studies in the Departments of Gender Studies and Political Studies at Queen’s University. Sarah is a seasoned academic, and she has professional experience in research, policy, and social change, within the non-profit, philanthropic, and academic sectors, with expertise on women’s rights and gender equality, climate change, LGBT human rights, social innovation, social entrepreneurship and social finance. Sarah is a member of the Advisory Council for The MATCH International Women’s Fund, and a member of the Board of Directors for Wen-Do Women’s Self-Defence. She has recently completed a Fellowship at MaRS Discovery District, which has supported her as she steps into her latest role as Co-Founder and Partner at Feminuity, a social enterprise with a bold approach to innovation.

Servane Mouazan is the founder and director of Ogunte CIC, an award-winning organisation that contributes to building a better world powered by women. Ogunte enables women – social entrepreneurs, social innovators, charitable organisations leaders and finance providers – to make a positive impact of people and planet, by enabling them to learn, lead, and connect. Servane led the creation of Make a Wave, the first UK incubator for women social entrepreneurs, she developed the International Women’s Social Leadership Awards, now in their 8th year, as well as an activist angel network, focusing on women-led good businesses. When she is not leading Ogunte, Servane coaches angels, social innovators, and women working at amplifying their personal legacy with impactful projects.

Vinod Rajasekaran, a Global Shaper selected by the World Economic Forum, Vinod is Managing Director of Rideau Hall Foundation, a new Rideau Hall vision that will be a national foundation for Canada. He is also Lead Strategist and Co-founder of HUB Ottawa, a globally linked coworking community, learning academy and launchpad optimized to help people, projects and organizations to do good better. Vinod believes the future of learning, knowledge creation, and innovation is through collaboration. He has a history of developing and executing CSR, social innovation, and shared value strategies in not-for-profit, philanthropic, private and social enterprise sectors. Vinod is a recipient of The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contribution to Canada. He was recently appointed to the Advisory Council of Imagine Canada, and Chairs the World Economic Forum project “What has Social Innovation Done for You Lately?”. His background includes a B.Eng. in Aerospace Engineering from Carleton University and a M.Sc. in Public Policy from the University of Bristol in the UK.

Yamikani Msosa is a feminist activist that has worked within a number of VAW organizations in the last 5 years. Her feminist activism started at Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women, then transitioned to Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa and Immigrant Women Services of Ottawa. She has worked tirelessly on public education campaigns, public speaking engagements about strategies to challenge gender based violence. At SASC Ottawa she has worked in the Women, War, Rape and Torture Program assisting survivors of sexual violence from other parts of the world. Yamikani is currently completing her MA in Women’s and Gender Studies and African Studies at Carleton University Pauline Jewett Institute. Yamikani is originally from Malawi and migrated to Canada with her family when she was 3 years of age. She currently resides in Ottawa, Ontario.