The Governing Circle provides strategic direction for our organization. Kukstemc, Thank you, for volunteering your personal time and expertise – Annie Aningmiuq, Benjamin Cooper-Janvier, Brielle Beaudin-Reimer, Brodie Guy, Cúagilákv (Jess Housty), Marie-Claude Cleary, Narinder Dhami, Paul Nazareth, Sadia Zaman, Susan Manwaring, Thea Belanger.
GOVERNING CIRCLE STRATEGIC PLANNING RETREAT | WINTER 2024
TIM FOX | Co-chair
Tim Fox (Natoyi’sokasiim) is a proud member of the Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy) from the Kainai (Blood) reserve located two hours south of Mohkinstsis (Calgary), within Treaty 7 territory. Tim is the Vice President of Indigenous Relations with Calgary Foundation where he hopes to strengthen, enhance and shift the culture and practice at the foundation while incorporating work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission both internally and in the broader community. In 2019, Tim was named one of Calgary’s Top 40 under 40 for his efforts of facilitating change for reconciliation and decolonization in the community. Also in 2019, Tim participated in a language revitalization project and then wrote and published his first book, a children’s booked titled, “Napi kii Imitaa” (Napi and the dogs). Tim facilitates Indigenous men’s domestic violence groups at the Calgary Correctional Centre and sits on various local committees striving for ways to mobilize efforts of change. Tim is the proud father of an 8 year old daughter who he considers to be his greatest achievement, inspiration and motivation behind everything he does in work and in life.
JENN MILLER | Co-chair
Jenn Miller is a queer, white settler that has been working in philanthropy for over two decades. She currently works as the Director of Social Investment with the Atkinson Foundation, a charitable foundation committed to social and economic justice. Prior to Atkinson, she worked at the City of Toronto and at the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Jenn has also worked as consultant providing program development, facilitation and strategic planning support to a wide range of nonprofit organizations. Jenn lives in Toronto with her partner and is the parent of an Oji-Cree teenager who is a member of Constance Lake First Nation in northern Ontario.
Tim Fox (Natoyi’sokasiim) is a proud member of the Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy) from the Kainai (Blood) reserve located two hours south of Mohkinstsis (Calgary), within Treaty 7 territory. Tim is the Vice President of Indigenous Relations with Calgary Foundation where he hopes to strengthen, enhance and shift the culture and practice at the foundation while incorporating work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission both internally and in the broader community. In 2019, Tim was named one of Calgary’s Top 40 under 40 for his efforts of facilitating change for reconciliation and decolonization in the community. Also in 2019, Tim participated in a language revitalization project and then wrote and published his first book, a children’s booked titled, “Napi kii Imitaa” (Napi and the dogs). Tim facilitates Indigenous men’s domestic violence groups at the Calgary Correctional Centre and sits on various local committees striving for ways to mobilize efforts of change. Tim is the proud father of an 8 year old daughter who he considers to be his greatest achievement, inspiration and motivation behind everything he does in work and in life.
JENN MILLER | Co-chair
Jenn Miller is a queer, white settler that has been working in philanthropy for over two decades. She currently works as the Director of Social Investment with the Atkinson Foundation, a charitable foundation committed to social and economic justice. Prior to Atkinson, she worked at the City of Toronto and at the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Jenn has also worked as consultant providing program development, facilitation and strategic planning support to a wide range of nonprofit organizations. Jenn lives in Toronto with her partner and is the parent of an Oji-Cree teenager who is a member of Constance Lake First Nation in northern Ontario.
ANNIE ANINGMIUQ | Director
Annie Aningmiuq is an Inuk woman from Panniqtuuq (Pangnirtung), Nunavut. She is a mother, an Inuktitut language speaker, a traditional throat singer and artist. For over a decade, Annie has been working for and with Indigenous organizations in Ottawa in different capacities and continues to work in collaboration with various groups today. Presently, she is the Policy and Communications Manager for the National Association of Friendship Centres, a network of over 100 Friendship Centres and Provincial and Territorial Associations from coast-to-coast-to-coast. As a traditional throat singer, she has performed in Canada, the United States and Europe. As an Inuk woman, she is passionate about maintaining and promoting Inuit values in everyday life, through language, music, art and governance. She believes that practicing her cultural traditions and speaking Inuktitut helps to keep her grounded and healthy.
