Bio

Aparna Uppaluri is a global executive and a senior philanthropy advisor. Recently she founded Antara Advisors, a specialised philanthropy and research and strategic advisory. She is Special Advisor to the Grow for Climate Fund and serves on the advisory bodies of Equal Measures 2030, and the Sustainable Futures Collaborative. Until recently she was the Chief Operating Officer, leading philanthropic programs at the Tata Trusts with operational and strategic planning oversight over all thematic areas including livelihoods, health, nutrition, WaSH as well as Arts & Culture. In her previous role, she served as Senior Global Program Officer at the Ford Foundation and acting Program Director of the Foundation’s India, Nepal, Sri Lanka office. Her global work has included nurturing philanthropic collaboratives, intergovernmental partnerships, and strategic field building. She led the Science and Society Program at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), India and founded a performing arts collective which she ran for 10 years. She was educated in Canada at Queen’s University and the University of Toronto.

Speaking Engagements

Keynote & Fireside Chat

Featuring

Bio

Wolfgang Fengler is the CEO of World Data Lab (WDL) which he founded after spending more than 23 years with the World Bank specializing in the future of the consumer. At TEDx Vienna, Wolfgang launched his first data machine population.io, which was endorsed by Bill Gates. Aftershock (2020) featured him as one of the world’s 100 leading futurists and the German weekly DER SPIEGEL called him a “big data virtuoso”. His work has been covered by the Financial Times, ECONOMIST, BBC, CNN and CNBC. He received his PhD from the University of Hamburg (Germany).

Speaking Engagements

Keynote & Fireside Chat

Featuring

Bio

Aissatou Diajhaté is an accomplished International Development Executive with extensive experience across Education, Health, Youth Engagement, and Capacity Building. Most recently she served as Chief of Staff and Advisor to the President and CEO at the Mastercard Foundation, Ms. Diajhaté has played a pivotal role in managing multi-stakeholder partnerships with government bodies, academic institutions, funding agencies, and community-based organizations across the United States, Canada, and Africa. As the West Africa Regional Manager at IREX, Ms. Diajhaté oversaw the implementation of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), across 21 countries in West and Central Africa. Her leadership in promoting youth engagement and socio-economic transformation has been instrumental in rebuilding communities and empowering young leaders. Throughout her career, she has worked with organizations like the Stephen Lewis Foundation further contributing to public health initiatives and development programs across Africa. A dedicated mentor and advocate for social justice, her life mission is to uplift survivors of social injustice by empowering them to become leaders and agents of change. Born in Senegal, Ms. Diajhaté holds a master’s in development administration from Western Michigan University and a Bachelor’s in English and Spanish from University Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, Senegal.

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Localization: A Critical Factor for Program Implementation, Scale, and Sustainability

Featuring

Bio

Alazne Qaisar is a fourth-year undergraduate student specializing in South Asian studies; political science; and peace, conflict, and justice studies at the University of Toronto. Her research interests include developmental politics, geostrategic conflicts, violence, and populism in South Asia. She is a Laidlaw scholar, having researched gendered violence in Delhi, India, and also serves as an International Fellow at the Centre for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, where she engages in domestic and foreign policy analysis of the United States. She is a researcher at Stanford’s World Education Reform Database and actively seeks opportunities to make research more accessible and tangible.

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Building Inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure

Featuring

Keynote & Fireside Chat

Featuring

Bio

As an engineer, Carlos’ passion is leveraging disruptive technologies for the benefit of underserved communities. He has professional experience in data analytics, engineering management and information and communication technologies (ICT), in multilingual and multicultural environments including North America, Europe, Africa and Latin America. At UNDP Accelerator Labs, based in Guatemala, Carlos leads data-driven solutions and strategic data partnerships, including the deployment of computer vision (artificial intelligence) and citizen science innovations for climate action. Before UNDP, Carlos collaborated implementing techno-institutional digital solutions in developing countries, consulted for international organizations and worked in data science and the telecommunications industry. Carlos is currently a fellow at MIT Connection Science, holding a M.S. Data Analytics, Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University, a MicroMasters in Data, Economics and Development Policy from MIT, and a B.S. Electronic Engineering from Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala.

