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Photo of Ann Armstrong

, PhD

Director, ICUBE

ICUBE, University of Toronto Mississauga

Photo of Ignacio Mongrell

Assistant Director, ICUBE

ICUBE, University of Toronto Mississauga

Photo of Mohammad Tahvili

Creative Studio Lead

ICUBE, University of Toronto Mississauga

Photo of Dave Fenton

Assistant Director, External Relations

The BRIDGE, University of Toronto Scarborough

Photo of Efosa Obano

Founder & Manager of the Black Founders Network; Founder of African Impact Initiative

African Impact Challenge, The BRIDGE, University of Toronto

Photo of Penina Lam

, PhD

Senior Director, International Relations, Africa & Head, AHC Secretariat

Africa Secretariat, Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of JesusMiracle Chiadika

, M.Ed., PhD Candidate

Senior Research Officer, Communications Lead

Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of Edward Nkole

, CPA, CMA

Finance & Administration Associate Director

Africa Secretariat, Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of Titilayo Soremi

, PhD

Titilayo Soremi is an Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream) at the University of Toronto Scarborough

Photo of Tak Koguchi

Lead, Strategic Initiatives

Africa Secretariat, Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Profile

Ann Armstrong, PhD

Director, ICUBE

ICUBE

Ann Armstrong received her PhD in organizational behaviour from the University of Toronto.

She has a BA Honours in philosophy and an MBA from the University of Toronto, as well as a graduate degree in criminology from Cambridge University. Her current teaching focuses on organizational theory and design, change management, social entrepreneurship, and sustainability. She has published on a variety of topics ranging from team-based compensation systems to green curricula to doctoral experiences to the social economy. She has co-authored several books with Drs (the late) Jack Quarter, Laurie Mook, and John Whitman on the social economies of Canada and of the United States. She is now working on the fifth edition of Organization Theory and Design, by Daft, R. and Armstrong, A.

Since July 1, 2022, Ann Armstrong has served as the Director of ICUBE, one of the many incubators on the University of Toronto campus.

Email Address
ann.armstrong@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Canada
Profile

Ignacio Mongrell

Assistant Director, ICUBE

ICUBE

Originally from Uruguay, Ignacio moved to Canada in 2010 and earned a Master’s of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) from the University of Waterloo.

He worked at the Waterloo Accelerator Centre as Director of Client Services where he led the JumpStart funding program and other strategic initiatives. Ignacio also worked at Haltech Regional Innovation Centre supporting clients and community members by managing a range of business advisory programs, including the Haltech HEAT™ startup services program, and specialty programs to support scaleup of high-growth ventures. Ignacio is also an entrepreneur at heart and co-founded and exited a real estate start-up (Apartmint). Ignacio is currently the Assistant Director at ICUBE – and chair of Positive Space at the University of Toronto, advocating for LGBTQ2S+ students, staff and faculty.

Email Address
ignacio.mongrell@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Profile

Mohammad Tahvili

Creative Studio Lead

ICUBE

Mohammad Tahvili is a serial entrepreneur who has founded a number of companies in different sectors such as digital marketing, sustainability, diversity, and accessibility, all tied to social innovation and helping others shine.

His diverse background includes an HBSc in Computer Science and Entrepreneurship which helped him grow and help many small businesses with his technical skills. Additionally, he has over seven years of experience in app & website development, business development, branding and marketing that he is using to this day to help as many small businesses as possible to sustainable grow and scale their businesses.​

Email Address
mohammad.tahvilli@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Profile

Dave Fenton

Assistant Director, External Relations

The BRIDGE

Dave Fenton is the Assistant Director of External Relations with the Department of Management at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC).

He leads a team of relationship managers that support Management’s accredited co-operative education program, and oversees the curricular work-integrated learning (WIL) program through The BRIDGE. One such initiative includes the African Impact Challenge (AIC), launched in 2020 alongside through the African Impact Initiative.  The AIC empowers African youth to realize the change they wish to see in their communities through the development and launch of technology-driven social impact startups.  The AIC was recognized by the United Nations as one of the top 50 solutions in the 2020 Youth Solutions Report for Sustainable Development.  Dave has been published in Cooperative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada’s (CEWIL Canada) e-book “The Practice of Co-op and Work-Integrated Learning in the Canadian Context”, presented publications at the WACE International Research Symposium, the World Association of Cooperative Education (WACE) World Conference, the CEWIL Research Spotlight, and serves as facilitator of Global WIL Modules.  Dave holds a Master of Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto.

Email Address
dave.fenton@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Program
African Impact Challenge
Profile
Efosa KC Obano

Efosa Obano

Founder & Manager of the Black Founders Network; Founder of African Impact Initiative

African Impact Challenge

Efosa Obano started and manages the Black Founders Network (BFN), which supports Black entrepreneurs across Canada with capital, community, and capacity building.

He also started and leads the African Impact Initiative (AII), which enables early African innovators to create solutions to challenges in their communities. He has expertise in using technology to create social impact, invest with impact, and build early-stage ventures. For this work, he has been recognized by the United Nations and the Ontario Minister’s Award of Excellence.
 
