September 2021 Edition

Social Innovation Monthly

 December 2, 3, and 4, 2021- Virtual

This year’s theme of  BootCamp is  Transforming Governance: Preparing Your Board for Diversity. Board members and E.D.’s will not want to miss this extraordinary opportunity to change their organizations. BootCamp will be led by an incredible roster of Indigenous, Black, and Muslim experts.

For any non-profit, the Board of Directors plays a critical role in making a powerful and positive impact as it advances an organization’s mission. To fulfill this role, it is imperative that Directors are properly trained in the responsibilities and demands of a governance position. Yet, many Boards often struggle to adequately educate new and existing Directors. Without the right education, resources, and guidance for their Directors, Boards may fall short of reaching their organizational goals.

Sponsorship opportunities exist to ensure the success of this Governance BootCamp. To learn more about sponsorships, contact Cathy Brothers, CEO, Capacity Canada at [email protected]

By attending our 2021 Board Governance BootCamp:

• You will have a greater awareness of systemic racism in our communities

• You will have an opportunity to reflect on your own experiences

• You will develop a plan for the next steps in your response to the transformation

Governance BootCamp Price

The price to attend this year’s Governance BootCamp is $600 per person. If you have any questions please contact Andrew Wilding at [email protected]

This year’s speakers are:

Memona Hossain

Memona Hossain is a mother, community activist, and learner who is pursuing her Ph.D. in Applied Ecopsychology, the area of study that explores the connective, holistic relationship of humans and the Earth. Memona also holds a Master’s in Education from the University of Toronto. Memona occasionally teaches through the University of Guelph Arboretum, Emmanuel College at the University of Toronto, and at the Riverwood Conservancy. Memona is involved in eco-diverse conversations, engaging with individuals and groups of diverse life experiences, as it pertains to earth-based connections. Memona has over 15 years of experience in the field of mental health, addictions, and developmental disabilities. She has worked in systems-based resolutions where healthcare-based, community-based, education-based, and child welfare systems come together to resolve complex issues. Memona also brings experiences from previously being on the National Executive Council as well as serving on the Board of Directors for the Muslim Association of Canada.

Wayne Garnons-Williams

Wayne is Plains Cree from Treaty 6, Moosomin First Nation, the founding President of the International Inter-tribal Trade Organization, Senior Lawyer, and Principal Director of the law firm Garwill Law Professional Corporation, and leads an international business entitled Indigenous Sovereign Trade Consultancy Ltd. specializing in Tribal Trade and Sustainable Economic Development. He is past Chair of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Appeal Tribunal and is on the board of directors of both the International Council of the Great Lakes Region and Capacity Canada.

Natalie Walrond

Natalie Walrond serves as the director for the Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities content area at WestEd. In this role, she oversees the growth and dissemination of the agency’s body of work related to creating safe, supportive, responsive, and equitable conditions in which every child, youth, and adult can learn, grow and thrive. Walrond brings to her work over twenty-five years of experience in K-12 education, finance, and strategy, for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

Patrick Antoine

Patrick Antoine is a seasoned technology executive leading Digital for IBM Canada. The key focus for him is to help clients digitally reinvent themselves, enhance enterprise agility, lead with user experience, drive business insight, increase revenue, and optimize their operations. He leads a diverse team, bilingual in business and technology.

Karen Spencer

Appointed Executive Director of the Agency and Foundation in June 2017, Karen has more than 20 years of progressive leadership experience at Family & Children’s Service of the Waterloo Region – from frontline work through to executive leadership as the Director of Client Services, a position held since 2010. Karen is well known in our community for her strong leadership and collaboration among community partners.

Olumide (Mide) Akerewusi 

Mide is the Founder and CEO of AGENTSC Inc., he has extensive experience working with major philanthropists, corporations, and grant-making foundations as well as charities and NGOs in Australia, Canada, South Africa, the UK, and the USA. As a British-born African living in Canada, Mide’s perspectives are uniquely diverse and frequently thought-provoking.

Susan Radwan

Susan S Radwan, MEd, CAE, SMP, GSP is the owner of Leading Edge Mentoring, governance and leadership consulting firm with an international scope of practice, based in Grand Ledge, Michigan.  She is a contractor with Capacity Canada.