BENJAMIN COOPER-JAVIER | Finance Chair
Benjamin Cooper-Janvier has a dual background as both a proud member of the Cold Lake First Nations and having settler roots tying back to the United Kingdom. Although Ben was raised in Calgary, he is happy to remain connected to his community where his father still lives. Ben is a Senior Associate with Kalos LLP working in transaction diligence with a focus on financial due diligence for mid-market mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining Kalos, Ben earned his CPA designation at KPMG working in the Corporate Audit practice. In addition to his role at Kalos, Ben is also an Instructor with the CPA Western School of Business where he teaches Introductory Financial Accounting to Indigenous learners. Ben holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Distinction from the University of Calgary, and a Master of Professional Accounting from the University of Saskatchewan.
BRIELLE BEAUDIN-REIMER | Director
Brielle Beaudin-Reimer is a citizen of the Métis Nation, a member of the Manitoba Métis Community, a Board Member for the Bell Tower Community Café and member of the Indigenous-led Committee for the Red River Regional Seed Library. “Through local and traditional food-related research, advocacy, and development of evidence-based policy and programs,” says Brielle, “I hope to advance sustainable development in Canada and advocate for the participation of the Métis Nation and Indigenous peoples in this important field.” After volunteering abroad in a rural community in South Africa, Brielle realized that local knowledge was key to sustainable development. Her focus in development shifted to taking a more local approach, one within her own community, the greater Métis Nation and with other Indigenous Nations in Canada. Brielle went on to complete a Masters in Indigenous Governance at the University of Winnipeg, conducting community-based research that focused on promoting Métis food sovereignty by privileging Métis traditional food systems and Métis harvesters’ food-related knowledge and perspectives in Manitoba.
BRODIE GUY | Director
Brodie has served in executive roles with funds investing in Indigenous, rural, and sustainable development across BC for 15 years. Currently he is the CEO of Island Coastal Trust working on its transformation as co-governed regional development organization; the acting Chair of the $200 million Blueberry River Restoration Society and fund, a Canadian Commissioner on the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission, and a director with Project Watershed, a local restoring Kus-kus-sum and rematriating it to K’ómoks First Nation. Previously, Brodie was the long-serving CEO of Coast Funds, one of the world’s largest Indigenous-led conservation finance and sustainable development funds. Through his roles, Brodie worked on the governance, start-up, and sustainable financing for Indigenous development corporations, Guardian Watchman, and stewardship authorities since 2012. He and his partner Jessica are grateful to be raising their children in the beautiful ancestral territory of the Pentlatch people, known today as the Comox Valley.
CÚAGILÁKV (JESS HOUSTY) | Director
Cúagilákv (Jess H̓áust̓i) is a Haíɫzaqv parent, poet, and land-based educator living in their maternal homelands and the community of Bella Bella, BC. They are the Executive Director of Qqs (Eyes) Projects Society, a Haíɫzaqv charitable organization supporting youth and families in their community and out on the land. They also serve as Co-lead at Right Relations Collaborative where they work to correct power imbalances and develop relational approaches to philanthropy, and work as Lead at Coastal Foodways creating a support hub for food champions across the BC Central Coast. Jess is proud to work in community organizing, cultural resurgence, food systems resiliency, and philanthropic organizing to support a vision for a more just and equitable decolonial future rooted in Indigenous thriving and abundance. They are the author of Crushed Wild Mint, a debut poetry collection from Nightwood Editions (2023), and of a forthcoming collection of essays from Magic Canoe Press.
MARIE-CLAUDE CLEARY | Director
Marie-Claude is Pekuakamiulnuatsh, the proud mother of two young adults and a member of a family whose closeness and support are important values in her career. Committed to and passionate about community work, she recognizes the importance of relationships built on trust and reciprocity in bringing about positive change. Marie-Claude has been Executive Director of the New Pathways Foundation since 2016, where she works with a team committed to providing opportunities for First Nations youth. She is a strong supporter of Aboriginal philanthropy, with First Nations governance and leadership. Self-determination in the choice of solutions that come from the community itself to address collective issues, and to which inclusive practices are allied.