Speaking Engagements

Special Evening Program for Reach Student Researchers

Global Leader Speaker Series 

Featuring

Lighting Talk & Panel Discussion

Integrating Community for Climate Resilient Solutions

Featuring

Bio

Chenny Xia is a serial entrepreneur and advocate for health equity and accessibility. As the CEO of Gotcare, she ensures acute and chronic health needs can be handled right at home, regardless of where you live – including service to over 100 remote communities across Canada. Through her leadership, Gotcare has been nationally recognized through several awards, including Start-up Innovator of the Year by Digital Health Canada in 2024, and a Top Growing Company by The Globe and Mail in 2023 and 2024. Additionally, Chenny continues to advance the care economy and women-led entrepreneurship through her past service as a member of Ontario’s Task Force on Women and the Economy, and currently as an advisory board member of Coralus (formerly SheEO).

Speaking Engagements

In Conversation

Reach Alliance Impact Partnership to Advance Rural Healthcare Access in Ontario, Canada

Featuring

Bio

Dr. Michael Anderson is part of the urban Indigenous community in Tkaronto/Toronto. He is
Mohawk (Bear Clan) and mixed European ancestry with family roots in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. He practices surgical oncology and palliative care medicine. He serves as the Strategic Lead for the Indigenous Health Program at the University Health Network and is also the
interim executive medical office at Inner City Health Associates (Toronto), an agency providing
healthcare to vulnerable and unhoused people in Toronto. Additionally, he is Chief Medical Officer for Verto Inc.. He is a senior researcher at the Waakebiness Institute for Indigenous Health in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (U of T) and a UHN Wilson Centre Scholar. He previously served as an Indigenous Cancer Lead and a Surgical Oncology Lead at Cancer Care Ontario. 

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Global Indigenous Perspective: Learning from Indigenous Communities Worldwide

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Addressing Early Childhood Development Needs in Challenging Environments

Featuring

Opening Remarks

Land Acknowledgement, Welcome Address & Live Spoken Word Performance

Featuring

Bio

Rushay is a global health policy analyst with experience consulting across international organizations, the public sector, and academic institutions. His areas of focus include the nexuses of health with climate change, humanitarian emergencies, and public financing. Most recently at the World Health Organization, Rushay deployed across the Western Pacific Region as part of the Strategic Knowledge Hub function, providing technical support to the Regional Director’s Office in Manila, Philippines, the Asia-Pacific Center for Environment & Health in Seoul, Republic of Korea, and Pacific technical units in Fiji and the Kingdom of Tonga. Previously, Rushay consulted for the OECD in Paris, France, developing strategic policy for its novel Climate Change and Health Programme, and contributed to the updated Health System Performance Assessment Framework adopted by OECD Ministers of Health. He is a Reach Alliance alumnus to Team Mongolia 2018-19, evaluating the World Bank rural electrification programme for nomadic herders.

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Localization: A Critical Factor for Program Implementation, Scale, and Sustainability

Featuring

Bio

Tully Mahr is a proud Aboriginal woman and STEM advocate, currently working on her master’s degree in mechanical engineering, specializing in aerospace at the University of Melbourne. With a BSc from the Australian National University, Tully is passionate about the integration of science and engineering concepts to inform a unique and holistic approach to STEM and sustainability research and development. Similarly, she is interested in using her cultural background to integrate traditional Indigenous knowledge into modern research practises. Tully is an advocate for the representation of marginalized communities within STEM, and aims to encourage and mentor the next generation of leaders, scientists, and engineers.

Speaking Engagements

Opening Remarks

Land Acknowledgement, Host Welcome & Live Musical Performance

Featuring

Keynote & Fireside Chat

Featuring

Bio

Gregorio has worked since 2003 with rural and urban organizations on issues related to Social and Solidarity Economy and Food sovereignty in Mexico and Argentina. He has designed methodologies and tools to support organizations on issues related to production, consumption, credit and savings, and the creation of value chains. Gregorio joined ITESO in 2019, and works at the Interdisciplinary Center for Education and Social Vinculation (CIFOVIS) in training processes linked to social relevance and the articulation of Social and Solidarity Economy processes. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from ITESO University, with a specialization in Popular Education, and a Master in Social Economy from the National University of General Sarmiento in Argentina.

