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Meet Aangen's Board of Directors
Board President
Julie West
Julie West is an industry-leading conference and events producer. She specializes in reinventing and revitalizing experiences, from conception to completion on a wide variety of events including: fundraisers, high profile events, public stunts, conferences and galas. Her innovative strategies help organizations attract more attendees, more sponsors, more media and more vendors.
Board Secretary
Lauryn Bodde
Lauryn Bodde finds joy in supporting positive change, storytelling, highlighting women entrepreneurs & changemakers, and travelling the world. She is so honoured to be a member of Aangen's advisory board. She currently works as a Community and Outreach Coordinator for EPICentre, the entrepreneurship hub at the University of Windsor. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Co-op Education from UWindsor and a diploma in Graphic Design and Desktop Publishing from IBAT College in Dublin Ireland. Through her various roles, international travel, and work experience she's developed skills in design, event management, hospitality, logistics, advertising, copywriting, and project management. Entrepreneurship is also one of her many passions and is wondered by those who create something that was only once imagined. She believes that each person has a story to tell and if we keep our minds and hearts open, nothing will fall out.
Voting Board Member
Alana Jones Mes
Alana Jones is a collaborative Professional, Director and Author with over 22 years of experience in talent acquisition, change management, community outreach, and recruitment. She has a background in risk management, client relations, succession planning, and leadership and is currently an Instructor at the University of Toronto, where she facilitates the Community Engagement and Housing and Homelessness course with excerpts based on her published book, Behind the Frontline. Alana is the founder of Border Place INC., where she leads the transformation of a personal care rooming house to supportive housing for vulnerable populations in Toronto.
Voting Board Member
Kim Curry
Human Resources - Business Development
Most of my working career has been in the field of human resources and career development, which has led to many successful and rewarding experiences. I have also been involved with various business initiatives, chambers, boards, and other strategic alliances all throughout my career. My formal education is from the University of Calgary specializing in HR and Business Management, as well as from Psychometrics Canada as an MBTI Certified Practitioner.
Professional strengths are found in human resources, training and development, project administration, business development and optimization, and other collaborative type initiatives.
Having been a recipient of a few business awards has contributed to my success as a whole, while knowing how much more there is still to learn in this very dynamic and every changing industry.
Board Advisor
Amelia Sponza
Amelia Sponza is a current Bylaw Enforcement Officer within the greater Vancouver area. Amelia's passion for community outreach began as a legal assistant and flourished to an immigration facility supervisor and her current role in Bylaw. Amelia now liaises with a secondary community outreach within her community by way of her role as a Bylaw Enforcement Officer, providing compassion, care, and resources to housing, meals and shelters. Amelia has over 6 years of legal knowledge and training which has aided her to support those attempting entry to Canada, filing personal injury law suits, and providing aid to those in her community.
Board Advisor
Amy Rempel
Amy has a vast background of experience in the health food and beauty industries. As a 'food biz kid', she has grown up in the industry since the ripe old age of 2, surrounded by the latest trends and being a taste-tester (even when products weren't very good!).
The health food industry has certainly come a long way since then and so has Amy!
Amy went on to get her BA in Communication Studies and as the years went on she never stopped studying! She received her Diploma in Sports & Exercise Nutrition, became an Aromatherapist, and has received her certifications as a Reiki Practitioner and an Emotion Freedom Technique Practitioner.
Since 2002, Amy has immersed herself within the food industry, working for two of the largest health food distributors in Canada. She is knowledgeable in both the health food and HABA channels, current tracking systems, and thrives in creating and sustaining strong business relationships. Before this, Amy assisted in the operation of a gluten-free manufacturing company with responsibilities in purchasing, sales, and brand management. She has also been apart of the fastest growing brokerage in Canada before going out on her own!
Knowledgeable, kind and innovative, she understands trends and is well-positioned to grow brands as your business development manager! Her true passion is to help Canadian companies thrive!
If you would like a consult with Amy, please fill out the contact us form or simply click on the email button above and let's chat!
Board Advisor
Carla Leon
Carla Leon is President and CEO of Just Like Family Home Care and spearheaded the first social acquisition by charities in Canada. With her vision, JLF has been transformed into a Social Enterprise, with the majority of profits going to charities. She strives to make a social impact, transforming home care across Canada for franchise owners and the families they support. She holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from University of British Columbia.