NARINDER DHAMI | Director
Narinder is an award-winning innovator, Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 and a BMW Foundation Responsible Leader. Her work spans across sectors and silos, she brings depth and rigour to drive social impact in North America and the Global South. She is the President of the Sonor Foundation and Co-Founder of New Power Lab and a gender lens investor. Over the last decade, she built, designed and scaled social ventures including: in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) she led a venture philanthropy fund, LEAP | Pecaut Centre for Social Impact, and alongside Sandra and Joseph Rotman at the University of Toronto, Narinder was the founding Executive Director of Rise, a microfund for entrepreneurs with mental health and addiction challenges. In the Global South, she worked in microfinance across Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali at La Première Agence de Microfinance (PAMF) and in impact investing in Ghana & Nigeria with Acumen. She is a lecturer at Ryerson University and the University of Toronto. Narinder serves on multiple boards including the Community Foundations of Canada, Venture for Canada, The Circle, and CAFIID and is an investor in social ventures across Canada.
PAUL NAZARETH | Director
Paul Nazareth has worked in Canada’s philanthropic sector for over 20 years. Currently, Vice President, Education & Development at the Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP), and was previously VP at the charity CanadaHelps. Paul has been a philanthropic advisor with a national wealth management firm in a trust company and spent 15 years working with charities like the University of Toronto and Canada’s largest network of Churches. Paul is on the board of several charities and on the Advisory Council of Carleton University’s Masters in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership program. He serves as faculty for the Master Financial Advisor in Philanthropy (MFA-P) program led by CAGP, Knowledge Bureau and Spire Philanthropy, and is a frequent instructor for the tax and advisor community through organizations like CPA, Advocis, STEP and Estate Planning Councils. Paul writes on philanthropy for a variety of publications and regularly appears on national radio and television to speak about creating a personal legacy through charity.
SADIA ZAMAN | Director
Sadia brings a wealth of arts, media, and not-for-profit experience to her role as CEO, Inspirit Foundation. Before joining Inspirit, Sadia was Managing Director, ROM Canada at the Royal Ontario Museum where she focused on digital content and amplifying Indigenous narratives. Before the ROM, Sadia commissioned documentary and current affairs projects from across the country as Director, Original Program Development, CBC News and Centres. She also led Women in Film and Television-Toronto (WIFT-T), a not-for-profit that supports the training and advancement of women in the screen-based industry. Sadia began her career as a journalist, creating hundreds of hours of original, critically acclaimed current affairs and documentary content for Vision TV, CBC and TVO. She has won dozens of awards for her journalism, and has been honoured for her leadership. She sits on many boards, juries, and advisory committees and is often asked to speak about media/arts, equity, gender and leadership.
SUSAN MANWARING | Director
Susan Manwaring is the national lead of Miller Thomson’s Social Impact Group, providing both general counsel and specialized tax advice to social enterprises, charities and non-profits across Canada and internationally. She advises foundations in the field of mission investing and social finance and counsels charities and non-profit organizations on compliance and taxation matters and relevant provincial tax regulations. Susan was a member of the CRA Consultation Panel on Political Activities of Charities. She is currently a Member of the Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector (ACCS) – a ministerial committee advising the Minister of National Revenue. Susan has been recognized extensively for her expertise and participates widely in sector activities including many public policy discussions related to the regulation of the charity and non-profit sectors.
THEA BELANGER | Director
Thea is Anishinaabe Kwe from Nipissing and Tobique First Nation on Turtle Island, colonially known as Canada. She has been working in the philanthropic sector for over 10 years and most recently served as the Director of a small granting program created by and for Indigenous youth in Ontario. In her role at Dragonfly Ventures, she works closely with the team to develop the new foundation strategy and operations of the philanthropic work. With an intentional focus on deep relationship building and serving the communities that Dragonfly prioritizes with an integrated approach to activating financial capacity.
