Staff and Board

A small but dedicated team of individuals committed to positive social change leads the Centre.

Staff Team

Tonya Surman, Executive Director

Raised by hippies, Tonya Surman has been making peace signs and raising a ruckus since the day she was born. Her most recent ruckus is the Centre for Social Innovation. As founding executive director, Tonya imagines the Centre as space that sparks creativity, connectedness and fun. Before this, she channeled her overzealous optimism into a national coalition of organizations working on children's environmental health, a social enterprise offering e-mail to activists and an edgy online news hub for Canadian progressives. Between these experiments in social entrepreneurship, Tonya has found the time to create a coop daycare, host chaotic street parties and create community gardens. She is also the mother of two wonderful boys which, in the end, is what matters most. Tonya is available for consulting and speaking engagements... Full bio. 

To reach Tonya, drop her an email. Full CV here.

Eli Malinsky, Director, Programs and Partnerships

Eli prefers the cause of helping other people’s causes, which he supposes has now become his own cause. He started thinking this way in his mid-twenties when he gave up his lavish lifestyle to toil away in the research program at Imagine Canada. This was followed by a return to school where Eli was reunited with his first love – receiving A’s from approving teachers. Eli used his time at school to explore how networks of activists and nonprofits use technology to work together. When he graduated, he found a perfect home at the Centre for Social Innovation, where he oversees programs and strategy, and where Tonya indulges him with quarterly report cards. Eli is both a dog and cat person and isn’t sure why it’s always one or the other. Eli is available for consulting and speaking engagements.

To reach Eli, drop him an email.

Karine Jaouich, Director of Operations 

Karine's ideal holiday involves mucking around with 600 farm animals.  She tolerates, and even enjoys, being surrounded by chicken poo because of her passion for food and sustainable farming issues. Before joining the CSI team she worked in an operational capacity with both FoodShare and Local Food Plus, where she was also able to apply her other passions: systems processes and efficiency.  She has found that building community is central within the food movement as well as all other movements.  And because of this, she is ecstatic to be CSI's Director of Operations, to be surrounded by a community of communities and to be in the organizational role that she loves best.  

To reach Karine, drop her an email

Nadia Alam, Events Coordinator 

By way of Bangladesh, Botswana, and America, Nadia finally reached Toronto in the fall of 1997. Growing up in heavily populated immigrant communities like Regent Park and Thorncliffe Park, she unintentionally inherited both gifts and curses from her parents that enabled her to pursue event coordination as a career: organizational skills from her mother (you won't know what heaven's like until you've eaten her food) and a love for the creative arts from her father (he built a bed out of bamboo sticks, true story). She has had the opportunity to work at organizations like IdeaCity08, The Canadian Stage Company, Manifesto Community Projects, ArtReach Toronto, Schools Without Borders and TEDxToronto. Nadia spends her spare time willingly practicing origami, taking film photographs, pretending to sketch, ignoring smartphones, loving toronto (and other mega cities), learning about south asian cultures, soaking in the sun, and reading art-innovation blogs.

To reach Nadia, drop her an email

Timna Ben-Ari, Executive Assistant

Timna has always been “that-person-taking-notes” in class, at home and even at the gym. Even as a child, she was a diligent note-taker, although her initial writing process was mirror image and upside-down—really, ask her kindergarten teacher about it. Now, with the invention of the computer, she is perpetually the one taking notes and then re-typing them. As a lefty, Timna has never been quite normal—she takes her own path and takes as many people down it with her as possible. Described by those who love her as charmingly neurotic, and by others as just neurotic, Timna has always been a creative problem solver. A hypochondriac at heart (is that a heart murmur?), Timna always provides an understanding shoulder to lean on and has empathy up the ying yang! Her interests include dancing (awkwardly, but with passion), playing trumpet (loudly, but with passion) and eating (often and with passion). Her dislikes are members of the onion family—white onions, red onions, green onions and leeks, to name a few— and the inconsiderate (i.e., those who put onions in everything). She studied Film and English at The University of Manitoba, which led her towards various administrative roles (don’t be sad—she loves administrative work!). In this regard, she had the opportunity to work for many years as a Personal Assistant to iconic filmmaker, Guy Maddin. The majority of her experience has been in Production Management in film and theatre, where she honed her skills and her love for organizing the world. CSI is the community Timna has been searching for her whole life—a community of those interested in helping others and doing it through an organized system of efficiency! With a notebook and pen in hand, she is happy to be home.