Carla is a natural innovator who believes success comes from collaboration. Her greatest sense of satisfaction comes from using her skills to make a positive impact on those whose lives she touches.
Board Advisor
Gladys Hernandez-Sarmiento, M. Sc.,
Gladys Hernandez-Sarmiento, M. Sc.,
She holds a master’s degree in legal psychology and a community and justice services diploma. Experience within the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario provided information to inquiries from the tenants, landlords, property management staff, and law enforcement agencies relative to eviction processes regarding a variety of court documents such as eviction orders, stay orders, lifted stay orders, writs, and restriction orders, among others. She has more than 10 years of experience in carrying out psychological assessments and providing expert opinions in judicial proceedings. Specialized experience in evaluating parolees for their risk factors for recidivism and interviewing victims of various types of crimes from a gender perspective.
Board Advisor
Grace Castillo
Grace Almendras-Castillo is a seasoned entrepreneur, corporate executive, technology investor, and a dedicated solver of complex problems with a focus on social impact. With over two decades of global experience in consumer healthcare, life sciences, she achieved a successful exit with the acquisition of Self Care Catalysts, a trailblazing digital health company. Grace now ventures into new territories with Gifftid, challenging conventional norms once again. Her pioneering role in digital health transformation has earned her numerous accolades, including recognition as one of the Top 50 Women in STEM in Canada, an E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Nominee, and a Springboard Enterprises Alum, JLabs alum, MaRS alum among others. She is a Health Innovator and holds patents for Health Storylines, a digital health platform.
Board Advisor
Jaume Morapedros
Strategy and execution of the new economy through food, hospitality, arts and travelling. Building regenerative economics.
From conceptualisation to realisation
From awareness to action
Getting to the roots and redesign, implement, and efficiency-testing production, consumption and resources for prosperity, societal and environmental purpose.
Board Advisor
Jennifer Look-Hong
Jennifer is a Senior Executive with over 25 years of small, medium, and large company
experience ranging from Board Member and Chief Operating Officer through Chief Financial
Officer and Controller. She has extensive successful, multinational experience in all aspects of
Company Growth covering fundraising, operations, product, financials, and commercialization
coupled with a proven ability to structure businesses for success. Jennifer has managed a
portfolio of over $175+m USD for Biotech, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Clinical Research,
Education and Technology companies.
Jennifer has always been passionate about supporting people and communities whether it be
working with local charities and NFPs or supporting scientists and professionals expanding their
ideas and developing their companies. When she is not pouring over spreadsheets and business
models, you can find her honing her carpentry skills, in the garden planning her next crop or
exploring somewhere in a forest or jungle.
Board Advisor
Jessica Turner
Jess Turner is a visionary entrepreneur, dedicated to maximizing human potential and fostering thriving communities. With a decade of leadership experience, she co-founded ThriveON, where she directs international settlement and retention services, safeguarding employers investments and empowering employees for peak productivity and retention. As CEO of Turner Gregory Management, Jess leads a diverse portfolio of initiatives spanning international retention services, health and wellness programs, leadership consulting, and sales expertise.
Beyond her corporate endeavors, Jess is the founder of Jess Turner Intuitive Nutrition, Wellness, and Happiness Coaching, where she passionately advocates for holistic health and wellbeing. Through her infectious energy and deep understanding of the human mind and body, Jess guides individuals towards resilience, positivity, and fulfillment in every aspect of their lives. She is a fierce advocate for self-care, mindset mastery, and personal empowerment, inspiring others to unlock their full potential and thrive in all areas of life.
Board Advisor
Marysia Czarski
Marysia combines a deep understanding of how businesses
work with strong facilitating, coaching, design, and development
skills. Her 32 years of experience, combined with an energetic,
empathetic, and insightful approach, resonates with senior-level
leaders in performance-driven corporations to revitalize
creativity, collaboration, business agility, and leadership insight
to impact talent acceleration and innovation dramatically. Her
work incorporates Agile, Design Thinking, Creative Problem-
Solving methodologies, and Polarity Management. She is the
CEO of Ignition Creativity, a global firm that has helped its
clients be innovation-ready over the last 20 years with an agile
workforce that can seize opportunities, solve complex
challenges and embrace and lead change.
