Kathy is the Deputy Director of the Indigenous Innovation Initiative. She is passionate about Innovation and committed to Indigenous economic reconciliation. A doer and a dreamer.
Kathy is a results-oriented, values-based community leader and entrepreneur with a passion for innovation. She has worked in both the private sector at 3M Canada and the public sector with the Ontario Public Service, along with contributing extensively to the non-profit environment.
She is most proud of her work with diverse communities including working extensively with Indigenous communities. From working with a global team at the UN’s World Indigenous Conference in Darwin, Au, mentoring Indigenous entrepreneurs in the Yukon, to helping women coming out of Human Trafficking with Clan Mothers in Winnipeg, MB, Kathy is committed to advancing culture in the spirit of truth and reconciliation. She is currently working with 60’s Scoop survivors where they have launched a commemorative space and film to welcome those affected by traumatic historical events such as residential school, Indian Day School and 60’s Scoop home.
Kathy takes a human-centered design approach to all her work. She was the key researcher, facilitator, and author of “Voices of Lived Experience with Poverty, a report that highlighted a strength-based approach to understanding poverty in Simcoe County. She has been involved in homeless enumeration and tendent-lead initiatives to understand housing in rural areas.
Kathy has a deep understanding of the Justice System. Kathy managed the Organizational Effectiveness department at the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services. She has worked extensively with the Ontario Provincial Police and Legal Aid Ontario. Her work has helped to reduce the demand on the Justise system by ensure social problems do not become legal problems. She has also worked on access to justice in rural and remote settings.
She is passionate about improving the mental health system. She has led change initiatives looking at access to services and how better to support families with loved ones struggling with Mental Health and Addition. She has worked on evaluation frameworks for new withdrawal management approaches and led community dialogues on addiction supports.
Kathy has extensive experience in Strategic Planning, Organizational Development, Marketing and Communication and is one of a handful of Canadians who have completed graduate studies in Social Innovation.
Kathy enjoys working with like-minded people on projects with both meaning and hope.