Prior to these, he led a team that guided start-ups on their digital transformation journeys with Dell Technologies Canada. He also led community outreach for Dell Canada’s Social Impact Team & Dell Canada’s Black Networking Alliance. He received Dell’s Corporate Social Responsibility Award for this work. He is an alumnus of the University of Toronto, where he specialized in Strategic Management.

Email Address
efosa@africanimpactinitiative.com; efosa.obano@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Program
African Impact Challenge
Profile
Dr Penina Lam, Lead of the Africa Health Collaborative

Penina Lam, PhD

Senior Director, International Relations, Africa & Head, AHC Secretariat

Africa Secretariat

Dr. Penina Lam is the U of T’s Senior Director of International Relations, where she leads strategic engagement and development of partnerships with Africa.

 She also leads the implementation of the Africa Health Collaborative, designed to facilitate talent development and entrepreneurship among African youth. She oversees the Secretariat team and works in close partnership with colleagues across U of T, with African institutions, and the Mastercard Foundation. 

As a scholar-practitioner, she’s passionate about research and programs that foster access to and equity in education, health, and employment opportunities.  Prior to joining U of T, she worked as an Organizational Development (OD) consultant at the World Bank, in healthcare and education sectors. She’s experienced at engaging with diverse stakeholders to design, develop, and deliver impactful learning and talent development program.

Her academic career has spanned research, faculty, staff, and senior leadership roles working with African, Canadian, and US institutions. Dr. Lam holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & OD, with a focus on Human Resource Development.

Email Address
penina.lam@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Canada
Pillars
Health Ecosystems
Health Employment
Health Entrepreneurship
Program
Africa Secretariat
Governance
Executive Steering Committee
Profile

JesusMiracle Chiadika, M.Ed., PhD Candidate

Senior Research Officer, Communications Lead

Office of the Vice-President International

JesusMiracle is the Senior Research Officer/ Communications Lead at the Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto. She is also completing a PhD in Higher Education with a collaborative specialization in Comparative, International and Development Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. She graduated with an M.Ed. in Higher Education, and has an interdisciplinary background in the arts, psychology and entrepreneurship. She has lived on three continents which impacted her worldview and interests in understanding education from a global perspective. Having worked extensively with international students, she is interested in understanding how internationalization policies impact their experiences on an institutional level, and how institutions can improve the services and supports provided to students.

Email Address
jesusmiracle.chiadika@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Governance
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee
Profile

Edward Nkole, CPA, CMA

Finance & Administration Associate Director

Africa Secretariat

Edward Nkole is a seasoned professional who, since March 2022, has been dedicated to his role as the Senior Planning and Budget Officer at the Office of the Vice President International (OVPI).

His responsibilities encompass providing invaluable financial management counsel, ensuring meticulous preparation of financial reports for the Foundation, and fostering collaborative partnerships both within and outside the organization.

Edward’s role is marked by dual reporting, where he effectively liaises with the Senior Director, International Relations, Africa for the Mastercard Foundation Grant. Furthermore, he holds a pivotal position as the finance lead within OVPI, reporting directly to the AVP International Engagement and Impact.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Edward’s true passion lies in the realm of education. With a remarkable twelve-plus years of experience in the university sector, he brings a wealth of knowledge and dedication to the table. Edward Nkole is a dynamic individual who continues to make a significant impact in the field of international relations and education.

Email Address
edward.nkole@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Pillars
Health Ecosystems
Health Employment
Health Entrepreneurship
Program
Africa Secretariat
Profile

Titilayo Soremi, PhD

Titilayo Soremi is an Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream) at the University of Toronto Scarborough

She holds a Master’s degree in International Development from the University of Sussex, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Exeter. Her doctorate thesis examined the involvement of the European Union in the policy transfer of renewable energy policy to West Africa and applied the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) to analyse the policy narratives of the actors. Titilayo has worked with the Energy Policy Group and the Nexus Network at the University of Sussex. Her research interests include global public policy transfer, policy narratives, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She has published articles in the International Review of Public Policy, Policy design and Practice, the Global Journal of Social Sciences, and the Canadian Journal of African Studies.

Email Address
titlayo.soremi@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Pillar
Health Ecosystems
Program
Public Policy
Profile

Tak Koguchi

Lead, Strategic Initiatives

Africa Secretariat

Tak Koguchi serves as the Lead for Strategic Initiatives and Governance within the AHC Secretariat at the University of Toronto (U of T) 

His role involves establishing standardized institutional processes and templates for the network, particularly regarding Intellectual Property (IP), research frameworks, and cross-partner collaboration. Previously, Tak served as the Senior Regional Lead (Africa) and the acting program manager for the Secretariat, where he was instrumental in shaping the collaborative’s early narrative.
Tak is a graduate of U of T (BA) and York University (MPPAL).

  

Email Address
tak.koguchi@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Program
Africa Secretariat