To reach Timna, drop her an email

Desmond Cole, Community Animator, CSI Annex

Desmond's first word was "okay;" French is his second language; he sits on the third base side of home plate at Blue Jays games; and Toronto is the fourth Canadian city he has called home. Des arrived here over six years ago and started his journey in social service at Youthlink Inner City, a drop-in/resource centre for marginalized young people. He recently served for two years as project coordinator of the I Vote Toronto campaign, a call to give permanent residents a vote in municipal elections. Desmond is very proud to write for Torontoist, a local web publication about all things interesting in the city. A couple of years ago, Desmond completed the United Way CN Tower stair climb in fifteen and a half minutes – he is currently training hard to achieve a respectable time on his next attempt.

To reach Desmond, drop him an email

Colleen Diamond, Lead Community Animator, CSI Annex

Without fail, Colleen receives a piece of plywood or window trim for Christmas and Birthdays every year. Her Dad thinks it's pretty darn funny.  Colleen's family started a millwork and construction business in the late 1980s, and all things built have been part of her life ever since. After receiving her degree in English Literature and a certificate in Writing from the University of Western Ontario, Colleen took a position at G&P Millwork where she wrote the policies that will be used to obtain Forest Stewardship Council certification, an international certificate guaranteeing the use of verified recycled products. Determined to continue using her writing skills to promote environmentally-friendly initiatives, Colleen enrolled in Humber College's post-graduate Public Relations program. She is excited to put her training in communications and love of all things "green" to work at CSI. On weekends, you can find Colleen volunteering for the Toronto Public Library's Reading to Leading program, working on her quilt, and trying to outcook her Mom.

To reach Colleen, drop her an email

Shona Fulcher, Lead Community Animator, CSI Spadina

Shona has long had a softspot for the reluctant hero who, when faced with a wrong they can right, quietly pulls up their socks and changes the world.  This early fascination led her to a degree in Peace & Conflict studies and a career in the social services sector with the Ontario Child Welfare Training system. After a brief detour through the world of private sector finance, Shona returned to the social mission sector as one the CSI's inaugural Agents of Change interns. Now Shona excitedly returns to the real business of changing the world here at CSI & has high hopes to become her very own reluctant hero someday.

To reach Shona send her an email.

Barnabe Geis, Communications Lead

Barnabe Geis didn’t learn to speak conventional languages until after he was three years old. Before that, he spoke his own unintelligible dialect, which his parents painstakingly transcribed into a dictionary for his Parisian grandmother. When he learned French in preschool he forgot all of his English, save for a few choice expletives in Jamaican Patois he had picked up from his nanny. So a career in communications was a no-brainer. As a teenager, inspired by the stories of botanists and explorers, he wandered through Latin America in search of shamans. A few reality-defying experiences later, he resigned himself to higher education and completed a B.A. in Political Science “With Distinction.” He moved to the West Bank and founded a tourism company, guiding people behind the headlines of the Middle East. He travelled through the region over land, and then took a position as a communications officer and Middle East policy analyst back in Canada. Always an avid writer, he moved to New York and did his Master’s in Journalism at Columbia University. He once met a half-crazy, toothless taxi driver in Iraq who told him “politicians don’t fix problems, neighbours do.” Barnabe thought it was a pretty succinct way of saying that systems-change most often starts at the grassroots level with a few dedicated individuals. He wishes he could tell that taxi driver where he now works.

To reach Barnabe send him an email.

Jessica Hazen, Director, Stakeholder Engagement

Jessica’s passion for entrepreneurial creativity started at age 9 in one of Toronto's diverse neighbourhoods with an ironing business to pay for field trips.  She never looked back – homework often seemed unpractical in light of real world stakes – and she’s continued to look forward to interesting new ventures that make a difference.  After studying political science at York University’s Glendon College, Jessica took on a role in fund development for the Osteoporosis Society of Canada.  That spurred another passion: corporate social responsibility and creative engagement with corporate partners to deliver community projects. Too many and too fun to mention in a bio! Since 1994 Jessica has enjoyed working for a wide range of nonprofits including Festival Manager for the Hillside Community Festival, Events Manager at Big Brother and Big Sisters of Toronto, and Program and Fund Development at the Sustainability Network.

