Meet Our Keynote Speaker

Canadian Red Cross

Table Captain: Maram Suleiman

The mission of the Canadian Red Cross is to help people and communities in Canada and around the world in times of need and support them in strengthening their resilience. The Canadian Red Cross Society is part of the largest humanitarian network in the world. This network includes the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and 191 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Visit Canadian Red Cross

Maram Suleiman

Emergency Management Coordinator

Maram Suleiman, a dedicated Emergency Management Coordinator with the Canadian Red Cross, brings a wealth of expertise and passion to her role in disaster response and community resilience. Maram has built a distinguished career in emergency management, leveraging her background in economics and her higher degree in Emergency and Disaster Management from the Justice Institute of British Columbia.

With over ten years of experience in humanitarian work, Maram has worked with international organizations such as Oxfam GB, Human Relief Foundation, and IREX International, addressing critical issues like human rights, refugees, gender equality, and youth development. 

At the Canadian Red Cross, Maram is committed to strengthening disaster response systems, focusing on innovative solutions for volunteer coordination and community preparedness. Her dedication to collaboration and partnership-building has made her a trusted professional in the field.

Global Shapers Community – Vancouver

Table Captain: TBC

Created by the World Economic Forum, the Global Shapers are a global community of over 10,000 young leaders aged between 18-30, working to create positive change in their local and global communities. Operating for over 8 years, the Vancouver Hub of the Global Shapers community works on tackling some of the most pressing issues facing our city and our world, while fostering a dynamic community of impact leaders in our city.

Visit Vancouver Shapers

Table Captain TBC

–

Habitat for Humanity

Table Captain: Persis Ahrestani

Visit Habitat for Humanity

Persis Ahrestani

Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer

Profile TBU

Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC)

Table Captain: Jonathan Oldman

Since 1968, ISSofBC has worked to provide a welcoming and empowering environment for all newcomers to British Columbia. Our services support settlement and English language needs, as well as employment and career ambitions. We are driven by core values and principles that put inclusivity, compassion and innovation at the centre of our work. We serve over 25,000 newcomers to BC each year. You can learn more about ISSofBC at www.issbc.org.

Visit ISSofBC

Jonathan Oldman

Chief Executive Officer

Jonathan has over 20-years leadership experience in BC’s social impact sector, working with a range of organizations serving the homeless, individuals with mental health and addiction challenges, seniors, and those with cancer and at end-of-life. Jonathan also serves on the Boards of Catalyst Community Developments Society, a NFP real estate developer, and NewTrack Solutions Inc., a for-profit company owned by ISSofBC.

Lean In Canada

Table Captain: Nemo Anyudan Zhao, Amrita Aggarwal, Sana Lajporiya

Lean In Canada is a community of professional women empowering each other to build purposeful and fulfilling careers. Since 2013, we have grown from an audience of 20 people to over 6000 members across the country in various professions. We built our organization for people just like us: professional women who are passionate about driving their careers forward to the next level and beyond, and who want to achieve greater success not only in work, but in life as a whole.

We want a world where people of every gender can pursue their dreams without bias or other barriers holding them back. Where girls grow up to be confident, resilient leaders. Where more women run companies and countries. We are driven by the belief our society and economy would be better if women and girls were valued as equal to men and boys.

Visit Lean In Canada

TC TBU

TBU

TBU

Ocean Wise

Table Captain: Scott Bohachyk

Ocean Wise’s Youth programs inspire and empower youth to take actions that will help protect and restore our oceans. Leading the Ocean Wise Youth team since 2019, Scott has spent his career seeking solutions to the complex environmental challenges of our present and future and believes empowering young people is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. Ocean Wise’s Youth initiative transforms the latest conservation research and solutions from Ocean Wise’s other initiatives (Fisheries and Seafood, Ocean Free Plastics, Whales, Seaforestation and Changing Arctic), to create a wide range of student-centered and inquiry-based programs that allow young people to design their own solutions to the challenges we collectively face.

Ocean Wise Youth has grown to reach over 500,000 people per year, with approximately 75% of youth reporting an increase in awareness, and commitment to behaviour change, after their engagement with Ocean Wise. Scott and the team partner with like-minded organizations to reach new audiences and offer an “ocean lens” to other organizations’ work.

Visit Ocean Wise

Scott Bohachyk

Director, Seaforestation

Scott is driven by the significant potential of nature-based solutions to address the interconnected challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. As Ocean Wise’s Director of Seaforestation, Scott’s focus is on the pivotal role kelp forests play in enhancing oceanic health worldwide. Approaching this work with an integrated and inclusive approach, Scott has developed numerous partnerships with Indigenous Peoples, coastal stakeholders, governments, and other partners to accelerate the protection and restoration of kelp forests around the world.

