Janine Manning (she/her/kwe) is Anishinaabe and a member of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation (Neyaashiinigmiing, ON) who lives in the traditional territory of Saukiing Anishnaabekiing (Owen Sound, ON).

Janine has dedicated the last decade to supporting Indigenous community engagement and inclusion in the public, not-for-profit, and philanthropic sectors as a grant maker, community-centric fundraiser, and trust-based philanthropic leader. Taking all she has learned working for others, Janine is now self-employed as a Consultant supporting clients on their DEI, Indigenous Relations, and Truth & Reconciliation journeys.

Janine also serves as an Indigenous Advisor to the City of Toronto First Nation, Métis and Inuit Data Technology Circle, Toronto Public Library and BGC Canada. She graduated in 2013 from York University with a Hon. BA in Environmental Studies and a Certificate in Social Sector Management Program from Schulich School of Business (2013).

Paul Nagpal is an interdisciplinary professional with 18 years of experience in roles such as strategic advisor to business owners, with a focus on small and mid-market organizations. He holds an MBA from University of Toronto - Rotman School of Management. Paul is specialized in providing sales & growth advisory and interim management services, particularly within the professional services, technology, food, retail, and non-profit sectors. He was among the Diversity 50 Candidates for 2017 and was rewarded with the honour in January 2018.

Tim Apgar is the VP of direct-to-consumer at AromaTech and graduated from the University of Toronto with a double major in Anthropology and Cinema Studies. Tim is passionate about outdoor recreation and has volunteered and supported organizations empowering Canadians to access natural spaces. He has been involved with the Laidlaw Family Committee for two years and is a great-grandson of Mr. Robert A. Laidlaw.

Tara Farahani is a Toronto-based interdisciplinary professional, with expertise in social research, and communications. With close to a decade of experience in the social sector, Tara operates from a critical socio-political perspective to understand systems, and the people that navigate within them. She has researched, written and advocated on issues relating to race, gender-based violence, cyber sexual violence, youth, mental health, disabilities and LGBTQ communities. She is also Co-Founder of not for you. zine featuring written and visual works of BIPOC women and non-binary peoples.

Tara has worked in the realms of research, communications, and facilitation with organizations across Toronto, including the City of Toronto, St. Stephen’s Community House, Ryerson University, Social Planning Toronto, among others. She has been featured on Metro Morning Radio, http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/853748291628 CBC News for her work on cyber-sexual violence, as well http://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/ryerson/alumni_2017winter/index.php#/18 Ryerson Alumni Magazine and The Toronto Star https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2017/02/05/protest-poetry-alive-is-alive-and-well.html for her professional writing and advocacy work. She has also authored diverse bodies of writing with published features Huffington Journal of Critical Anti-Oppressive Social Inquiry Springer International Publishing. In 2018, Tara was the successful recipient of CUE’s 2018 Writing Program bursary to work on her upcoming non-fiction prose book, I Had a Very Happy Childhood and in 2015, she was the recipient of the Russell Jolliffe Award for Excellence in Social Work Practice at Ryerson University. In 2018-2019, Tara was appointed the Jack Layton and John C. Eaton Chair’s Artist-in-Residence at Ryerson University, exploring what it means to honour our lived experience through the written form in her project From Under the Rug.

Sandra Kagango is a young professional in the financial services industry. She holds a Master degree in Financial Economics from Western University and has an Honours degree from Trent University in Mathematics Finance and Economics. Sandra has a certification from Bloomberg Market Concepts. As a young immigrant to Canada, Sandra is keenly aware of the challenges facing newcomers to Canada and bring a unique insight about issues confronting immigrants and refugees as they try to settle in the new country. Sandra is multilingual who speaks English, French, Kinyarwanda and Swahili. Her passion for the plight of child soldiers has provided her the chance to be active with the Right to Play organization. Sandra has been on the Laidlaw Foundation’s Finance and Audit Committees for two years.