To reach Jessica send her an email.

Farah Malik, Manager Accounts

Feels like a fish, swimming without boundaries, in the peace and serenity of a social change ocean. Farah was born and raised in Kuwait. Deep down in Farah's heart the fire of wanting to make a difference has always burned brightly. In Pakistan, Farah joined the Insan Foundation- an NGO working for child rights and peace. First as an accounts volunteer and later as Program Manager. Then she found CSI and decided it was the best place to feed and sustain her fire; the fun and innovative place of social innovators where a numbers job is anything but boring. She is now working on her CMA.

To reach Farah, drop her an email

Sacha Kumar, Community Animator, CSI Annex

Although he was born and raised in Oakville, Sacha has always been a Torontonian at heart. As a child, he would express his devotion to the city by attending as many Blue Jays games as possible. He once caught a home run ball (from Devon White) and appeared on the Jumbotron in the same game marking what was easily one of the greatest days of his entire childhood. As the son of an Indian father and Irish/French mother, Sacha has fallen in love with the diversity and vibrance in Toronto. His ethnic background instilled a keen interest in culture that has taken him on adventures overseas including a trip through the Middle East and , more recently, a trip to Karnataka, India where he worked as a Global Fellow for the Deshpande Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, training and mentoring youth social entrepreneurs. He is also a Co-Founder of BizInc, an on-campus business incubator for undergraduate student entrepreneurs at the University of Western Ontario that he started with a few friends after completing a Political Science degree. Now that he calls Toronto a permanent home, he is looking forward to making a splash in the Social Enterprise scene in the course of his career. While he isn't working at CSI, he volunteers his time with the ACCESS Community Capital Fund and Endeavour Volunteer Consulting.

To reach Sacha, send him an email

Liz Phillips, Leasing Coordinator

After more than a decade of freelance writing/editing/project coordination for a variety of organizations – most notably Gender at Work, rabble.ca, Web Networks, and Queen’s School of Business – Liz is thrilled to bring her passion for communication, organization, and people to the Leasing Coordinator position at CSI. Her experience as a volunteer in the Desk Exchange Program for over a year at the Annex honed her skill in artfully, wittily, and respectfully slapping wrists for dirty dishes. She plans to evolve those skills as she welcomes new members to participate fully in the incredible community that is CSI.

To reach Liz, send her an email

Karim Rizkallah, Community Animator, CSI Spadina

As a jack of many trades who occasionally dabbles in commitment issues, Karim was instantly drawn to CSI's diverse and dynamic environment.  His interests include photography, outdoor activities, movies, writing, music, debate, and eating, and he can do each of those things with some skill (especially eating).  A hands on learner, Karim grasped Spanish and tango by living in South America for a year; to figure out how to sail, he sailed across the Atlantic.  He then came back to Canada for a string of weddings (always a bridesmaid, never a bride), and stayed for CSI.  Karim almost invariably judges a book by its cover.

To reach Karim, send him an email

Natasha Stephens, Manager, CSI Regent Park

Born and dragged up in sunny North West London, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Social Research with honors and a Master of Science in Business Information Technology.  Natasha came to Canada, escaping from an exceptionally high-flying and stressful role in a large European bank in the City of London when it was still sociably acceptable to be there. 

She took her Database Design and Database Administration skills into the completely unrelated field of property development, where she built up a residential property portfolio before the words “sub” and “prime” had ever been used in the same sentence.
  A committed charity worker, Natasha is a passionate person, and whatever cause or subject she believes in, she will give it 110%.  What do her friends says about her? "She is certainly someone to admire, always supporting those around her and encouraging people to thrive and to be self sufficient"...says un-named woman of Luton, Bedfordshire. Natasha is combining her wealth of experience into her role as manager of CSI Regent Park, to give something back to the local community that has embraced her. This obviously has nothing to do with seeking penance for "past crimes" in the City...