Speaking Engagements

Reaching for Solutions with Community Collaborators

Transforming Food Systems

Featuring

Bio

Gladys is a third-year Doctor of Public Health student at the University of Toronto, Canada, courtesy of the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship. With a decade of experience in maternal and child health, she has worked extensively in reproductive health, quality improvement, and health systems strengthening. Before her doctoral studies, she served as the State Director of the USAID-funded Ebonyi State Integrated Health Program(IHP), where she led efforts to improve primary healthcare access and reduce maternal and child mortality. She also worked as a Primary Health Care Advisor for the Health Policy Plus project, managing the Jhpiego-led Maternal & Child Survival Program in Ebonyi State. Gladys holds a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Nottingham, UK, and a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria. She is passionate about girl-child education, equity, and advancing healthcare coverage for marginalized women and girls in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Speaking Engagements

In Conversation

Reach Alliance Impact Partnership to Advance Rural Healthcare Access in Ontario, Canada

Featuring

Bio

Abhilash Mishra is a scientist, entrepreneur, and educator working on problems at the intersection of emerging technologies and global challenges. Abhilash is the Founder and Chief Science Officer of Equitech Futures (www.equitechfutures.com), a global fellowship and innovation lab focussed on technology and societal challenges. He also holds an appointment at the University of Chicago, where he is the founding director of the Xu Initiative on Technology and Public Policy. His current research focuses on developing new applications of AI to solve challenges in climate, learning, and healthcare and understanding associated risks. Abhilash is trained as an astrophysicist and holds a PhD from Caltech and an MPhys from the University of Oxford. He serves as an advisor and board member for multiple startups. He chairs the advisory board for the Rhodes Technology and Society Forum and is a board member of the Merton College Charitable Corporation. He is a recipient of the Rhodes Scholarship, the Clinton Global Initiative University Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Goldman Sachs Global Leader Award.

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Community-centered Implementation of Digital Health Tools

Featuring

Bio

Joseph Wong is Vice-President, International, University of Toronto, where he is also a Professor of Political Science. He held the Canada Research Chair in Health, Democracy, and Development for two terms from 2006 to 2016, and the Roz and Ralph Halbert Professor of Innovation at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy from 2013 to 2023. Prior to being appointed Vice-President in 2021, Professor Wong was the U of T’s inaugural Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost, International Student Experience, and before that, the Director of the Asian Institute, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. He is the author of many academic articles and several books, including the latest From Development to Democracy: The Transformations of Modern Asia in 2022, published by Princeton University Press. His academic articles have been published in The Lancet, Perspectives on Politics, the Annual Review of Political Science, the Bulletin of the WHO, Comparative Political Studies, Governance, among others. Professor Wong has had affiliations with Harvard, Oxford, Fudan University in Shanghai, Seoul National University and the Institute for Policy Research in Taiwan. He has advised governments on matters of public policy in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas, as well as the UN and the WHO. Inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals, in collaboration with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, Professor Wong founded the Reach Alliance. The Alliance comprises eight university partners, including Tecnológico de Monterrey, University of Oxford, University College London, University of Melbourne, Ashesi University, the University of Cape Town and Singapore Management University.

Speaking Engagements

Remarks

Closing Keynote & Vote of Thanks

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Localization: A Critical Factor for Program Implementation, Scale, and Sustainability

Featuring

Remarks

Closing Keynote & Vote of Thanks

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Localization: A Critical Factor for Program Implementation, Scale, and Sustainability

Featuring

Bio

As the Executive Director, Marin leads strategic development and scale up of the Reach Alliance, including managing relationships with Reach’s global partners and broader insights community. Marin was a member of the Reach team that investigated the world’s first iris-scanning cash-assistance program for refugees in Jordan. Prior to joining the Reach Alliance, Marin led Grand Challenges Canada’s approach to impact measurement across their maternal, newborn and child health innovation portfolio. Her focus was on the systems and processes used to capture results, and to share knowledge generated by grantees through the organization’s unique innovation platform. Marin has experience with program design, delivery and evaluation, having worked across a range of public health issues in several countries. Marin holds a BA (Hons) from Queen’s University as a Loran Scholar, and a Master in Public Health degree from the University of Toronto

