OUR COMMUNITY

Meet the dedicated members of our Global Summit and Rise on Boards Steering Committees, who support and advise on the design and delivery of our signature programs.

— GLOBAL SUMMIT
STEERING COMMITTEE —

This Steering Committee is made up of past delegates at the Global Summits and represents multiple continents across the globe! Nominated to serve a two-year term, the Steering Committee undertakes a range of projects to support the organization, including fundraising initiatives, engaging the alumnae “Ambassador” community, interviewing prospective delegates, and facilitating workshops at annual summits. Members of this Steering Committee also co-chair the negotiations for the Communiqué, released at the conclusion of annual summits. Click on the images to learn more about our Steering Committee members.

  • Scarlett is a high-achieving Account Executive at Cloudflare, passionate about connecting business and tehcnology. Previously at Cisco, she managed various sizes of accounts in fintech, gaming, web3 and more, exceeding her sales target every year. She's generated over $1M pipeline from dormant accounts and helped launch a Managed Service Program with partners.

    Scarlett holds a bachelor's degree in Global Korean Studies and Business from Sogang University, where she earned prestigious scholarships. She also interned at SUALAB, an AI software company, as a global business development associate.

    She is also a strong advocate for gender equality, youth leadership, and cultural diversity. Having served a two-year term on the Global Summit Steering Committee as a member, she currently serves as the Global Steering Committee Chair for Fora.

  • Bernardita is a strategic planning advisor for NGOs, the private and public sectors. International and national trainer in human rights, specialized in gender issues, dissidence and sexual diversity. Her characteristic is activism and advocacy within social problems, for her it is the fundamental base within every movement and changemaker. She has over a decade of experience in street advocacy, working with different agents which has led her to be part of the process of making new national programs and an advisor for decision making spaces.

    She started working with FORA when she was selected as the 2020 Argentina Delegate and continued to work as a panelist on the IWD ""Barriers to Young Women's full Participation in Decision-Making"" among other spaces. Now it is her honor to follow her path with in FORA as a Member of the GSSC.

  • "Buhlebakhe Ncube is a young woman with a passion for engineering, education and development. She holds a B.Eng.(Hons) degree in Civil and Water Engineering. Buhle has been a Womeng Fellow, Global UGrad Scholar as well as a Joshua Nkomo Scholarship recipient. At University, she served in the Student Representative Council. She has previously worked at the Zimbabwe Power Company and the African Leadership University. She currently volunteers with the Global Shapers Community.

    Buhle is the Community Manager at Shasha Network, a global education non-profit which equips future leaders with soft skills and positive mindsets they require to achieve their fullest potential. She has been instrumental in building a digital platform of soft skills and personal development resources. The platform is opening a window of global opportunities to underserved students. Beyond instilling positive mindsets and aiding career discovery, she is helping change the narrative around African youth and education.

    Buhle’s future goal is to work with marginalized communities that have been or are in conflict, and help restore infrastructure and basic rights such as water, education and security.

    Her hobbies include researching various cultures, history and mythology. She also enjoys reading and writing as well as film and theatre."

  • Diksha works at Dasra, India’s leading venture philanthropy organization where she leads the Secretariat for a national collaborative - the National Faecal Sludge and Sepatage Management (NFSSM) Alliance set up by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and its grantees to strengthen the inclusive urban sanitation sector in India. She also oversees replication of this collaborative model in other geographies across South Asia and Sub Saharan Africa.

    Her work is focused on supporting national, state, and city governments through insights from 30+ civil society organizations – informing national policies and programs with an inclusive lens by engaging key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Central Finance Commission. Her expertise lies in enabling empowerment of local governments, strengthening inclusive service delivery, and integrating resilience in urban planning.

    Diksha was a G(irls)20 India Delegate in 2020 and is also a WEF Global Shaper at the Navi Mumbai Hub where she leads the work on SAHELI, an initiative to empower women through access and awareness on menstrual health.