To reach Natasha, send her an email

Grace Yogaretnam, Executive Assistant & Project Coordinator

In Kindergarten Grace developed a 10 point plan detailing how she could grow up to be a Thundercat or Jedi Knight. Today she works at CSI, which, as everyone knows, is basically the same thing. Before joining the team Grace was actively involved in federal politics, Toronto’s ENGO sector, and property management. Originally from Alberta, she completed her BA in Environmental Studies and Political Science at York University in Toronto. Following graduation, Grace worked her way across Canada as a farm hand on small-scale organic farms. In her spare time, she Co-Chair's the Toronto Youth Food Policy Council. Grace believes crises are opportunities to be seized, that the best way to influence is by example, and that good food tastes better with good friends. She is also madly in love with the Canadian landscape.

To reach Grace, drop her an email

Board of Directors

Jeb Brugmann

Jeb Brugmann, Managing Partner of The Next Practice, is a strategist and innovation expert in the fields of sustainability, business and urban development. He is best known for leading roles in the international establishment of the fields of urban sustainability planning, ‘base of the pyramid’ business development, and urban greenhouse gas mitigation planning. In 1990, he founded ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, an international association of 1,200 cities and towns that are advancing practices in local sustainable development. He served as ICLEI Secretary General from 1991-2000. He co-founded The Next Practice with Prof. C.K. Prahalad in 2004, managing market analytics, product development, and business model innovation to customize clients’ solutions to local conditions.  Jeb is a speaker to business, government, civic and academic audiences worldwide, and has received a variety of distinctions and awards for his international initiatives and publications. He is a Senior Associate with the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership. His latest book is Welcome to the Urban Revolution: How Cities Are Changing the World. 

Brian Iler

Brian brings valuable skills and experience to our board. As a commercial lawyer for the past 35(!) years, he's advised many of Toronto's (and Ontario's) co-operative, charitable, and non-profit organizations on  a wide range of issues and transactions. He's been the creative legal mind behind many of our innovative social enterprises. He's learned and applied the business skills required to build his law firm - Iler Campbell - to its current twenty staff, including seven lawyers. And he's a committed community activist, as a member of Ontario Non-profit Network's Expert Working Group on corporate law reform; a long-time advocate for reforms to Ontario's Co-operative Corporations Act; a founder of Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative that erected the wind turbine at Exhibition Place; a founding director of the Community Power Fund, established to finance community-based renewable energy projects; a member of the management committee for the hugely successful Green Energy Act campaign; chair and spokesperson for CommunityAIR that campaigns to rid Toronto's waterfront of the scourge that is the Island Airport.

Thursdays all summer, he'll be out racing his sailboat Indefatigable on Humber Bay.

Alice Klein

Named in 2000 as one of the 100 Graduates Who Shaped the Century by the University of Toronto Alumnae Association, Alice Klein is co-founder of Toronto's news and entertainment weekly, NOW magazine and its editor/CEO. Launched in 1981, it boasts a weekly readership of 325,000. As a frequent writer, Klein draws on her experience in politics, business and psychology to focus on issues related to world evolution, the environment and the global economy. Klein is also a documentary producer, director and writer (2007's Call of the Hummingbird). She's a founding member of Green Enterprise Toronto (GET), one of the co-creators of VoteforEnvironment.ca and on the Board of the Toronto Arts Council (TAC) and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) as well as the Centre for Social Innovation.

Bernie Li

Bernie brings his passion for entrepreneurship and innovation to the Board of the Centre for Social Innovation. He is a Co-Founder of Pure Energies, a company that created an innovative program for Ontario homeowners to earn money while producing clean energy for the province.  Before that, he had the opportunity to invest in and work alongside many amazing entrepreneurs, as a team member of the venture capital funds iNovia Capital and Carrot Capital.   During that time he founded and led the Emerging Partners, a not-for-profit organization to catalyze and foster the relationships between private equity professionals across North America. Bernie is an avid music fan and readily accepts suggestions for new bands/artists to listen to. 