Speaking Engagements

Opening Remarks

Land Acknowledgement, Host Welcome & Live Musical Performance

Featuring

Bio

Jordan leads Co-Develop’s research grantmaking and serves as an investment lead for civil society grantmaking. He is building a movement of policy experts and researchers to support the development and deployment of safe, inclusive digital public infrastructure in countries across the world. He is an investments principal with a background in research and advocacy for technology as a tool for social development. He previously helped establish the Digital Impact and Governance Initiative at New America and served as a team leader in AmeriCorps NCCC. Jordan is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Building Inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Opening Remarks

Land Acknowledgement, Welcome Address & Live Spoken Word Performance

Featuring

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Global Indigenous Perspective: Learning from Indigenous Communities Worldwide

Featuring

Bio

As the Program Officer, Purva works closely with the Reach Alliance Program and Communications teams to support partnership building and relationship management with the Reach Alliance’s global cross-sector network. Purva is a global health professional with several years of project leadership experience managing the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of complex initiatives focused on public and global health topics. She has previously worked at the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research where she spearheaded the coordination and implementation of programs aiming to transform and improve heart health across Canada. Purva also volunteers as a Project Coordinator at Public Health Insight, an organization committed to leading and innovating modern solutions to support evidence-informed public health communication and knowledge translation. Purva completed her Masters in Global Health with a specialization in Globalization and Equity from McMaster University, and her Bachelors in Medical Science from Western University.

Speaking Engagements

In Conversation

Reach Alliance Impact Partnership to Advance Rural Healthcare Access in Ontario, Canada

Featuring

Bio

Matthew leads the International Office in building bridges and deepening relations for the Singapore Management University with some 300 partner universities around the world. His time at SMU follows 21 years of international relations work in the public and non-profit sectors. Best experiences then include running international campaigns, and leading multilateral negotiations and collaborations on maritime issues at UN agencies and regional inter-governmental organizations; establishing a representative office in London to promote Maritime Singapore to the European community; and building a network of Friends of Singapore Communities in major cities in China, the UK, the US, and ASEAN countries. 

Speaking Engagements

Special Announcement

Special Announcement

Featuring

Bio

Dr. Penina Lam is the U of T’s Senior Director of International Relations, where she leads strategic engagement and development of partnerships with Africa. She also leads the implementation the Africa Health Collaborative, designed to facilitate talent development and entrepreneurship among African youth. She oversees the Secretariat team and works in close partnership with colleagues across U of T, with African institutions, and the Mastercard Foundation.  As a scholar-practitioner, she’s passionate about research and programs that foster access to and equity in education, health, and employment opportunities. Prior to joining U of T, she worked as an Organizational Development (OD) consultant at the World Bank, in healthcare and education sectors. She’s experienced at engaging with diverse stakeholders to design, develop, and deliver impactful learning and talent development program. Her academic career has spanned research, faculty, staff, and senior leadership roles working with African, Canadian, and US institutions. Dr. Lam holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & OD, with a focus on Human Resource Development.

Speaking Engagements

Fireside Chat

Accountable Futures

Featuring

Bio

Dr. Imara Ajani Rolston is a social psychologist, policy maker, and Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Dr. Rolston has contributed to research and publications in the areas of HIV/AIDS, health promotion and community development and has advanced racial justice and urban responses to climate change with the City of Toronto’s Resilient TO Office and the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit. He has over 15 years of experience working across Sub-Saharan Africa with organizations including the Stephen Lewis Foundation, Oxfam Canada, and Greenpeace Africa. Dr. Rolston earned a BA in Political Science and a MA in Adult Education from the University of Toronto. He earned his PhD in Social Psychology from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Dr Rolston has appeared on the CBC’s The National.

Speaking Engagements

Reaching for Solutions with Community Collaborators

Climate Justice and Accountability

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Lighting Talk & Panel Discussion

Integrating Community for Climate Resilient Solutions

Featuring

Bio

Alonso Muñoz Sanchez is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, double majoring in International Relations and Public Policy. As a Researcher at the Reach Alliance, he conducted research on social innovation and food systems transformation in Jalisco, Mexico. Alonso now works at the School of Cities, a global research hub based at the University of Toronto, where he is conducting research on urban policy and climate-induced displacement. He previously completed a policy internship placement at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), where he helped develop and advocate for policies to strengthen Ontario’s 400+ municipal governments. Alonso has managed translation projects for asylum-seekers and refugees and participated in a bilateral youth lab with the Canadian and Mexican Embassies.

