Our team & advisors

We are a group of individuals with diverse personal and professional experiences, working together towards the same goal: to enable youth from historically marginalized communities to own their future by designing programs that center their voices and experiences. You can hover over each photo to learn more about us!

Meet Our Team

Nicole

Genereaux

Head of Program Success

and Curriculum

Proud Métis citizen, mother, sister, anty and educator, Nicole brings her 19 years of teaching experience and manages the realtionships with our school partners, as well as our curriculums.

Learn more

Céline Godard

Aron

Interim Executive Director

Céline manages the organization and oversees the relationships with our community partners, funding partners, programs' operations and marketing.

Learn more

Misha

Sethi

Program Success

Advisor

Misha leverages her expertise in Social-Emotional Learning to guide educators implementing the You(th) Explore program inside their classrooms for he first time.

Learn more ->

Diana Mihaela

Baranga-Mazhar

On leave

Diana designed learning programs that serve the needs and centre the voices of learners and their families and communities.

Meet Our Board

Salima Lhessani

Camboulives

Board Chair

Salima is our Board Chair. She brings her expertise as an entrepreneur, business strategy and customer experience expert.

Entrepreneur, business and digital strategy

Sébastien

Cabana

Board Treasurer

Sébastien is our Board Treasurer. He brings is expertise in finance. He is the Vice President, Finance & CFO, AC Life at Air Canada. Seb is our oldest board member!

Vice President Finance & CFO AC Life

Air Canada

Georgia

Kiriakos

Board Secretary

Georgia is our Board Secretary. She brings her expertise as a High School teacher, at Vanguard School Montreal. She works with students who learn differently and those who experience learning disabilities.

Teacher, Vanguard High School

Montreal, Quebec

Meet Our Advisors

As a community-centered organization, our advisors are instrumental in shaping our team and the direction of UpstartED. Our advisory group comprises Elders, youth, Knowledge Holders, subject-matter experts, and community members.

Pat

Joe

Elder, citizen from the Tagish Nation and the Dak`laweidí Clan, teacher, Yukon Territory

Meghan

Callan

Former UpstartED Board Director,

School Counsellor, Individual Learning Center Whitehorse, Yukon Territory

Read More About the ILC

Meghan is a School Counsellor at the Individual Learning Center (ILC) in Whitehorse, Yukon. She supports dozens of youth in their journey to graduating high school.

Ocean

Genereaux

Métis citizen, student

Northern Saskatchewan

Vanessa

Memeh

Student

Ontario

Heidi

Warren

Principal and trauma-informed teacher, Yukon Territory

Tammy

Reis

Developmental Therapist,

Yukon Territory

Liard

McMillan

Former UpstartED Board Director, former Chief of the Liard First Nation. Teacher, Individual Learning Center, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory

Liard is a teacher at the Individual Learning Center (ILC) in Whitehorse, Yukon. He is also the former Chief of the Liard First Nation and has an extensive experience working in politics.