Christoper Goss

Chris is a seven-year member of the FACS Board and is serving his second year as Board Chair. Recently retired from the Waterloo Regional Police Service as a Superintendent in the South Division(Cambridge)after 34 years. His experience has included organizational redesign, strategic planning, project management, and community outreach, as well as, investigative and community safety work. Chris believes the anti-racism work of FACS is critically important to both the client, the community, and the agency and actively supports the creation of sound policy that drives deliberate and effective actions, partnerships, and change.

Sarah Attia

Sarah Attia is a mother, educator, and community activist. Sarah is a graduate of The University of Toronto, Faculty of Engineering, holding a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in chemical engineering. Sarah spent over 10 years working on providing quality international education to children in Egypt as a principal, teacher, and founder of an international school in Cairo, Egypt. She has a particular interest in curriculum development, character education, and community contribution. She is currently the project manager of MAC iRISE, where she oversees character education curricula and values-based programming for MAC Islamic Schools. Sarah has always had a passion for working with young people and also currently serves as the Director of Youth for the Muslim Association of Canada. In addition, Sarah is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Alliance for Children and Youth (NACY), a national charitable organization dedicated to improving the well-being of children and youth in Canada.

Khaled Al-Qazzaz

Khaled Al-Qazzaz is an education and communications consultant. He holds a Masters of AppliedSciences in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto (U of T), and pursued a doctorate of Education in Educational Administration at Walden University. In 2005, Khaled moved to Egypt and established a K-12 international school. In 2012, Khaled served in the first democratically-elected government of Egypt until the military coup in 2013. Khaled’s mandate was to set up and execute the portfolios for foreign relations, human rights, and women’s rights for the Egyptian presidency. In 2016, Khaled moved back to Canada and co-founded and led the QED Foundation serving vulnerable refugees. In 2018, Khaled started I-RSS to encourage the exchange of knowledge between academics and the Muslim community and as a vehicle to bring positive policy change for Muslims inNorth America. In the same year, Khaled established Zajel Institute to empower members of the Arab diaspora and exile communities. He is currently a member of the International Justice Circle of HumanRights Watch and is the director of Education and Communications for the Muslim Association of Canada.

Denise Baxter

Lakehead University has named Denise Baxter as its new Vice-Provost, Indigenous Initiatives effective October 30, 2017. Denise previously held the position of the Principal of Adult and Continuing Education at Lakehead District School Board. She is completing her Ph.D. in Equity and Indigenous Education at York University. As an established education leader, Denise has worked in multiple contexts including public school boards, the Ministry of Education, Lakehead University, and First Nations private schools. Within each of these contexts, she has built capacity and partnerships with multiple community stakeholders. Her work with the community has involved education conferences, workshop presentations, and capacity building with educators in First Nations schools.

Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux

Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux served as Vice Provost for Indigenous Initiatives at Lakehead University for three years. Effective September 2016 she was appointed as the 1st Indigenous Chair for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada for Lakehead University and she continues to develop pathways forward to reconciliation across Canada. Cynthia is responsible for the development and implementation of the President’s Council for the Truth and Reconciliation and the eight modules that have been designed to engage the staff, faculty, and administration of the Lakehead community.

Social Innovation Award- Call for Nominations

Capacity Canada is committed to raising the profile and quality of social innovation across Canada and influencing the state of the field internationally. One of the many ways we do that is through the Social Innovation Award – applications for which are now open.

The award offers Capacity Canada a unique opportunity to demonstrate its interest in being a national leader in building a culture of social innovation across Canada. It shows Capacity Canada’s commitment to fostering leading-edge activities that are impactful, creative and hold the potential to demonstrate impact on a large scale.

The award will be presented on the opening night of Capacity Canada’s Board Governance BootCamp on December 3, 2021. Applications are due on October 15, 2021.

Fill out our nomination form: https://capacitycanada.ca/socialinnovationaward/

Upcoming Workshops

  • Collaborative Board Governance
    • October 28th @ 7:00 pm- 8:00 pm ET

Donate

Each year, we help non-profits from all across Canada with Board Governance training. We are always grateful for our non-profit partners, community leaders, and their support and even more so now with the ongoing pandemic. Your financial support will help Capacity Canada bring together the ideas, people, and resources that fuel social innovation.