People Directory

Our team is the heartbeat of our collaborative efforts, comprising diverse experts from various fields. Each member brings unique skills and perspectives, uniting to drive innovation and impact in the health sector. Together, we are more than just a team; we are a community committed to transforming healthcare across Africa.

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People Directory

Photo of Sophie Stuart-Sheppard

Coordinator, Communications & Community Development

Health Innovation Hub (H2i), University of Toronto

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 Jamila Parker-Ismail

Program Coordinator, African Impact Initiative

African Impact Challenge

Photo of Titilayo Soremi

, PhD

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

Photo of Lily Afsaw

Student Life Officer, Mastercard Foundations Scholars Program

Centre for International Experience, University of Toronto

Photo of Lynda Donnelly

Student Life Coordinator, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

Centre for International Experience, University of Toronto

Photo of Katherine Beaumont

Senior Director, Global Learning Opportunities and International Student Success

Centre for International Experience, University of Toronto

Profile

Sophie Stuart-Sheppard

Coordinator, Communications & Community Development

Health Innovation Hub (H2i)

Sophie (she/her) is the Communications & Community Development Coordinator at Health Innovation Hub (H2i), University of Toronto’s health-focused accelerator.

She is passionate about research translation, and rethinking how we design, deliver and access healthcare services, centering patient-informed and community-led models of care. She has worked within communications, operations management and project coordination in non-profits, healthcare, academic and start-up environments alike. In addition, Sophie has worked in frontline roles, from intake and case coordination to peer support facilitation. Having been a part of the founding and leadership team of a mental health focused start-up, she has unique insight into the journey and challenges of taking ideas in healthcare from conception to scale. She holds a Bachelor’s in Sociology from McGill University, and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Health at University of Victoria.

Email Address
sophie.stuartsheppard@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
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 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.obano@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Program
African Impact Challenge
Profile

Jamila Parker-Ismail

Program Coordinator, African Impact Initiative

African Impact Challenge

In her role as Program Coordinator, Jamila assumes a pivotal role, diligently overseeing, co-managing, and orchestrating the implementation of business development initiatives at The African Impact Initiative.

She brings years of experience to the realm of Program Incubation, where her primary focus lies in nurturing Entrepreneurial Development. Jamila’s profession is underscored by her exceptional organizational acumen, a knack for fostering team synergy and networks. Her portfolio extends across multiple African countries, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, Lesotho, Kenya, and Nigeria.

Email Address
jamila@africanimpactinitiative.com
Profile Type
Staff
Country
South Africa
Program
African Impact Challenge
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
Program
Public Policy
Profile

Lily Afsaw

Student Life Officer, Mastercard Foundations Scholars Program

Centre for International Experience

Lily Mesfin Asfaw is the Student Life Officer at the University of Toronto’s Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.

Lily, who is Ethiopian and born and raised in Rwanda, moved to Canada to pursue a BA in Political Science and Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice at the University of British Columbia (UBC). After her studies, Lily transitioned to full-time work at UBC in their International Student Advising office and later became Program Assistant in their Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. There, she developed a strong interest in helping international students, particularly African students, acclimate to Canada which she continues to do in her current position. In her role as Student Life Officer, she organizes co-curricular programming to help scholars adjust to living in Canada, manage their studies, and foster community.

Email Address
lily.asfaw@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Program
Mastercard Foundations Scholars Program
Profile

Lynda Donnelly

Student Life Coordinator, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

Centre for International Experience

Lynda Donnelly is the Student Life Coordinator for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Toronto located in the Centre for International Experience.

She is pleased to be able to play an important role in providing administrative support during the scholarship recruitment stage and offer her dedicated care and guidance to new scholars during their pre-arrival preparations and onboarding at UofT. Lynda is from England and has worked as an administrative professional in various industries. At UofT she held a term position in the Office of the Vice Provost, Students and short-term assignments in The Office of the Provost and The Office of the Governing Council.  Lynda loves to travel and so shares in the excitement and enthusiasm of the new Foundation graduate scholars, as they prepare for international studies in Canada.

Email Address
lynda.donnelly@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Program
Mastercard Foundations Scholars Program
Profile

Katherine Beaumont

Senior Director, Global Learning Opportunities and International Student Success

Centre for International Experience

Katherine Beaumont is an international educational professional with over 25 years’ experience in the field working with universities, communities and corporations across the globe.  Her focus in the work has always been innovative opportunities for participants that lead to meaningful engagement and a deeper understanding of self, systems and others and the ability to affect change.

Email Address
katherine.beaumont@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Program
Mastercard Foundations Scholars Program