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Photo of Celestine Nema

Program Coordinator, Entrepreneurship & Work Integrated Learning - Management Department; Projects Lead - African Impact Initiative

African Impact Challenge, The BRIDGE, University of Toronto Scarborough

Photo of William (Bill) McConkey

, PhD

Academic Director, New Venture Program, and Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship

African Impact Challenge, The BRIDGE, University of Toronto Scarborough

Photo of Katherine Rouleau

, MDCM CCFP MHSc FCFP

Professor, Family and Community Medicine

University of Toronto

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 Jamila Parker-Ismail

Program Coordinator, African Impact Initiative

African Impact Challenge

Photo of Tom Parker

, BA, B.Ed.

Grants and Office Manager

Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of Ernest Asamoah

, PhD

Program Officer (West Africa), Ghana

Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Program Officer (East Africa), Kenya

Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Profile

Celestine Nema

Program Coordinator, Entrepreneurship & Work Integrated Learning - Management Department; Projects Lead - African Impact Initiative

African Impact Challenge

Celestine Nema is a Program Coordinator for Entrepreneurship and Work-Integrated Learning at The BRIDGE, an entrepreneurship accelerator in the Management Department at the University of Toronto, Scarborough.

She also acts as the Projects Lead for the African Impact Initiative, a University of Toronto partner that runs the African Impact Challenge, a startup incubator program that  supports young African entrepreneurs to create viable solutions for the most pressing challenges within their communities. Celestine’s career spanned public service for almost a decade before pivoting her career to focus on her passion for entrepreneurship, youth education, and youth development.

Email Address
celestine.nema@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Program
African Impact Challenge
Profile

William (Bill) McConkey, PhD

Academic Director, New Venture Program, and Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship

African Impact Challenge

UTSC grad Professor Bill McConkey spent two decades in the early-stage venture world before returning to the University of Toronto, Scarborough to join the Department of Management, teaching courses in Operations, Product Management and Entrepreneurship.

Bill has supported countless students as they launched new ventures, whether in the classroom, through co-curricular initiatives or co-op terms. Bill is involved in several student organizations, including MCC The Management Consulting Club, LIVE Competition and the department’s new Sales club. Bill is Academic Director of the campus’s New Venture Program, and sits on the Board of Advisors and Board of Directors of a number of Canadian companies.

He and his wife Monica and their five children – and new puppy – live in Stouffville, Ontario.

Email Address
bill.mcconkey@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Canada
Program
African Impact Challenge
Profile

Katherine Rouleau, MDCM CCFP MHSc FCFP

Professor, Family and Community Medicine

University of Toronto

Katherine Rouleau is a family physician and global health expert. She has practiced and taught team-based family medicine at St-Michael’s Hospital in the St-Jamestown neighborhood of Toronto for over 25 years.  At the University of Toronto, she is director of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Family Medicine and Primary Care, and Global (Primary Health Care -PHC) lead in the Office of Health System Partnerships with the Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM).

Her academic, clinical and leadership interests center on collaboration to improve health equity and address the complex health needs of individuals and communities impacted by adverse determinants of health through high-quality comprehensive primary care at the core of PHC-oriented health systems.

Her past leadership and administrative roles include founding director of the Besrour Centre for Global Family Medicine at the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CCFP), vice-chair Global Health and Social Accountability at the DFCM and technical officer for PHC at the World Health Organization headquarters.  

Email Address
kartherine.rouleau@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Canada
Governance
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee
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

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

Tom Parker, BA, B.Ed.

Grants and Office Manager

Office of the Vice-President International

Tom Parker is the Grants and Office Manager with the Office of the Vice President, International, at the University of Toronto where he leads the administration of grant funding programs and administrative processes for the office.

Tom has led projects and managed staff teams for seven years. Prior to OVPI, Tom supported Indigenous communities in northern Canada with locally delivered housing and economic development initiatives. Tom completed his MPA from Western University, specializing in Canadian municipal politics, and holds a B.Ed. and B.A. Outside of work, Tom enjoys outdoor activities and spending time with his son.

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

Ernest Asamoah, PhD

Program Officer (West Africa), Ghana

Office of the Vice-President International

Ernest is the Program Officer for West Africa, Office of the Vice President International, University of Toronto.

Ernest coordinates University of Toronto’s projects and programs in the West Africa subregion. Ernest previously worked with KPMG as Manager where he managed the Firm’s business development Unit in Ghana and contributed significantly to increasing the service lines and revenue of the Firm. Prior to that, Ernest was Program Officer with World Vision International, Ghana where he was responsible for  the planning and implementation of youth trainee sponsorship, child protection and donor relations. He led and improved donor retention and deepened donor relations. Ernest joined the U of T from Regent University College of Science and Technology, a private University College affiliated to KNUST as the Dean, School of Business, Leadership and Legal Studies. He developed industry relevant and demand – driven postgraduate programmes and short courses to beef up the academic programmes of the College, strengthened industry -academic relations. Ernest chairs the Ghana Research – Industry Collaborative Steering Committee.

Email Address
ernest.asamoah@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Ghana
Program
Africa Secretariat
Profile

Lillian Bogonko

Program Officer (East Africa), Kenya

Office of the Vice-President International

Email Address
lillian.bogonko@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Kenya
Program
Africa Secretariat