LEAP | Pecaut Centre for Social Impact 2023 Impact Report

Transforming Lives IMPACT REPORT

Land Acknowledgement

We wish to acknowledge that LEAP operates on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also wish to acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.

LEAP’s Portfolio

Transforming Lives by Doing Good, Better

In today’s fast-paced world, we are confronted with complex challenges that demand urgent attention and innovative solutions. From socioeconomic inequality, to devastating conflicts and technological disruptions, the issues we face are interconnected, transcending geographical boundaries that affect individuals and communities globally.

Despite these uncertainties –in fact, because of them – we at LEAP remain steadfast in our commitment to create positive change for all Canadians.

Through our work to scale the solutions of our portfolio of social ventures, we have seen how passion and ingenuity are driving the momentum toward a better future.

We hope you enjoy our 2023 Impact Report, which serves as a testament to our team, partners, donors and supporters, who together are a community of changemakers transforming lives. It highlights some of the inspiring stories and impact in the communities across all provinces and territories where the social ventures work.

Joan Dea Chair of the Board

Together, these milestones represent a step forward in our collective journey towards a more vibrant and equitable Canada.

Our Healthy Futures initiative has demonstrated how our model can accelerate impact; the social ventures in this cohort have tripled their reach since the outset of our partnership. In 2023 we built the foundation for similar success with our newest initiative, The Equity Opportunity, which will help lift women out of poverty so that they can achieve a more prosperous future.

Collaboration makes our impact possible. We orchestrate a web of support for the social ventures

Lorna Read, Ph.D. Managing Director

and facilitate partnership and learning opportunities amongst the cohort. Through our extensive and diverse network, we provide access to the expertise from our private sector partners, advisors and champions. By convening the best and brightest, we fuel scale to drive impact, and ultimately lay the groundwork for systemic change in the social sector.

It is with tremendous gratitude to everyone in our community that we celebrate our accomplishments in 2023. By working collaboratively and harnessing the power of innovation, we aspire to build a more resilient and equitable world, where every person has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

30 social ventures in LEAP’s portfolio

6.9m Canadian lives improved

$61.9m funding mobilized $21m+ pro-bono value

6x scaling of social ventures

Define

We identify a pressing issue and conduct thorough research to define our investment thesis.

Select

We select groundbreaking, high-impact solutions and create a diverse cohort of social ventures, each working on different aspects of the issue.

Our Model

Invest

We provide hands-on, long term engagement to each social venture, leveraging pro bono professional services and providing targeted funds to support scaling strategies.

Transformation is a marathon, not a sprint — and does not happen in a straight line. It demands tenacity, endurance, and commitment to the process. It calls for the courage to discard what doesn’t work, to take calculated risks, and to tackle systemic barriers along the way.

The power of convening leaders is immeasurable. Leadership can be isolating, and the community that is built through regular group engagement significantly drives collective impact. It supercharges conversations into potent forums for the exchange of ideas, resources, and solutions that can accelerate progress for all.

Key Learnings

Sustain

By sharing knowledge and providing opportunities to convene and collaborate across the cohort, we build organizational strength, expand peer networks, and contribute to innovation within the sector.

Money alone does not drive scale. While it supports it, scale is driven by knowing what works, by building capabilities, and through commitment to a tremendous amount of hard work. It is founded on a measurement framework that guides priorities and achievement through an outcomes-focused lens to maximize impact.

The power of convening leaders is immeasurable.

Scale calls for transformation, vision, tenacity, and courage.

Number of LEAP’s active portfolio of social ventures transforming lives in each province and territory.

74m

lbs of food that would otherwise be wasted is being diverted to local communities for those in need through Second Harvest.

7

3

9

4

4

5

Transforming Lives Across Canada

3k

low income women and genderdiverse individuals are breaking out of the cycle of poverty through programs that equip them with the skills they need to achieve economic independence.

9.8k of children and youth living with cognitive and physical disabilities are participating in Challenger Baseball’s programs that provide them with an opportunity to connect with peers, and strengthen life skills, baseball skills, and ties within the community.

Healthy Futures was created to tackle the rise of chronic disease in Canada.

When we published Healthy Futures: The Need for Action, Canadians were falling behind. We weren’t meeting physical activity guidelines, we weren’t eating enough nutritious food, and we continued to smoke. These trends continue, making the scaling of programs that address these issues even more important today. Since the initiative launched in 2020, we have seen how LEAP’s model can supercharge impact and move the needle on one of today’s most pressing issues. In four years, the Healthy Futures social ventures have tripled the number of people they reach.

Supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada and with handson support from LEAP and our sector partners, the 10 social ventures are implementing their growth plans and strengthening capacity in areas such as

government relations, fundraising, strategy and technology.

Together as a cohort, they formed new partnerships, exchanged learnings, and inspired each other to push innovative ways of thinking. In 2023, social venture

leaders convened with the LEAP team and our sector partners to explore solutions to their shared challenges, and hear insights on topics that support their continued scaling, with a two-day workshop Scaling Solutions in Public Health

Healthy Futures

New Partnerships, New Programs

Collaboration and knowledge-sharing are foundational to LEAP’s approach. When the leaders of Black Health Alliance and STOP met at the outset of the Healthy Futures initiative, they shared their objectives and brainstormed an idea for a smoking cessation program tailored to Black communities. As a result, they won a grant from the Public Health Agency of Canada to create it. Black Canadians in the greater Toronto area will soon have access to a custom-built program based on Canada’s top research– vitally important because although smoking prevalence in Black Canadian adults is half that of white adults, Black adults are more likely to die from smoking-related diseases.