Prior to his current role at Ocean Wise, Scott spent five years with the United Nations Association in Canada. There, he was instrumental in raising over $10 million to deliver national and international programs that accelerated Canada’s green economy and provided hundreds Canadian young professionals with international development sector experience. His contributions led to his election, on two occasions, to represent Canadian civil society at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi.

Scott’s international experience has further informed his interest in global environmental issues. He collaborated with the United Nations Development Program in Bhutan to contribute to the country’s green jobs strategy and has worked in Botswana, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia.

Scott’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta, a Master of Development Practice from the University of Waterloo, and a Master of Business Administration from Queen’s University.

QMUNITY

Table Captain: Anoop Gill

QMUNITY is a non-profit organization based in Vancouver, BC that works to improve queer, trans, and Two-Spirit lives. We provide a safer space for 2SLGBTQIA+ people and their allies to fully self-express while feeling welcome and included. Our building serves as a catalyst for community initiatives and collective strength.

Visit Qmunity

Anoop Gill

Executive Director, Programs & Services

Profile TBU

BC Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Table Captain: Maureen Levy

Visit BC RCMP

A/Cmmr. Maureen Levy

Lower Mainland District Commander – RCMP

Assistant Commissioner Maureen Levy has been a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for over 35 years and is currently the District Commander for “E” Division’s Lower Mainland District. During the span of her career, Assistant Commissioner Levy has served in five different RCMP divisions including Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. Throughout her career to date, she has worked in frontline policing, plainclothes, detachment command, Human Resources, and Criminal Operations. Assistant Commissioner Levy was also privileged to serve as the Canadian Police Contingent Commander and the Chief Gender Advisor for the Coalition Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve for a period of one-year from September 2018 to September 2019. As a result of her dedication and service in Iraq, Assistant Commissioner Levy was awarded three medals: the Canadian Armed Forces General Service Medal; the French National Defence Medal and US Legion of Merit Medal.

Assistant Commissioner Levy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from Dalhousie University, a Diploma with Distinction in Human Resources from Grant MacEwan University, a Chartered Professional Human Resources Designation (CPHR) and has also completed the RCMP International Executive Development Program. A/Commr. Levy has been invested as an Officer of the Order of Merit for the Police Forces by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada.

United Nations Associations in Canada – Vancouver

TABLE CAPTAIN: GEORGE SOMERWILL , ROSIO GODOMAR

UNAC-V aims to inform, inspire, and engage with people in Metro Vancouver through local partnerships, to accomplish the vital work of the UN. Some of the many issues UNAC-V addresses, include poverty, gender inequalities, human rights, cross-cultural understanding, environmental degradation and threats to peace and security. This is all brought together under the umbrella of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our affairs are guided by our volunteer Board of Directors, who are responsible for advising local policy decisions, planning, and implementing activities, and the management of general branch operations.

Visit UNAC-V

George Somerwill

UN Department of Peacekeeping / Former Director of Communications / UNAC-V Past President 

George is a Canadian former United Nations staff member who worked for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) in a number of peacekeeping and other UN operational areas from 1996-2011. His work took him to Angola, Iraq (the Oil-for-Food Program), Pakistan (with UNICEF), Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, and Liberia. George has a MA in Post-conflict Reconstruction and Development in York U, UK. He started his career in the BBC Africa service and the CBC (As it Happens). As a journalist and producer, he travelled frequently to some of the world’s worst trouble spots, including Ethiopia and Somalia. He also worked for CIDA and CARE Canada in Ottawa and Africa (Kenya and Zimbabwe) in communications and fundraising programming. He is currently an honorary member and former President of the Vancouver Board of the UN Association in Canada (UNAC) and was on the board of MOSAIC, a Vancouver-based immigrant service organization, from 2015-2021.

Rosio Godomar

UNAC-Vancouver Treasurer

Rosio was born in Peru and now, lives in Vancouver. She is a nutritionist and a keen amateur photographer; She has worked with the UN World Food Program (WFP) for more than 20 years in humanitarian and emergency programs in Africa (Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Sudan, Ethiopia and Liberia) and the Middle East (Iraq) as well as South Asia (Pakistan and Afghanistan). She has studied nutrition in Peru and Germany and has an MSc in Human Nutrition from the Federal University of Rio da Janeiro, Brazil. In 2013, Rosio started the “Educate Girls Network” (EGN) – initiative to sponsor girl students from underprivileged rural families in Liberia, West Africa to complete their higher education and become educators (www.educategirlsnetwork.org). This initiative was created based on the challenges facing African girls who want a higher education. From 2011 to 2017, she worked as a food service supervisor with Fraser Health. Currently she is doing a volunteer job as mentor with MOSAIC Workplace Connections Program in Vancouver, supporting new immigrants and refugees in BC,. Rosio also volunteers with the United Nations Association in Canada (UNAC), Vancouver branch.

