Our Board 

Andrew Graham

Co-Founder and CEO, Borrowell

Andrew Graham is co-founder and CEO of Borrowell, one of Canada’s largest financial technology companies, with over two million users. Borrowell helps consumers find financial prosperity and make great decisions about their money. It was the first company in Canada to offer credit scores for free and offers products and recommendations across a consumer’s financial journey. Borrowell has won numerous awards, including being named one of the top 100 fintech companies in the world by KPMG, one of the fifty fastest growing technology companies in Canada by Deloitte and top 50 “Best Workplaces in Canada” two years in a row. For his work building Borrowell, Andrew was named an EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019. Andrew has a long history of involvement with CivicAction and the city. He co-founded Toronto Homecoming, an ELN-supported initiative that connected hundreds of Canadians living abroad with job opportunities in the city, and was co-chair of the ELN. Additionally, he has served on the board of Evergreen, which runs the Brick Works, and was President of the Canadian Club of Toronto. Andrew holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an MA in economics from the University of Edinburgh.

Daniele Zanotti

President and CEO, United Way Greater Toronto

In his over 20 years of experience in the public and non-profit sectors, Daniele’s work is guided by one core value to work in and with community across all sectors to create positive change. As CEO of United Way York Region, he played a pivotal role in the merger of United Ways across Toronto and York Region in 2015. Under his leadership, the organization continues to apply an increasingly regional lens in 2018, joining with Peel Region to form United Way Greater Toronto, the largest United Way in the world and largest funder of social services outside of government. This scaled-up approach is improving opportunities for donors, volunteers, and partners across Peel, Toronto and York Region, and building capacity to expand local investments. Daniele holds a Masters in Social Work from the University of Toronto and sits on advisory committees and boards across the region.

Jennifer Quinn

Chief Strategy and Development Officer, Nieuport Aviation

Jennifer Quinn is an experienced public and private sector Executive who brings a background in strategy, commercial negotiations, infrastructure and real estate development, and government service delivery. Prior to her role at Nieuport, Jennifer was a Partner and Government & Public Services Industry leader with Deloitte and held executive roles at Infrastructure Ontario (IO).
She is passionate about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and in 2017 was the recipient of Start Proud’s Leaders to be Proud of – Professional Leadership award, recognizing excellence in the LGBTQ community.

Jennifer has an Honours Bachelor of Accounting from Brock University, a Master’s Certificate in Public Management from York University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.

Nieuport Aviation owns and operates the passenger terminal at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

Lisa Kimmel

Co-Founder, Lantern Media LLC

Lisa Kimmel is a global business executive, board director, communications strategist, and co-founder of Lantern Media LLC. She was the chair and CEO of Edelman Canada and Latin America and global managing director of Daniel J Edelman’s high-growth, U.S.-based sector specialty agencies (Revere, Salutem, Edible, and Mustache). She oversaw Edelman’s Canadian and Latin American operations and was on Edelman’s Global Operations Committee. In her role, she provided senior counsel to clients and was responsible for the region’s growth strategies. In Canada, she has led the region’s strategic evolution to a best-in-class communications firm, the biggest evolution in the firm’s history. Edelman Canada has been awarded a Cannes Lions for its “In the Head of a Hacker” campaign on behalf of HP and Strategy Magazine’s 2017 PR Agency of the Year. Lisa’s fresh, collaborative, and authentic approach not only resulted in award-winning programs for clients but has fostered a corporate culture based on innovation, teamwork, and integrity. Edelman Canada has been recognized as one of the Great Places to Work: Best Workplaces in Canada and Best Workplaces for Women for eight consecutive years. Passionate about advancing women in business, Lisa is chair of the firm’s Global Women’s Equality Network (GWEN), which is committed to fostering an environment where women of all backgrounds can enjoy equal opportunities. She is committed to supporting future leaders and championing women’s causes. She is a sought-after speaker and commentator at events and in the media. In recognition of her efforts, Lisa is a recipient of both the Financial Times and HERoes Champions of Women in Business Top 100 Female Executives and a 2019 YWCA Toronto Women of Distinction Award for Corporate Leadership. She has also been inducted into the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada Hall of Fame. Lisa is actively involved with several mentorship programs through the Women’s Executive Network, American Marketing Association, and Women in Communications and Technology Program. She is Vice-Chair of the Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM) Dean’s Council at Ryerson University and is on the Board of Directors of the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto. Lisa also sits on the Global Advisory Board for G(irls)20, and is a member of the United Nations Women’s Empower Advisory Group.

Nan DasGupta

Chair, CivicAction; Managing Director and Senior Partner, BCG, Toronto

Nan is a Managing Director and Senior Partner in BCG’s Toronto office and is a core member of the Financial Services Practice. She leads the People and Organization Practice in Canada, is the People Chair for BCG Canada, and the Leader of the Women@BCG Initiative in North America. Nan has worked extensively on strategy and organizational transformational efforts across Financial Services, Retail, Consumer and Industrial Good industries. She has contributed extensively in the Social Impact domain and is one of the leaders of BCG’s Centre for Canada’s Future.

Nan is a board director of CivicAction, Leap Pecaut Centre for Social Impact, and a member of the Ivey Advisory Board. She has three kids and leads an active life of sports, fun, and travel with her family. Before joining BCG, Nan worked as a Project Engineer for General Electric, Industrial Motors Business.

Nan received her M.B.A. from the University of Western Ontario, Masters of Electrical Engineering from the University of Toronto, and Bachelor Honors Electrical Engineering degree with a minor in Management from McGill University.