Annie Aningmiuq is an Inuk woman from Panniqtuuq (Pangnirtung), Nunavut. She is a mother, an Inuktitut language speaker, a traditional throat singer and artist. For over a decade, Annie has been working for and with Indigenous organizations in Ottawa in different capacities and continues to work in collaboration with various groups today. Presently, she is the Policy and Communications Manager for the National Association of Friendship Centres, a network of over 100 Friendship Centres and Provincial and Territorial Associations from coast-to-coast-to-coast. As a traditional throat singer, she has performed in Canada, the United States and Europe. As an Inuk woman, she is passionate about maintaining and promoting Inuit values in everyday life, through language, music, art and governance. She believes that practicing her cultural traditions and speaking Inuktitut helps to keep her grounded and healthy.
BENJAMIN COOPER-JAVIER | Finance Chair
Benjamin Cooper-Janvier has a dual background as both a proud member of the Cold Lake First Nations and having settler roots tying back to the United Kingdom. Although Ben was raised in Calgary, he is happy to remain connected to his community where his father still lives. Ben is a Senior Associate with Kalos LLP working in transaction diligence with a focus on financial due diligence for mid-market mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining Kalos, Ben earned his CPA designation at KPMG working in the Corporate Audit practice. In addition to his role at Kalos, Ben is also an Instructor with the CPA Western School of Business where he teaches Introductory Financial Accounting to Indigenous learners. Ben holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Distinction from the University of Calgary, and a Master of Professional Accounting from the University of Saskatchewan.
BRIELLE BEAUDIN-REIMER | Director
Brielle Beaudin-Reimer is a citizen of the Métis Nation, a member of the Manitoba Métis Community, a Board Member for the Bell Tower Community Café and member of the Indigenous-led Committee for the Red River Regional Seed Library. “Through local and traditional food-related research, advocacy, and development of evidence-based policy and programs,” says Brielle, “I hope to advance sustainable development in Canada and advocate for the participation of the Métis Nation and Indigenous peoples in this important field.” After volunteering abroad in a rural community in South Africa, Brielle realized that local knowledge was key to sustainable development. Her focus in development shifted to taking a more local approach, one within her own community, the greater Métis Nation and with other Indigenous Nations in Canada. Brielle went on to complete a Masters in Indigenous Governance at the University of Winnipeg, conducting community-based research that focused on promoting Métis food sovereignty by privileging Métis traditional food systems and Métis harvesters’ food-related knowledge and perspectives in Manitoba.
BRODIE GUY | Director
Brodie has served in executive roles with funds investing in Indigenous, rural, and sustainable development across BC for 15 years. Currently he is the CEO of Island Coastal Trust working on its transformation as co-governed regional development organization; the acting Chair of the $200 million Blueberry River Restoration Society and fund, a Canadian Commissioner on the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission, and a director with Project Watershed, a local restoring Kus-kus-sum and rematriating it to K’ómoks First Nation. Previously, Brodie was the long-serving CEO of Coast Funds, one of the world’s largest Indigenous-led conservation finance and sustainable development funds. Through his roles, Brodie worked on the governance, start-up, and sustainable financing for Indigenous development corporations, Guardian Watchman, and stewardship authorities since 2012. He and his partner Jessica are grateful to be raising their children in the beautiful ancestral territory of the Pentlatch people, known today as the Comox Valley.
CÚAGILÁKV (JESS HOUSTY) | Director
Cúagilákv (Jess H̓áust̓i) is a Haíɫzaqv parent, poet, and land-based educator living in their maternal homelands and the community of Bella Bella, BC. They are the Executive Director of Qqs (Eyes) Projects Society, a Haíɫzaqv charitable organization supporting youth and families in their community and out on the land. They also serve as Co-lead at Right Relations Collaborative where they work to correct power imbalances and develop relational approaches to philanthropy, and work as Lead at Coastal Foodways creating a support hub for food champions across the BC Central Coast. Jess is proud to work in community organizing, cultural resurgence, food systems resiliency, and philanthropic organizing to support a vision for a more just and equitable decolonial future rooted in Indigenous thriving and abundance. They are the author of Crushed Wild Mint, a debut poetry collection from Nightwood Editions (2023), and of a forthcoming collection of essays from Magic Canoe Press.