Speaking Engagements

Opening Remarks

Land Acknowledgement, Welcome Address & Live Spoken Word Performance

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Addressing Early Childhood Development Needs in Challenging Environments

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Building Inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Community-centered Implementation of Digital Health Tools

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Community-centered Implementation of Digital Health Tools

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Addressing Early Childhood Development Needs in Challenging Environments

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Lighting Talk & Panel Discussion

Integrating Community for Climate Resilient Solutions

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Global Indigenous Perspective: Learning from Indigenous Communities Worldwide

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Reaching for Solutions with Community Collaborators

Transforming Food Systems

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Reaching for Solutions with Community Collaborators

Housing Without Borders

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Global Indigenous Perspective: Learning from Indigenous Communities Worldwide

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Lighting Talk & Panel Discussion

Integrating Community for Climate Resilient Solutions

Featuring

Bio

Gina currently works at Quinte Health as the Vice President & Chief Digital Officer. Her healthcare experience began early in her graduate study career where her research focused on clinical variation in cardiac care units as well as clinical trial development and administration. More recent areas of academic and provincial focus include clinical systems implementation, governance, population health management, intellectual property in innovation, data trust constructs in healthcare, privacy, and security in digital health, healthcare administration, and healthcare leadership.

Gina has a graduate degree from Western University in Information Science and is currently pursing her PhD in Biocomputing at Queen’s. She also holds specialized certifications and education in information science, privacy, health care administration, asset-based community development, and executive leadership. Gina also holds faculty appointments with St. Lawrence College and the University of Toronto.

As much as she enjoys the technology and business of healthcare, the ability to be part of a system that works towards leaving healthcare in a little bit of a better place through discovery and knowledge is deeply important to her. Bringing humanity and compassion to people, processes and technology brings enjoyment to Gina and is a dedicated board member at Pathways to Independence.

Speaking Engagements

In Conversation

Reach Alliance Impact Partnership to Advance Rural Healthcare Access in Ontario, Canada

Featuring

Bio

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Community-centered Implementation of Digital Health Tools

Featuring

Bio

Javier is Professor at the School of Government and Public Transformation at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico´s largest private university, where he has also been the Law program director for Guadalajara Campus since 2022. From 2021 to 2023, he worked as external consultant for the International Organization for Migrations of the United Nations (IOM) in different projects related to the protection of migrant children, local governments policies for the integration of migrants, and the combat to migrant smuggling’s practices. Prior to that, he held senior positions in the Government of Mexico, including being the Executive secretary of the National Department for prevention and eradication of violence against women and the General Director of the Jalisco’s State Office for Migrants. Mr. Contreras is part of the Citizen Council of the National’s Migration. He has also been a consultant for international organizations like UNODC, UNFPA, UN Women and the ILO. He has a Master degree of Public Law at the Panamerican University. Recently he participated as the author of the National Strategy to Prevent and Combat Migrants’ Smuggling for the Department of State in México.

Speaking Engagements

Reaching for Solutions with Community Collaborators

Housing Without Borders

Featuring

Bio

Iza is a Professor at the School of Social Sciences and Government at Tecnológico de Monterrey. She graduated in Law from the Tecnológico de Monterrey and holds a PhD in Social Sciences, with a specialization in migration and public health, having completed research stays at Mississippi State University and University of Trento in Italy. In recent years, she has taught courses on Citizenship and Democracy, Sociology, Gender, Society and Human Rights, Political Participation and Sociology of Identity, and Qualitative Research Methods and has coordinated the semester of “Leadership for Social Development”. Her current work on social development focuses on gender and violence from a sociological and legal perspective, especially with domestic migrants, through projects with indigenous communities within the Monterrey Metropolitan Area. Sánchez Siller is co-founder of the program “Promoting Gender Equity in Adolescents and Young Women in rural areas” in Mitunguu, Kenya; a program that works with local high schools to reinforce the importance of higher education and decision-making.