Women Transforming Cities

TABLE CAPTAIN: ALEXA TRABOULAY

Women Transforming Cities aims to radically shift social, economic, and political power to equity-deserving groups to reshape who cities are built by and for so that communities’ needs are met and everyone can belong, participate, and thrive.

Visit Women Transforming Cities

Alexa Traboulay

Board Director

Alexa Traboulay is a passionate social justice advocate and researcher dedicated to amplifying diverse voices through meaningful community engagement. With a strong background in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) organizing, she is committed to advancing action-based programs with and for equity-deserving communities. Alexa‘s expertise spans academic and community-driven research, strategic project design, and educational program development. She excels in data analysis, report development, and writing to inform policy and social change. She currently works as a Program Coordinator at the University of British Columbia (UBC)’s Office of Regional & International Community Engagement.
Alexa holds a Master’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago, with a concentration in political science, and a Bachelor of Arts from UBC where she completed the Honours Political Science Program and a minor in Law & Society. Her interests include human rights theory and practice, anti-hate advocacy, digital democracy and online social movements, and racial justice more broadly.

A second-generation immigrant with Trinidadian and Hungarian ancestry, Alexa is a settler on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. She is committed to advancing decolonization in her work through continuous learning, unlearning, and self-reflexivity.

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

TABLE CAPTAIN: PATSY GEORGE , ELLEN WOODSWORTH

Visit WILPF CANADA

Patsy George

Co-President

Patsy is a retired public servant and Social Worker. Born in Kerala, India she immigrated to Canada in 1960. She holds a BA from the University of Windsor and MSW from the University of Ottawa. She specializes in Community Development work. She worked as a Community Worker in Ontario, Medical Social Worker in Quebec and the Director of a Family Service agency in Nova Scotia prior to arriving in British Columbia in 1975. In BC she was employed by the province’s public service in the capacities of D istrict Supervisor, Manager of Programs and Advisor on Community Development. In 1983- Patsy took leave from the public service to organize the Solidarity Coalition – a movement in the early 1980s to counter government cutbacks in BC. She retired in 2001 having served as a Director in the Provincial Ministry of Multiculturalism and Immigration.

Patsy was appointed to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada from 1989 to 1992 and co-coordinated the Backlog Division in British Columbia and Alberta. The provincial government appointed her to a commission to review the Child Welfare legislation using a public consulting process. The resulting reports lead to a new Child, Family and Community Services Act of BC. In her volunteer community service, Patsy served as President of the BC Association of Social Workers – the first visible minority person to hold that position. She is a founding member and Vice President of Immigrant and Visible Minority Women of Canada. Patsy helped to start Pacific Immigrant Resources Society and served as its President. She was a trustee of the Vancouver Public Library, Director of United Way of Vancouver and the Lower mainland and Director of Legal Services Society of BC. She was the President of International Council on Social Welfare Canada and President of the North American Region of its world body that promotes social development globally. She is also the past President of the Boys and Girls Clubs of BC and the Vice President of Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada.

Patsy was the CO-President of the United Nations Association in Canada, Vancouver Branch. She was the founding Board member and Secretary of Stephen Lewis Foundation Board of Directors and a Director of Canadian Crossroads International. Patsy has been the recipient of many awards and recognitions. She has the 125^th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada medal and both the Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals celebrating Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in addition to the 150^th anniversary Medal by the Senate of Canada.  She has been awarded the Order of British Columbia, the Order of Canada and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of the Fraser Valley and another from the University of British Columbia . She was honored by MOSAIC with a Human Rights Award and the City of Vancouver with Civic Merit Award.

Ellen Woodsworth

Co-President

Profile TBU

Youth Challenge International

TABLE CAPTAIN: ALISON ROADBURG

YCI is a leading global youth development organization that promotes youth innovation to drive positive change. Together with our partners we create market ready solutions that catapult youth around the world to succeed and prosper; we are driven by youth and their potential to affect positive change in the world. Our solutions are focused – always keeping the young people we are designing for and with at the center of the conversation.

Visit YCI.ORG

Alison Roadburg

PEOPLE & PROGRAM MANAGER

Alison is a program and operations management professional who has worked on the front and back end of international program design and implementation for nearly 15 years. Alison spent a large majority of her career in West Africa and she is currently the People and Program Manager with Youth Challenge International.