Face of Leadership Inclusive Leadership Forum 2024

Tina Strehlke is a skilled leader with 20 years of experience in the social impact sector. She has knowledge and expertise in gender equality, inclusive leadership, career development, and creating equitable workplaces. Tina has a BA in International Relations from UBC and an MA in Communications from Royal Roads University. She recently completed the Certified Leadership Coach program at Essential Impact. Tina has lived and worked in Germany, Costa Rica, Guyana, and Taiwan. She currently volunteers as a mentor with Young Women in Business UBC and is a member of the Prosperity Project’s Rosie Initiative Advisory Group, and the Essential Impact Advisory Group.

Elaine Lin Hering is a facilitator, writer, and speaker. She works with organizations and individuals to build skills in communication, collaboration, and conflict management. She has worked on six continents and facilitated executive education at Harvard, Dartmouth, Tufts, UC Berkeley, and UCLA. Elaine is the former Advanced Training Director for the Harvard Mediation Program and a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School. She has worked with coal miners at BHP Billiton, micro-finance organizers in East Africa, mental health professionals in China, and senior leadership at the US Department of Commerce. Her clients include American Express, Chevron, Google, Nike, Novartis, PayPal, Pixar, and the Red Cross. She is the author of the USA Today Bestselling book Unlearning Silence: How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent, and Live More Fully (Penguin, 2024).

Professor Lyndall Strazdins' research centres on work, family and health, with a focus on time as a social determinant of health. Lack of time is the most common reason for not eating healthy food or being active and her work shows why time is a problem, and for whom. Most recently she has been researching the health harms of long work hours, and how long hours are widening social and gender inequality. Lyndall's approach to research has been through partnerships and generating engagement, leading or co-lead on multiple competitive grants, consultancies which have been partnership based. She has served as an expert scientific advisor for Government boards and panels nationally and internationally, including those focused on women’s economic and social empowerment. She has been awarded an ARC Future Fellowship and EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie International Fellowship Seal of Excellence. Her papers have been ranked among the top 5 in their year in her field. Lyndall is currently a Professor at the National Centre of Epidemiology and Population Health, at the Australian National University. She is a Clinical Psychologist, leads the University’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and is a very sedate horse rider. Her new book, the Unequal Hour: How time is shaping health will be published in November this year.

Amal Masri is the CEO of Fix The Broken Rung, an organization with the mission of helping one million women of color get promoted and supporting organizations in accelerating the leadership pipeline. She believes that top talent isn't discovered, it's developed, and mental well-being is key to elevating performance. Her work has been featured in outlets such as the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Strategy Magazine, Global News, and Investment Executive. In addition to leading Fix The Broken Rung, Amal is a fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and advisor to high-growth B2B companies.

Tara Robertson (she/her) is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategist, Certified Leadership Coach, and Public Speaker. She analyzes qualitative and quantitative HR data to diagnose where companies’ biggest DEI problems are and works with internal stakeholders to co-design interventions based on research, best practices, and experience about what actually moves the needle. She also helps women of color in corporate careers go from underestimated and overworked to unapologetic and wildly successful. Her signature approach comes down to being unafraid to go where her clients need to go—and guiding them through it. Tara has been featured in Forbes, the Harvard Business Review, and several podcasts. She lives in Vancouver with her wife.

Neelam is a senior executive in the social impact sector. With more than 25 years of leadership experience primarily in the nonprofit sector, her award-winning work in the social and economic development of Surrey, BC has been based on creating community impact through resource connections, innovative economic drivers and values-based community partnerships. Neelam has a well-established reputation for building and leading high performing teams with transformative business strategies. She is known for her unrelenting focus on quality and efficiency combined with a genuine concern and commitment for all who work with her. As a BIPOC female leader, she uses her voice and champions the advancement of women of all diverse backgrounds using her intersectionality lens to ensure equitable pathways to leadership roles.