Eric Meerkamper, Board Chair

Eric is the President of The RIWI Corporation, which creates real-time global market intelligence (www.riwi.com). Over the past 12 years, Eric has been actively involved in facilitating the interaction between "space" and "creativity". In addition to being a Co-Founder of the Centre for Social Innovation, he was the Founder and President of the Spadina Bus business association, and was on the Leadership Team for Toronto's "Strategies for a Creative Cites Project". Eric is the past Chair of the Daily Bread Food Bank and holds an MBA from the Ivey School of Business and an Honours BA in International Political Science from the University of Western Ontario. Co-Founder and Board Member 2004 - present

André Sorensen

André Sorensen is Associate Professor of Urban Geography in the Department of Social Science, University of Toronto Scarborough. He has published extensively on urbanisation, land development, and urban policy processes.  His current research examines processes and institutions generative of urban space, and the engagement of civil society actors and networks in urban conversations and city-building. A particular focus is on non-market spaces and practices in cities. His most recent book, co-edited with Professor J. Okata, titled Megacities: Urban Form, Governance and Sustainability was published by Springer in January 2011. His book ‘The Making of Urban Japan: Cities and Planning from Edo to the 21st Century’ (Routledge 2002) won the book prize of the International Planning History Association in 2004.

Jini Stolk, Treasurer

Jini Stolk is founding Executive Director of Creative Trust, a $6.4 million program to improve the financial health and sustainability of Toronto's creative performing arts organizations. Before that, she was Managing Director of Toronto Dance Theatre and Executive Director of the Toronto Theatre Alliance/ Dora Mavor Moore Awards; at the TTA she acquired and revitalized Toronto's half-price ticket booth, T.O. TIX. She was also Associate Director of the Association of Canadian Publishers and General Manager of Open Studio. She is Vice-President of the Toronto Arts Council, a director of the Centre for Social Innovation and on the steering committee of the Ontario Nonprofit Network; and is Past-President of Toronto Artscape, Hum dansoundart and Six Stages Theatre Festival.

Past Board Members

Jacline Nyman, Board Member

For more than fifteen years, Jacline Nyman has built an impressive track record in the fields of marketing higher education and business strategy. As a management consultant, Jacline works with social mission organizations on strategic business planning, in addition to pursuing doctoral studies at the Schulich School of Business, York University. Prior to this, Jacline was vice-president of fundraising and donor relations with the York University Foundation (2002-04) and director of external relations for the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary (1999-04). Jacline has also held the following positions: Director of Development with the University of Calgary (1997-99); Director of Advancement Services (1994-97) and Manager of Student Recruitment, both with the University of Ottawa (1992-94).
Board Member 2005 - 2008

Mary Rowe, Board Member

Mary W. Rowe has assumed the position of Vice President for Program in March 2007, following eighteen months as Senior Urban Fellow with the blue moon fund. Mary's fellowship focused on self-organization in cities as the underpinning of urban resilience, with New Orleans, Charlottesville (where the fund is based) and New York City as case studies. Now a member of the blue moon staff, Mary is charged with developing an urban program that reflects the values of the fund, specifically fostering the diversity of urban responses to change, and the connections that bridge them. Prior to joining the blue moon fund Mary was Director of Toronto-based Ideas that Matter, a convening and publishing program based on the work of Jane Jacobs.
Founding Board Member 2004-2006

Sandy Crawley, Board Member

Sandy Crawley is a lifelong Arts Activist and, as the erstwhile Executive Director of the Documentary Organisation of Canada/ Documentaristes du Canada, he was also the first tenant of the CSI. Among his many roles, Sandy has been President of the Alliance of Canadian Radio and Television Artists (ACTRA), director of the Canadian Conference of the Arts for Film and Broadcasting, Chair of the Cultural Human Resources Council, delegate to UNESCO Conference on the Status of the Artist, 1996, Executive Director of Canadian Screen Training Centre, and a Board member of the Great Canadian Theatre Company and Word-On-The-Street Ottawa. Behind it all, Sandy has been self-employed as an actor, composer, musician, writer, teacher and director for over 35 years.
Founding Board Member 2004 - 2008

Margaret Zeidler, Board Member

Margaret Zeidler is president and creator of 401 Richmond Limited, a vibrant urban community of diverse artists and entrepreneurs, located in the old garment district in the Spadina and Richmond area of downtown Toronto. Margie was formally trained as an architect at the University of Toronto and the University of Westminster, and subsequently worked for a number of years with the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF), raising money and monitoring projects in eastern Africa. Margie has served on the Board of Artscape and is a current board member of Foodshare/Field to Table. Margie is currently the President of Urbanspace Property Group... Read about Margie's many incredible contributions to CSI.
Co-Founder and Founding Board Member – 2004 - 2010