Speaking Engagements

Lightning Talk & Panel Discussion

Addressing Early Childhood Development Needs in Challenging Environments

Featuring

Bio

Kennedy is a digital ecosystem curator pursuing a Master of Health Informatics at the University of Toronto. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Moi University. His experience includes bedside nursing, clinical research, and health information system design, focusing on projects that improve healthcare access for underserved population.

Speaking Engagements

Fireside Chat

Accountable Futures

Featuring

Bio

Jemila has a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Kwame
Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST),, and is currently
studying for a Master of Engineering degree (Biomedical Engineering
specialisation) at the University of Toronto. She is on a mission to make a
positive impact through research and technology, and this is why her current research at the Reach Alliance focuses on the use of digital platforms to promote PTSD treatment in refugee populations.

Speaking Engagements

Fireside Chat

Accountable Futures

Featuring

Bio

Nancy Estrada is an internationalist from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Specialist in International Migration from the Northern Border College and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in human rights and sustainability at the Jalisco’s College. Among others, she has worked for the Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta, USA where he coordinated communication issues between local and national media for the Mexican population in the region of Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. She has worked for the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance, the Mexican government office in charge of analyzing and determining the refugee status in Mexico, as an eligibility officer and later as Assistant Manager for the protection unit. She currently works as Head of the Field Unit in Guadalajara of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, where she coordinates local integration and protection programs for refugees and people with international protection needs in the entity.

Speaking Engagements

Reaching for Solutions with Community Collaborators

Housing Without Borders

Featuring

Bio

Laura Tozer is an Assistant Professor of environmental studies in the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences at the University of Toronto. She researches climate change and urban sustainability governance and policy. Her current research projects focus on how to accelerate equitable transitions to net zero and resilient cities, particularly related to energy transitions and building decarbonization.

Speaking Engagements

Reaching for Solutions with Community Collaborators

Climate Justice and Accountability

Featuring

Bio

Sarah is an adult educator, wellness advocate, and entrepreneur. She has spent her professional life as a passionate educator within student affairs, the wellness world and through teaching abroad. She brings over 15 years of experience working across the University of Toronto St. George, University of Toronto Mississauga, Seneca College, Nipissing University, TMU (previously Ryerson University) and non-profit community work through residence life, leadership development, community engagement, experiential learning, global learning, orientation, civic engagement, and mentorship programming. Committed to her own active engagement with anti-oppressive practices and ways of being, throughout her career, Sarah has centred equity and inclusion in her leadership, program development, and mentorship. She has woven her love for wellness and education into her business WEflow Yoga & Movement to continue to support folks navigating their own wellbeing.

Speaking Engagements

Reflection

Mindfulness Activity

Featuring

Bio

Zoha Sojoudi is a 4th year Rotman Commerce student at the University of Toronto, and a Reach Alliance Researcher within the 2023-2024 cohort. She is specifically part of the Just and Accountable Futures project, which culminated in the development of a proposed climate accountability approach for the City of Toronto. Beyond her academic experience, Zoha is also an avid poet, author, and spoken word artist. She has been invited to present her spoken word pieces at several interfaith events, particularly those affiliated with IYAM (Interfaith Youth Alliance Movement) or the Mary Ward Centre. She has also written, illustrated, and self-published a poetic children’s book titled, The Giver of All Gifts. Inspired by her transformative Reach experience, Zoha has written a spoken word piece that highlights what individual-level accountability means when it comes to social impact work.

Speaking Engagements

Opening Remarks

Land Acknowledgement, Welcome Address & Live Spoken Word Performance

Featuring

Reaching for Solutions with Community Collaborators

Climate Justice and Accountability

Featuring

Bio

Zoha Sojoudi is a 4th year Rotman Commerce student at the University of Toronto, and a Reach Alliance Researcher within the 2023-2024 cohort. She is specifically part of the Just and Accountable Futures project, which culminated in the development of a proposed climate accountability approach for the City of Toronto. Beyond her academic experience, Zoha is also an avid poet, author, and spoken word artist. She has been invited to present her spoken word pieces at several interfaith events, particularly those affiliated with IYAM (Interfaith Youth Alliance Movement) or the Mary Ward Centre. She has also written, illustrated, and self-published a poetic children’s book titled, The Giver of All Gifts. Inspired by her transformative Reach experience, Zoha has written a spoken word piece that highlights what individual-level accountability means when it comes to social impact work.