Recognized as a Globe and Mail, ROB Changemaker and a Future of Good New Founder to Watch, Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi is an award-winning social entrepreneur and leadership, equity and inclusion expert. On a mission to advance corporate representation and leadership of Indigenous, Black and racialized women at all levels in workplaces, she is the Founder of Accelerate Her Future™, a leading career accelerator offering tailored programs by and for Black, Indigenous and racialized women. With an MBA from the UBC Sauder School of Business and a DBA from Athabasca University, Golnaz held a successful 15-year marketing management career with large multinational service firms. She is a TEDx and Walrus Talks speaker, and a trusted media expert whose commentary has been featured on CTV News and whose work has been published internationally in books and journals including The Oxford Handbook of Diversity in Organizations.

Camelia is a dynamic technology executive with a proven track record in leading global teams to success, particularly in the realms of AI adoption, cloud transformation, and cutting-edge innovation. Renowned for her ability to cultivate high-performing teams, Camelia creates an inclusive and empowering environment where diverse perspectives thrive. She is committed to challenging the status quo and championing user-centric technology solutions that drive meaningful change. <br /> <br /> With a leadership style deeply rooted in a people-centric philosophy, Camelia excels at empowering her teams while integrating Agile methodologies for value-driven outcomes. Her unwavering passion for diversity and inclusion ensures that every initiative she leads not only delivers business results but also contributes to a more equitable and inclusive workplace.<br /> <br />

Melissa is a professional certified leadership coach and facilitator. She holds the International Coach Federation (ICF) Professional Certified Coach (PCC) designation. She is a facilitator of the Excelerator™ Coaching model at Essential Impact, and has a certification in team coaching. She also has a Bachelors of Science from the University of Alberta. Melissa feels privileged to have provided coaching support to TD Bank Group, winner of 2021 ICF international Prism award; Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, winner of the ICF Prism Award 2020 in addition to Rogers Communication, the 2015 ICF International Prism Award finalist. “Coaching has shown me over and over that sometimes one difference makes all the difference.”

Adobea Foli is a career coach and speaker dedicated to helping accomplished newcomers and mid-career professionals find fulfilling careers in Canada. With over 15 years of experience across tech, finance, and manufacturing, Adobea leverages her deep industry knowledge and adaptability to guide individuals and organizations to success. She is an MBA graduate from UBC and has held key roles at Telus and Lululemon. Since 2017, Adobea has partnered with organizations that support newcomers, young professionals, and students. In 2023, she founded Adobea Foli Coaching and Consulting, offering tailored workshops, career resources, and speaking engagements to empower diverse talent and simplify the job search process.

As Genome BC’s Director of Indigenous Relations and Initiatives, Candice Loring K’wiloo’km N’kwala is working to advance the Indigenous innovation ecosystem. Candice is also an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Management at UBC Okanagan. She held the role of Senior Advisor, Indigenous Relations & Initiatives in Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Mitacs. As a proud member of the Gitwangak band from the Gitxsan Nation in Northern British Columbia, Candice’s passion for small businesses and entrepreneurship, along with her background in business management, has allowed her to expertly guide and support hundreds of organizations through collaborative innovation projects. Through her commitment to advancing the national Indigenous innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, Candice serves on numerous councils and committees, including the Indigenous Advisory Council for the Oceans Supercluster, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council Advisory Committee, and Minerva BC. In 2021, Candice was recognized as one of Canada’s most inspirational women entrepreneurs and business leaders by Canadian SME Small Business Magazine for her economic development work in Indigenous communities. She is a Ch’nook scholar scholarship recipient named Kelowna’s 2022 BDO Top 40 Under 40. Candice was also named UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Management Alumni Builder Award recipient in 2023.

Daniela Cohen’s mission is to help bridge divides to build communities where everyone can thrive. Her passion stems from the experience of growing up in apartheid South Africa. Even though she was privileged as a white person in this system of institutionalized racism, witnessing the injustice around her at a young age as well as experiencing barriers to connecting with peers of different races left a lasting impact. As the founder of Transformative Conversations, Daniela facilitates programs to create equitable, inclusive communities. Her expertise includes designing and implementing conflict-positive organizations and environments. Daniela is also a woman-centered coach, helping women to break through hidden internal barriers to soar towards their dreams.<br />

Natasha is responsible for engaging the organization, partners and the public to bring BCLC’s social purpose vision to life. Her team leads the strategy and programs that connect BCLC to our players and the public through marketing, communications, player incentive and rewards programs, customer support, stakeholder engagement, Indigenous relations, government relations and ESG. Her significant experience in the non-profit and consumer-packaged goods sectors is underpinned by her commitment to help create a better world. Prior to joining BCLC she was the CEO of One Girl Can, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to breaking down poverty and gender inequality among the world’s most vulnerable girls. She was also the President of Happy Planet Foods, a Vancouver-based, sustainable-food company.