  • Marianthi’s passion lies at the intersection of business, technology and innovation. She has been professionally involved with global community organizations, like Endeavor, supporting tech entrepreneurs in emerging markets as well as, with leading corporations such as Coca-Cola HBC. Prior to these experiences, she run “Effect”, an award-winning social impact venture making recent graduates more employable. Following her participation in Fora’s Global Summit in 2016, she also co-founded “The 50/50 Project”, with a mission to empower female professionals through networking and skill-building opportunities. Outside of work, Marianthi has served at the Advisory Council of the Global Shapers Community, an initiative of the World Economic Forum. She has been awarded with the Social Impact Award from the Impact Hub Network, the Clinton Global Initiative University Fellowship, and as a StartingBloc and Forté Foundation Fellow. After traveling in over 30 countries and working with 4000+ young people, she developed a profound dedication to equipping them with the tools to realize their aspirations.

    Marianthi is currently pursuing an MBA Degree at Cornell University as a member of the Class of 2025!

  • Jacqueline St. Laurent is a Bachelor of Laws graduate from Universidad del Pacífico in Peru. She is also a Fellow of the ""Human Rights Seedbed"" program, jointly organized by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Human Rights Center of the University of Buenos Aires, and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation. Additionally, she actively contributes as a Collaborator at the Media Freedom Clinic at the Universidad del Pacífico.

    Furthermore, Jacqueline serves as the Technical Secretariat of the Ethics Tribunal of the Peruvian Press Council, advocating for freedom of expression and media freedom in Peru. She also works as a Legal Consultant and Researcher at Compemedia Consulting and as a columnist for PerúLegal, a Peruvian legal newspaper that simplifies complex legal issues for a broader audience. Her primary areas of interest encompass human rights, women's rights, and freedom of expression.

  • Navya Baradi was the 2020 delegate from Canada at the Global Summit and is excited to be a new member of the Global Summit Steering Committee. Navya’s passion for creating equal opportunity led her to engage in empowering initiatives at local, national, and international levels. Her advocacy began in high school when she delivered a TEDx talk on gender norms and societal expectations. Since then, she has been involved with various political, community, and student organizations such as UN Women, W20, and the Alberta NDP to amplify the voices of marginalized populations. After her experience as a delegate to the Summit, she founded the National Collective of Women in Business to build community amongst young women entering the economy and making their voices heard by policy-makers across the country. Navya has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta in Strategic Management and is now pursuing a J.D./B.C.L. at McGill University’s Faculty of Law. Navya looks forward to exploring the intersection of law, business, and social impact as she continues her journey in advocacy.

  • Umama Malik is currently a strategy consultant at an environment focused boutique consulting firm, Amane Advisors. She was born and raised in Pakistan and is currently based in Paris, France. She has received a Double Masters in International Business and Sustainability from University of Glasgow, Universitat de Barcelona and Kyoto University. Umama is passionate about creating a difference, helping people scale their impact and is an advocate for the rights of young girls, women and muslims. She believes in creating an equal platform and providing opportunities to girls and women regardless of their religion, background and color.

— RISE ON BOARDS
STEERING COMMITTEE — 

The Rise on Boards Steering Committee was onboarded in February 2023. The Steering Committee is comprised of Rise on Boards program alums and volunteer coaches. Their work ensures that the program’s processes continue to be consultative, participant-informed, and iterative to provide the best experience to future participants. In addition, the Steering Committee supports the recruitment of participants and boards, engages the community across Canada, and runs workshops at the annual Forum.

  • Young Director: Cohort 3

    Board: Greater Fredericton Social Innovation

    Elizabeth Tuck (she/her) is currently pursuing a Masters in Comparative Social Policy from the University of Oxford where she studies as a Rhodes Scholar. Elizabeth was part of the 3rd cohort of Girls on Boards and she completed her board placement in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She is so excited to be sitting on the steering committee and looks forward to expanding the program to more areas of the country,

  • Young Director: Cohort 4

    Board: Newcomer Women's Services Toronto

    Linxi Mytkolli is a passionate advocate for bridging the gap between people with lived experience and research in order to improve the lives of communities on the ground. With over 8 years of experience in participatory research, city building, youth wellbeing, and sustainability in healthcare, she has a deep understanding of the intersection of these fields. As a first-generation Canadian and a person living with a disability, Linxi places great value on finding and building community, which serves as the foundation of both her personal and professional lives. She is also a devoted daughter, sister, partner, and friend - and a frequent beeper!! - and these integral identities shape the way she approaches her work, her relationships, and her hobbies.