MARIE-CLAUDE CLEARY | Director
Marie-Claude is Pekuakamiulnuatsh, the proud mother of two young adults and a member of a family whose closeness and support are important values in her career. Committed to and passionate about community work, she recognizes the importance of relationships built on trust and reciprocity in bringing about positive change. Marie-Claude has been Executive Director of the New Pathways Foundation since 2016, where she works with a team committed to providing opportunities for First Nations youth. She is a strong supporter of Aboriginal philanthropy, with First Nations governance and leadership. Self-determination in the choice of solutions that come from the community itself to address collective issues, and to which inclusive practices are allied.
NARINDER DHAMI | Director
Narinder is an award-winning innovator, Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 and a BMW Foundation Responsible Leader. Her work spans across sectors and silos, she brings depth and rigour to drive social impact in North America and the Global South. She is the President of the Sonor Foundation and Co-Founder of New Power Lab and a gender lens investor. Over the last decade, she built, designed and scaled social ventures including: in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) she led a venture philanthropy fund, LEAP | Pecaut Centre for Social Impact, and alongside Sandra and Joseph Rotman at the University of Toronto, Narinder was the founding Executive Director of Rise, a microfund for entrepreneurs with mental health and addiction challenges. In the Global South, she worked in microfinance across Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali at La Première Agence de Microfinance (PAMF) and in impact investing in Ghana & Nigeria with Acumen. She is a lecturer at Ryerson University and the University of Toronto. Narinder serves on multiple boards including the Community Foundations of Canada, Venture for Canada, The Circle, and CAFIID and is an investor in social ventures across Canada.
PAUL NAZARETH | Director
Paul Nazareth has worked in Canada’s philanthropic sector for over 20 years. Currently, Vice President, Education & Development at the Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP), and was previously VP at the charity CanadaHelps. Paul has been a philanthropic advisor with a national wealth management firm in a trust company and spent 15 years working with charities like the University of Toronto and Canada’s largest network of Churches. Paul is on the board of several charities and on the Advisory Council of Carleton University’s Masters in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership program. He serves as faculty for the Master Financial Advisor in Philanthropy (MFA-P) program led by CAGP, Knowledge Bureau and Spire Philanthropy, and is a frequent instructor for the tax and advisor community through organizations like CPA, Advocis, STEP and Estate Planning Councils. Paul writes on philanthropy for a variety of publications and regularly appears on national radio and television to speak about creating a personal legacy through charity.
SADIA ZAMAN | Director
Sadia brings a wealth of arts, media, and not-for-profit experience to her role as CEO, Inspirit Foundation. Before joining Inspirit, Sadia was Managing Director, ROM Canada at the Royal Ontario Museum where she focused on digital content and amplifying Indigenous narratives. Before the ROM, Sadia commissioned documentary and current affairs projects from across the country as Director, Original Program Development, CBC News and Centres. She also led Women in Film and Television-Toronto (WIFT-T), a not-for-profit that supports the training and advancement of women in the screen-based industry. Sadia began her career as a journalist, creating hundreds of hours of original, critically acclaimed current affairs and documentary content for Vision TV, CBC and TVO. She has won dozens of awards for her journalism, and has been honoured for her leadership. She sits on many boards, juries, and advisory committees and is often asked to speak about media/arts, equity, gender and leadership.
SUSAN MANWARING | Director
Susan Manwaring is the national lead of Miller Thomson’s Social Impact Group, providing both general counsel and specialized tax advice to social enterprises, charities and non-profits across Canada and internationally. She advises foundations in the field of mission investing and social finance and counsels charities and non-profit organizations on compliance and taxation matters and relevant provincial tax regulations. Susan was a member of the CRA Consultation Panel on Political Activities of Charities. She is currently a Member of the Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector (ACCS) – a ministerial committee advising the Minister of National Revenue. Susan has been recognized extensively for her expertise and participates widely in sector activities including many public policy discussions related to the regulation of the charity and non-profit sectors.
THEA BELANGER | Director
Thea is Anishinaabe Kwe from Nipissing and Tobique First Nation on Turtle Island, colonially known as Canada. She has been working in the philanthropic sector for over 10 years and most recently served as the Director of a small granting program created by and for Indigenous youth in Ontario. In her role at Dragonfly Ventures, she works closely with the team to develop the new foundation strategy and operations of the philanthropic work. With an intentional focus on deep relationship building and serving the communities that Dragonfly prioritizes with an integrated approach to activating financial capacity.