Board Advisor
Noah Mussay
Noah Mussay brings a rich tapestry of experience and insight to the Aangen Board of Directors. With a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Arts, Noah's academic foundation empowers him with the tools necessary to craft compelling narratives that drive social change. As an individual living with Spina Bifida, a spinal cord disorder, Noah's journey is one of resilience, determination, and advocacy. His personal experience with physical disability deepens his commitment to fostering inclusivity and dismantling obstacles faced by minority groups. Joining Aangen was a natural progression of Noah’s lifelong mission to champion causes that ensure equal opportunities for all, reflecting his belief in the transformative power of collective action and compassionate leadership. Through his work, Noah aspires to create spaces where voices from all walks of life are heard and valued, making significant strides towards a more equitable society.
Board Advisor
Omar A Butt
Omar is an advisor and entrepreneur to assist global and regional organizations in strategizing and achieving their digital, data and tech agenda. His roles include program delivery, business development and digital innovation. Omar leads cross-sector business development and program delivery roles for his public, private, and nonprofit clients and his philanthropic ventures. Omar has built a reputation of managing agile transformations, delivering complex programs, and bringing innovation centred around digital, data and AI. Omar is the founder of Infāque, a startup that enables digital outreach and donor engagement through an integrated platform.
Board Advisor
Rubeena Singh
Rubeena brings over 11 years of expertise in strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, research, and fostering innovative partnerships to drive collective success. Her diverse background and passion for social impact initiatives, diversity and inclusion, and environmental harmony position her to offer synergistic strategies.
With a Master's in Health Sciences and eight years of experience as a Speech Language Pathologist, Rubeena's early career laid a strong foundation in understanding community needs and fostering inclusivity. She further honed her skills through a second Master's in International Development, solidifying her commitment to creating positive change on a local and global scale.
Rubeena is deeply passionate about community engagement and the economic empowerment of marginalized groups, recognizing their crucial role in fostering inclusive, equitable, and just societies. Her leadership style is characterized by a strong emphasis on building and nurturing relationships, coupled with a track record of effectively planning and executing programs.
She is adept at conducting research and identifying key metrics to monitor and evaluate progress, with a knack for translating insights into detailed and visually engaging reports.
She is a published author and advocates fervently for women's economic empowerment through entrepreneurship, and inclusive education systems for students with disabilities.
Board Advisor
Sarah Boyes
Sarah Boyes is a seasoned professional with a proven track record in client services, team leadership, and market analysis. As the Residential Leasing Manager at Onni Property Management Services Ltd, Sarah adeptly directs and organizes residential lease-up initiatives, collaborating closely with marketing teams to optimize online outreach strategies. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to excellence, she ensures that every interaction, from conducting tours to negotiating legal documents, is executed with professionalism and enthusiasm, fostering trust and rapport with potential clients.
Board Advisor
Victor Beausoleil
At the age of 24 Victor Beausoleil Co-Founded Redemption
Reintegration Services one of the largest youth-led, youth justice
agencies in Canada. In 2013 Victor Beausoleil received his first public
service appointment by the Premiere of Ontario Kathleen Wynne as a
member of the PCYO (Premiere’s Council on Youth Opportunities).
Victor has worked diligently in the broader equity seeking communities
across Canada for the past nineteen years.
As a lecturer Victor Beausoleil has travelled extensively throughout
Canada, the United States, UK and Africa for speaking engagements for
community organizations, institutions and philanthropic foundations.
Victor Beausoleil has been a board member of the Atkinson Charitable
Foundation, a member of the grant review committee's of the Laidlaw
Foundation, and the Toronto Community Housing Social Investment
Fund.At the age of 24 Victor Beausoleil Co-Founded Redemption
Reintegration Services one of the largest youth-led, youth justice
agencies in Canada. In 2013 Victor Beausoleil received his first public
service appointment by the Premiere of Ontario Kathleen Wynne as a
member of the PCYO (Premiere’s Council on Youth Opportunities).
Victor has worked diligently in the broader equity seeking communities
across Canada for the past nineteen years.
As a lecturer Victor Beausoleil has travelled extensively throughout
Canada, the United States, UK and Africa for speaking engagements for
community organizations, institutions and philanthropic foundations.
Victor Beausoleil has been a board member of the Atkinson Charitable
Foundation, a member of the grant review committee's of the Laidlaw
Foundation, and the Toronto Community Housing Social Investment
Fund.
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