Ronald (Ron) Alepian

Chief Communications Officer and SVP of Corporate and Public Affairs, TD Bank Group

For the past two decades, Ronald has helped organizations communicate, adapt and lead in times of significant change: global restructurings, transformational acquisitions and high-profile issues. He has advised on over $100 billion in transactions and has led marketing and communications programs that strengthened brand and reputation and drove growth across Canada, the US, Europe and Asia.

At TD, Ronald leads a global team that helps the Bank capture growth and connect with all audiences and stakeholders, including governments, policymakers and community leaders. Prior to joining TD, he led the corporate advisory practice at NATIONAL Public Relations – one of the world’s leading independent strategic communications firms, and also served as General Manager of the firm’s Investor Relations practice. Over his career, he has led communications teams at BCE and Bell Canada in Montreal, Nortel and TMX Group in Toronto, and was chief communications officer for software giant CA Technologies (formerly Computer Associates) in NYC.

Ronald has been a frequent commentator in the press on political and public affairs issues, appearing regularly on major broadcast networks and penning articles for tier 1 global publications. Ronald is committed to a more sustainable and inclusive future, where growth respects the world we live in and supports a more equitable future for all. He led TMX Group’s United Way Campaign, is a member of the Arthur Page Society (an invitation-only association of global chief communications officers) and has served on the Board of Governors of Junior Achievement of Central Ontario. Of Armenian descent, born in Montreal and currently living in Toronto, Ronald is fluent in three languages.

Tim Hockey

Chair, CivicAction Leadership Foundation – Past-President & CEO, TD Ameritrade Corporation

Tim Hockey is a financial services veteran with more than 36 years experience in banking and wealth management in both Canada and the United States. He is known for his passion for technology and enhancing the client experience. Tim stepped down as President and CEO of TD Ameritrade, in November of 2019, upon the announcement of the intended sale of the firm to Charles Schwab Corporation. TD Ameritrade was a Fortune 500 NASDAQ listed company with a $1.4 trillion in Client Assets, a $28B USD market capitalization, 10,000 Associates, and $6B USD revenue. Hockey joined TD Ameritrade in January 2016 from TD Bank Group, where he most recently served as Group Head, Canadian Banking and Wealth Management, and as President and CEO of TD Canada Trust. His primary responsibilities covered a portfolio of global businesses totaling nearly CDN $13 billion in annual revenue and included global direct investing, advisory and Canadian asset management businesses, as well as leadership of Canadian personal banking, business banking and auto finance. Over his 32-year career with TD, he held senior positions in a variety of areas including mutual funds, retail distribution, information technology, small business banking, credit cards and personal lending. Hockey holds an MBA and PhD (Honoris Causa) from the University of Western Ontario, and sits on the Advisory Board of the Richard Ivey School of Business. He serves on the Board of Maple Leaf Foods, and is the Chair of the Board of the CivicAction Leadership Foundation. He served on the Board of Directors for the SickKids Foundation, successfully leading the hospital’s campaign to build the world’s leading children’s health Research and Learning facility. He previously served as Chair of the Canadian Banker’s Association. He is also a past winner of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, and served on the organization’ selection committee. Tim is proud of winning “Humor Me”, a charitable stand-up comedy event established to find Canada’s funniest CEO! An avid cyclist, world traveler and philanthropist, Tim spends his time in Toronto, Greenville SC, and aboard “The World”. Hockey can be followed on Twitter at @TimHockey.

Tsering Yangki

Head of Real Estate Finance and Development, Dream Unlimited Corp., Dream Impact Trust & Dream Office REIT

With over 17 years of experience in the real estate industry, Tsering has worked with developers in the private and public market. She has partnered with private, public, governmental, and non-governmental stakeholders to successfully develop and implement business, capital, and risk management strategies, and designed innovative economic instruments. Recently, she was recognized by Globe & Mail’s Report on Business as 2022’s 50 Best Executives.
 
In her current role as Head of Real Estate Finance & Development, Tsering leads the Development and Real Estate Finance group for three of Dream’s public entities spanning a diverse asset portfolio ranging from residential condominium units, residential rental units, office, retail, and income-producing properties across Canada and the US. In addition, she is part of the Executive Management Team of Dream Impact Trust, Canada’s first public impact investing vehicle.
 
Tsering is responsible for leading with the team the strategy of each entity’s development & debt solutions. She manages over $8billion of existing debt while overseeing its risk management and governance. Over the last three years, Tsering has successfully led or co-led approximately $6 billion of complex and innovative debt solutions. She and her team lead & manage Dream’s $7 billion net zero communities under development or in the pipeline.

Tsering views the values of interdependence & interconnectedness to be integral in real estate & the built environment. She believes that real estate/built environment is a key stakeholder to address social determinants of health, social cohesion, food security, climate change & foster fair & inclusive economy.

Clayton Shirt

, Plains Cree/Anishinaabe Originally from Treaty 6 territory Wolf Clan

Clayton is a traditional knowledge practitioner of holistic health and wellness, lecturer, educator and historian.
His worldview and understanding of life is based on living his whole life immersed in learning from his traditional Indigenous teachers, elders and family.
He is currently the sitting traditional knowledge teacher/educator with WBIIH University of Toronto where he can bring his traditional perspective and vast experience in ‘walking the good path’ to scholars and educators. Also being able to bring wise counsel and support to indigenous students seeking higher learning.
He was raised and currently lives in Toronto, with his wife and family of three children and his beautiful granddaughter.