Julia Laidlaw has extensive experience in the field of social work, philanthropy and investment, and granting through her volunteer work. Julia runs a private healing arts and counselling practice and currently volunteers on the Kingston Community Foundation’s Grants Committee.

She has been previously involved with Laidlaw Foundation’s work as a Family Committee Member and Board Member.

With extensive expertise in process improvement, traditional and agile project management, Christopher McFarlane specializes in guiding teams and organizations throughout a journey of continuous improvement. He is currently an Enterprise Transformation Lead at Walmart Canada.

Possessing a genuine passion to serve, Chris has local and international community leadership experience. He is a founding member of Visionaries Mentoring Program, an organization focused on mentoring recent university graduates from underserved communities. Chris has significant experience consulting with non-for-profit organizations related to strategy, marketing and governance. He has also served as a board member in organizations servicing at-risk youth.

Chris has a broad educational background, including a BSc. in Life Sciences from McMaster University and professional certifications in Project Management, Agile Coaching, Change Management, and Process Improvement. He is currently pursuing his MBA.

Rebecca was a Senior Policy Advisor at Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Responsible for Anti-Racism. She is a policy professional and trained social worker with extensive experience in all aspects of community development from frontline service delivery to management roles. Prior to joining the government, Rebecca was the Community and Knowledge Catalyst at the Counselling Foundation of Canada. She currently serves as an Advisor to the Foundation for the Youth Direct Action Fund. Rebecca has been recognized for her success and accomplishments by many awards including the Canadian Millennium Excellence Award Year 2005-2009 and the Calgary Herald Class Act 2005.

Benjamin Mitsuk (they/them/he/him) is a mixed two-spirit Inuk and a Nunatsiavut beneficiary. They currently live in Ottawa on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabe. He is the founder of JusticeTrans, a national non-profit organization, and currently works for Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the national voice of Inuit in Canada.

Ben has been involved with the non-profit sector, 2SLGBTQ+ and Indigenous organizations for over two decades and in a variety of capacities (a recipient, a volunteer, a staff member, and as a founder/leader). They bring this professional lens, along with their lived experience, to all of their relations, including the policy and community work that they undertake.

When he is not working or volunteering, Ben enjoys being active, spending time with his cat, playing board games with friends, as well as the occasional TV series/film marathon.

Jesse Waugh is a young finance professional in the Risk Advisory department at George Weston Limited, responsible for supporting management in solving complex business problems, recommending strategies to improve operational efficiency, and advising on mitigation strategies for top risks facing the business. Jesse has supported senior management teams at George Weston Limited, Loblaw and Choice Properties REIT on several transformational projects; most notably as a member of the deal team for the $2 billion divestiture of the Weston Foods bakery business. Prior to working in Risk Advisory, Jesse was the first employee selected, and to complete, George Weston’s graduate rotation program where he worked in capital markets, corporate strategy and Risk Advisory. Jesse has a Bachelor of Arts from Western University where he completed an Honours Specialization in Political Science. Passionate about people, politics and problem-solving, Jesse in high school was elected twice as student trustee at the TDSB, served as President and Policy officer at the Ontario Student Trustees Association (OSTA-AECO), and in university worked as a community leader managing an international student residence at Western University. During his personal time, Jesse enjoys spending time with family, watching and playing sports, following political and economic developments and volunteering at his church.

Randy joined Laidlaw Foundation's Investment Committee and Board in 2019 and 2023, respectively. Randy is a Partner at Ewing Morris & Co Investment Partners and is the founding portfolio manager of the Ewing Morris Flexible Fixed Income Fund LP.

Randy received a Bachelor’s of Commerce degree in Finance from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia in 2007 and became a CFA Charterholder in 2011. Randy is also a Leslie Wong Fellow, as he was fortunate to have joined UBC’s Portfolio Management Foundation during his time at Sauder.

Randy has made at-risk young people and mental health the focus of his community work. In this avenue, Laidlaw Foundation is Randy's principal outlet for making a positive difference in the population of Canadian youth.