Team & Board

Board

Joshua Sealy-Harrington

Board Member

Associate Professor and the Chair in Palestinian Human Rights in Canada at the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law

Kathryn Simmers

Board Member

Moya Teklu

Board Member

Director of Policy at Legal Aid Ontario

Committees

Finance & Audit Committee

Committee Members

Jesse Waugh
Randy Steuart / Vice Chair
Sandra Kagango / Chair

External Advisors

Heather Brubacher
Ken Gibson
Sumant Inamdar

Investment Committee

External Advisors

Ewa Townsend
Giuliano Thornhill
Hanifa Kassam

Impact Investment Subcommittee

Committee Members

Paul Nagpal / Chair
Polina Kosareva

External Advisors

Hanifa Kassam
MJ Sinha
Narinder Dhami

Granting Committee

Committee Members

Benjamin Mitsuk
Christopher McFarlane / Chair
Polina Kosareva / Vice Chair

External Advisors

Celine Isimbi
Irwin Elman
Koubra Haggar
Paul Bailey
Teddy Syrette

Governance and Recruitment Committee

Committee Members

Benjamin Mitsuk / Chair
Christopher McFarlane
Jesse Waugh / Vice Chair
Julia Laidlaw
Menaka Yerramilli de Rege

Family Committee

Committee Members

Julia Laidlaw / Vice Chair
Kathryn Simmers
Menaka Yerramilli de Rege
Paul Nagpal
Tim Apgar / Chair

External Advisors

Jessica Hammell
Melissa Laidlaw

Indigenous Youth Advisory Committee

Committee Members

Carissa Coe
Carole Monture
Chevaun Toulouse
Eternity Sutherland
Joel Jocko

Black Youth Advisory Committee

External Advisors

Celine Isimbi
Deborah Banjaw
Jeremiah Bowers
Kayode Akande
Keziah Oduro
Koubra Haggar
Tobi Olumurewa
Zhané Stimpson

Joshua Sealy-Harrington

Board Member

Joshua Sealy-Harrington is an Associate Professor and the Chair in Palestinian Human Rights in Canada at the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law.

His research applies critical legal theory to questions of race, gender, and disability justice, and his scholarship has been widely cited by courts and tribunals across Canada, including in leading Supreme Court of Canada decisions concerning criminal and constitutional law.

As Counsel at Power Law, Professor Sealy-Harrington strategically mobilizes criminal, constitutional, and international law to advance the interests of marginalized groups, including Black and Indigenous accused, trans and intersex youth, religious and linguistic minorities, women and children, and communities in the Global South.

Moreover, Professor Sealy-Harrington consulted as a constitutional and legal expert for Soulpepper Theatre’s Canadian adaptation of the Tony- and Pulitzer-nominated play “What the Constitution Means to Me”. Before joining the academy, Professor Sealy-Harrington completed three judicial clerkships—two at the Supreme Court of Canada (for Justice Clément Gascon) and one at the Federal Court (for Justice Donald J. Rennie, now of the Federal Court of Appeal).

Joshua has a long history of supporting and mentoring youth. During his undergraduate studies, he founded and coached an award-winning debate program at Churchill Secondary in Vancouver, BC.

In law school, he volunteered with Pro Bono Students Canada to deliver workshops on equality and consent to high school students and was a member of the Stampede Youth Speech and Debate Committee. And following law school Joshua coached the William Aberhart Mock Trial Team in Calgary, AB. More recently, as an academic, he has received various accolades for his continued support of youth, including several awards from the Black Law Students’ Association of Canada for drafting its annual moot problem, as well as being voted “Professor of the Year” (by the student body) and “Person of the Year” (by the Faculty Association) for his steadfast defence of student advocacy for Palestinian human rights at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Jeremiah Bowers

Black Youth Advisor

is a proud first-generation, Afro-Indigenous (Jamaican/Haudenosaunee) articling student with Goldblatt Partners LLP. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the Lincoln Alexander School of Law (Toronto Metropolitan University) and has an Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Windsor. He will be called to the Bar and become a practicing lawyer in June.

At the University of Windsor, Jeremiah served on the student union for four years, becoming its youngest-elected, longest-serving and the only fifth Black President in the University's history. During his term, he established the Black Solidarity Group to foster collaboration among the Black student groups with meaningful institutional support. He also launched equity collectives that created safer spaces for marginalized and racialized students to organize, build community, and cultivate their advocacy.

Building upon the work of his “big sisters” in the student movement, Jeremiah became the first-elected chair and a founding member of the National Black Students’ Caucus of the Canadian Federation of Students. After his time in student leadership, Jeremiah focused on advocating within the institution to effect change. He worked as the Anti-Black Racism Projects Coordinator in the Office of the University President and the Office of the Vice President of People, Equity and Inclusion at the University of Windsor. In his role, he steered vital university initiatives against anti-Black racism that centred on and supported the success and excellence of current and future Black students.

In 2020, Jeremiah expanded his community impact, becoming a founding member of The Black Council of Windsor-Essex, mobilizing advocates and allies to advance systemic change within the region. In recognition of his community dedication to anti-racism, the Hon. Lieutenant Governor of Ontario awarded Jeremiah the Government of Ontario’s 2023 Lincoln M. Alexander Award.

During law school, Jeremiah served as the Co-President of the Black Law Students' Association chapter and EDI Representative on the Indigenous Law Students’ Association. He was then elected nationally as the National Chair of the Black Law Students' Association of Canada, representing and mobilizing the country’s Black law students from coast to coast. In his spare time, he mentors youth and enjoys being an avid foodie, loves Dancehall, and is often seen with a matcha.

Committee Members

Jesse Waugh

Randy Steuart / Vice Chair

Sandra Kagango / Chair

External Advisors

Heather Brubacher

Ken Gibson

Sumant Inamdar

Committee Members

Paul Nagpal

Randy Steuart / Chair

Sandra Kagango / Vice Chair

Tim Apgar

External Advisors

Ewa Townsend

Giuliano Thornhill

Hanifa Kassam

Committee Members

Paul Nagpal / Chair

Polina Kosareva

External Advisors

Hanifa Kassam

MJ Sinha

Narinder Dhami

Committee Members

Benjamin Mitsuk

Christopher McFarlane / Chair

Polina Kosareva / Vice Chair

External Advisors

Celine Isimbi

Irwin Elman

Koubra Haggar

Paul Bailey

Teddy Syrette

Committee Members

Benjamin Mitsuk / Chair

Christopher McFarlane

Jesse Waugh / Vice Chair

Julia Laidlaw

Menaka Yerramilli de Rege

Committee Members

Julia Laidlaw / Vice Chair

Kathryn Simmers

Menaka Yerramilli de Rege

Paul Nagpal

Tim Apgar / Chair

External Advisors

Jessica Hammell

Melissa Laidlaw

Committee Members

Carissa Coe

Carole Monture

Chevaun Toulouse

Eternity Sutherland

Joel Jocko

External Advisors

Celine Isimbi

Deborah Banjaw

Jeremiah Bowers

Kayode Akande

Keziah Oduro

Koubra Haggar

Tobi Olumurewa

Zhané Stimpson

Aldeli Albán Reyna

Director of Grants and Community Initiatives

Amanda Bernard

Director of Indigenous Programs

Diana Demjanenko

Operations Coordinator

Haiat Iman

Research, Learning, and Evaluation Lead

Jehad Aliweiwi

Executive Director

Benjamin Mitsuk

Vice Chair

Christopher McFarlane

Board Member

Jesse Waugh

Board Member