Sydney is a Sales Development Representative for Bucketlist Rewards, and an alumna of the Learning to Lead program at Minerva BC. Sydney has worked in various industries like Travel & Hospitality, Construction, Real Estate, Fitness, Marketing. She has also started her own entrepreneurial ventures. She understands the critical role that strong work culture plays in a company's success. It's not just about having happy employees; it's about creating an environment where everyone can thrive and reach their full potential.

Carolyn is a partner in PwC Canada’s Workforce of the Future practice. She helps clients solve their most important people-related challenges and is an expert in aligning an organisation’s performance, culture and behaviours to its strategy, vision and values. Prior to joining PwC Canada, she led PwC’s global People Strategy and Experience team. Here she developed the network’s People Strategy, People Value Proposition Framework and an HR Operating Model.<br />

Farah is a dynamic people & culture professional with experience spanning from people management, consulting, and training programs development in the areas of leadership development, organizational development, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Formerly a professor in organizational behavior and cross-cultural management, she has a rich multicultural perspective gained from her own biracial identity and living and working across South Asia, West Asia, Europe, and North America. Farah holds a PhD in Organizational Behavior from IESE Business School, a Master’s in Industrial Relations from Queen’s University, and a Bachelor’s in Management & Organizational Studies from Western University. She is deeply committed to anti-racism and fostering inclusive, engaging workplaces as key drivers of organizational success. She advocates for championing inclusion by ensuring workplaces where individuals can fully express their authentic selves.<br />

Anita Kaur Atwal is an experienced labour, employment and human rights lawyer, who now practices exclusively in the area of workplace investigations, mediations, equity and inclusion. In her work, she supports institutional and public sector clients with their workplace related needs, including investigations, risk management, policy development and training. Ms. Atwal is frequent presenter and trainer on workplace investigations, mediations and inclusive workplaces. Ms. Atwal recently finished serving as the Principal Consultant of the Human Rights Office at Simon Fraser University (SFU). She now serves as a Special Advisor to SFU’s Vice President, People Equity and Inclusion. She also serves as the Integrity Commissioner for the City of Maple Ridge. Ms. Atwal is a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) and skilled mediator, having received her mediation training from the Harvard Program on Negotiation. Additionally, Ms. Atwal serves on the Board of Directors of British Columbia Infrastructure Benefits (BCIB), a Provincial Crown Corporation responsible for providing qualified skilled trades for the construction of public infrastructure projects. Anita chairs the Human Resources and Governance Committee of BCIB. Ms. Atwal was also recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the Fraser Health Authority. Ms. Atwal is the former and longest service president of the South Asian Bar Association.

Emily Lublow is a Minerva program alumni, and a Manager in the Workforce of the Future practice at PwC Canada. She has a background in Cultural Anthropology from UBC and holds a Masters degree in Organizational Psychology from University College London. Emily focused her dissertation on workplace burnout, specifically around gender differences in burnout rates in the technology industry. She is based in Vancouver, BC and works in consulting, specializing in culture change and change management across all industries.

Chief Executive Officer<br /> Olga Stachova is the CEO of MOSAIC. She joined MOSAIC after a long career as Chief Operating Officer at Mitacs, a national non-profit organization delivering research and training programs to graduate and postgraduate students in Canada through partnerships with the private sector and the federal and provincial governments. Olga brings 20 years of experience managing a fast-growing, distributing, non-profit organization, as well as operational expertise in program design, delivery, and evaluation, and a proven track record of building strategic partnerships among diverse stakeholder groups. Olga has a Master’s Degree in English and Philosophy from the University of Constantine the Philosopher in Nitra, Slovakia. Prior to immigrating to Canada, she was a Senior Project Manager at Management Partners, the leading HR consulting company in the Slovak market. She was highly successful in her role of recruiting personnel for international organizations opening subsidiaries in Slovakia. Olga is the recipient of the 2009 Business in Vancouver Top Forty Under 40 Award, as well as the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Aminat is a researcher and PhD candidate. Together with Dr. Stacey Fitzimmons of the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business at University of Victoria, she authored the report, Beyond the First Job: A BC Study of Immigrants Career Ascension into Top Leadership Teams. She will present key findings of this report at the Inclusive Leadership Forum. Aminat holds a Bachelor in Supply Chain Management, University of Houston; a Bachelor in Public Relations, University of Houston; a Master of Science in Management Science, University of Texas at Dallas; and a Master of Business Administration, University of Texas at Dallas.