  • Young Director: Cohort 4

    Board: Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club

    Ashwini Selvakumaran (she/her) is a BIPOC climate activist, and staunch youth advocate. Ashwini’s unique background living across Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Yemen, New York, and Canada, have allowed her to directly witness the intersectional nature of poverty, gender inequality, the unequal access to education, and climate change. These lived experiences solidified her passion to mobilize youth into tangible action, and become a lifelong advocate for these issues. ⁣

    Ashwini is the founder and co-president of the Brown Citizen Circle (BCC), a not-for-profit organization which works to amplify the voices of Black, Indigenous, and South Asian youth, in decision-making spheres across Canada. Her work has been both locally and nationally recognized, by the Rising Youth Grant and the Princess Diana Award. Since 2019, Ashwini serves as the Chair of the Halton Youth Newcomer Steering Committee, and was most recently elected as the Head Delegate for the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace’s delegation to the 67th United Nations Women’s 2023 Commission on the Status of Women, in New York. Ashwini currently works as the Co-Director of Policy and Advocacy at Re_Generation, and as a Research Fellow with the David Suzuki Foundation.

  • Young Director: Cohort 4

    Board: Canada Mathare Education Trust

    Michelle has always been interested in the intersections between gender, law and development and holds community building close to her heart. As a Senior Manager, Venture and Network Engagement, she leads the search and selection of Ashoka Fellows with the goal of growing a robust network that reflects communities across Canada. She has experience working for think tanks and international organizations on issues of gender, policy and development and justice.

    She previously sat on the board of the Canada Mathare Education Trust and is currently a volunteer Program Officer for the Investment Readiness Program for Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

    When she’s not working, Michelle enjoys trying new cuisines, taking long walks, and listening to music.

  • Coach: Cohort 6

    Board Mentor: Cohort 1

    Jennifer is an assistant professor of Sociology at the King's University in Edmonton, Alberta. She teaches in the areas of gender, race/ethnicity and research methods. Her research areas include women in leadership and state funding for immigration. Jennifer sits on the board of directors at the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers as a past chair. She has been involved with Rise on Boards as a board mentor for the first cohort of young directors, and now is involved as a coach and steering committee member.

  • Young Director: Cohort 5

    Board: Sexual Assault Centre Kingston

    Meena was a member of the fifth Rise on Boards cohort and served as a Board Director with the Sexual Assault Centre of Kingston. Her time as a director was instrumental in equipping her with the network and tools to later run and be elected as a school board trustee in Kitchener-Waterloo, making her the youngest and first Muslim elected official in the region.

    Meena has worked at local, provincial, and national levels on education, mental health, workplace well-being, and accessibility policies. She is an award-winning professional public speaker and is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Commerce at Queen’s University as a Loran Scholar, a leadership award that recognizes 34 youth across Canada after rigorous selection each year. Her work has been amplified through various awards and national media.

    Meena is passionate about breaking down barriers to participation for people from different backgrounds, and she believes investing in access to education is the most important investment any community can make.

  • Coach: Cohort 3, 4, 5 & 6

    Susan has been a coach with Fora since 2019. She is an internationally recognized leader, consultant, author and coach. Susan brings over two decades of experience in education, strategy, leadership development and workplace transformation. She helps individuals, and organizations develop their core leadership capabilities to lead change and achieve excellence. Her motto, “Bold Steps Define You” exemplifies how she lives, works, and leads, coaching others to define and accomplish their own #boldsteps.

    In the non-profit sector, she is also a mentor, advisor, and coach with national and international organizations, including Women in Leadership (WIL), Newcomer Women's Services, and the Canadian Arab Institute amongst others. She is the past chair of the Kids Eat Smart Foundation, a charity that serves over 40,000 meals every day, at no cost to families.