Fariba is a passionate leader and strategic thinker with over 25 years’ combined industry and advisory services experience, in corporate leadership roles as well as on non-profit boards. As a skilled, business-focused, and multi-cultural leader in project governance and Information Technology, she has a consistent track record in building the best practices and processes for programs, projects, and cross-functional teams to deliver strategic initiatives and tactical business solutions. Fariba’s strengths reside in her ability to provide teams with vision, values and guidelines to enable them making the best possible decisions to advance the organization’s objectives. In her current role as Director of Corporate Projects, Fariba chairs ‘Capital Projects Investment Committee’ and provides governance and oversight for all new initiatives and major projects at BC Liquor Distribution Branch spanning from $200K to $100M in size. She played a critical role in delivering the Cannabis program successfully in 2018 and a variety of challenging and complex portfolio of the projects and programs such as Modern Workplace, Cybersecurity, Digital Foundation, Supply Chain systems as well as enterprise Risk Identification and Mitigation. Fariba also serves as the Chair of BCIT School of Computing and Academic Studies PAC (Program Advisory Committee) from 2017; BCIT (British Columbia Institute of Technology) is one of British Columbia’s largest post-secondary institutions with more than 48,000 students enrolled annually.<br />

As the Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at SFU Library, Sandhya Ghai is passionate about achieving mindful inclusion and fostering safe and brave spaces for individuals and organizations to learn, unlearn and relearn. She strongly advocates that any organization can be truly equitable only if all its employees take on an individual as well as a collective responsibility towards systemic change. Her lived experiences coming from India where there is race, class, gender, age, religion, education, and all kinds of inequities that one can think of to Canada that at least outwardly celebrates diversity and inclusion have sparked an interest in her to delve deeper into the realities of one’s identity and how it can be both empowering and oppressing.

As Chief Impact Officer of MSM Unify’s global impact initiatives, Sobhana focuses on strategic planning, fostering innovation, and championing collaboration, reconciliation, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Sobhana holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Calicut University and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India. Her extensive career includes nearly 20 years in the BC Public Service, senior roles in the private sector, and serving as AVP of External Relations and Adjunct Faculty at Simon Fraser University. She is also a respected public speaker and dedicated volunteer, holding pro bono roles at HashHack Code and the BC-India Business Network. Her contributions to government and community relations have earned her several prestigious awards, including the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award and the Woman of the Decade Award from the Women Economic Forum.<br />

Manu is a senior leader having worked in the information and technology and services sector, financial services, and telecom for the past 25 years. He is currently Head of People and Culture at SWTCH - a pioneer in developing EV charging for multi-family and commercial properties across Canada. Manu has lived across Canada, the US, China, India and France. He has a passion for technology and using business as a force for good.

Karanpreet Kaur Johar is a social entrepreneur, equity advocate, and passionate women's health equity educator, committed to driving systems change in leadership and governance. As co-founder of the Glow Within Foundation, Karan and her team has helped over 2,000 youth through wellness programs. At Synergy Executive and Boards Consulting Group, she collaborates with changemakers to develop IDEA-driven, decolonizing solutions that build resilience and inclusion in leadership. Karan’s work extends to mentoring young newcomers to Canada and youth entrepreneurs, supporting them as they navigate challenges and build sustainable, community-centered ventures. As a board advisor and vice-chair, she shapes governance that dismantles systemic barriers. Karan’s work is grounded in creating transformative leadership that fosters resilience, equity, and justice in every community and organization she engages with.