International Recognition for Healthy Futures

Out of an international review of more than 200 programs, LEAP’s Healthy Futures initiative was selected by the World Health Organization as a leading example of intersectoral collaboration in action and was presented as a case study at their Pan American conference in November 2023. The conference gathered over 100 experts from 20 countries to discuss innovative programs, research and solutions for improving public health measures in addressing social determinants of health.

3x more people reached since the inception of Healthy Futures.

2x more people are reducing their chances of developing chronic disease (of the social ventures tracking behavioural change).

Meet Holly

As Operations Coordinator for Fresh Routes, Holly Barton understands the power of food to bring people together, especially important given the isolation many faced during the pandemic.

“ Access to fresh food is a basic human right, but given the high cost of food, many have to make difficult choices. We meet people where they’re at - whether it’s a senior’s home, community centre or a school, and offer them a dignified way to access fresh healthy food at an affordable price. At the same time, they can socialize with their neighbours. They can buy fresh fruits and vegetables the same way everyone else does and they don’t have to choose between paying their rent or their grocery bill. We engage with all sorts of different communities and we try to meet their needs with culturally appropriate foods. Our community markets are truly their markets.”

75k

Canadians reached (up from 29k). Served

3x more fresh fruits and vegetables served (from 142k to 503k).

2.6x more Indigenous households (from 2.7k to 7k).

Fresh Routes provides healthy and affordable food to as many Canadians as possible, by transforming decommissioned city buses and trucks into grocery stores on wheels.

The Problem

Lack of access to healthy food is associated with a higher risk for obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases — yet accessing healthy food is a challenge for many Canadians. Equitydeserving populations struggle with affordability and limited options, and there is stigma and lack of dignity associated with the traditional food bank model. Community-driven, innovative healthy food retail in underserved communities is essential for increasing the consumption of healthy food.

Increased financial resources to $950k (up from $600k).

The Solution

Fresh Routes is a non-profit social enterprise that buys products wholesale, then sells them in the community at 2446 percent less than traditional retail. They serve neighborhoods more likely to experience food insecurity, providing community members with dignified, healthy food options. By focusing on food access, rather than household food insecurity, Fresh Routes seeks to move beyond the idea of fixing a problem, and towards a vision of building sustainable, equitable, and inclusive systems that enable all Canadians to lead healthy lives.

The LEAP Effect

With LEAP’s support, Fresh Routes revised its supply chain operations, improved procurement processes and financial sustainability, and guided leadership transitions to build a sustainable and scalable operating model. This included developing a frozen and packaged goods strategy that focused on using leftover food to generate additional revenue for the organization, refining Fresh Routes’ financial model to identify gaps in fundraising, and articulating connections between access to healthy food and mental and dental health outcomes to identify new donors. Served

3x as many communities (from 40 to 120).

Meet Tina

As an educator with 21 years experience, Tina Skakun has seen firsthand the meaningful impact that APPLE Schools has on students and the corresponding ripple effect on local communities. As a School Health Mentor for Northeast Alberta and beyond, she is able to combine her passion for health and wellness and mental well-being with her experience in the classroom as she collaborates with students, community partners and staff who are all working towards a common goal: healthy kids in healthy schools.

“ T he schools have the autonomy to design the programs that best suit the needs of their students, and it’s wonderful how the community comes together to support them. The sky’s the limit! Whether its growing traditional plants to learn about Indigenous medicines, offering monthly games nights for families, sports clubs or healthy breakfast and snack programs, the initiatives all have one thing in common: fostering a sense of belonging and culture and instilling lifelong healthy habits. I’ve been privileged to act as a ‘connector’ in supporting the health and wellness journeys for so many kids in Alberta and beyond.”

97

schools across Western Canada, up from 75.

APPLE Schools works with vulnerable school communities to make kids healthier for life.

The Problem

30k students supported, up from 21k.

Children in APPLE Schools consume

10 % more fruits and vegetables.

Canadian youth are not meeting recommendations for healthy eating and physical activity. This is particularly concerning for children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged, remote, and northern communities, who are disproportionately affected by lack of access. This drastically increases the chances of becoming obese and developing chronic diseases later in life. According to the 2014 REAL Kids Alberta evaluation, 37 percent of Grade 5 students in Alberta are overweight or obese. School interventions, such as physical education classes, lack a comprehensive approach to promoting wellness that focuses on physical health in addition to mental health and healthy eating.

The Solution

APPLE Schools leverages a comprehensive school health approach, working with school districts to directly target youth in vulnerable schools at an early stage in life (ages 5-12). The intervention embeds healthy habits around mental health, physical activity, and healthy eating that become lifelong habits, and allows for a complete culture shift throughout the school towards healthy behaviours. Students in APPLE schools develop better nutrition habits, become more physically active, reduce their risk for obesity, gain quality of life, and improve their leadership skills and learning outcomes.

The LEAP Effect

LEAP is supporting APPLE Schools as they expand their reach into new territories, working with them to refine their communications strategy; and to increase capabilities in fundraising, leadership development and governance. Additionally, LEAP crafted a targeted government relations strategy to elevate APPLE Schools’ profile within provincial governments, and revamped APPLE Schools’ pitch deck to boost their partnership acceptance rate among school boards.

Meet Peter

Dr. Peter Selby, Founder of STOP, Physician and Scientist at CAMH, and Professor at University of Toronto, partnered with the Ministry of Health to create STOP in 2005, when he realized that the efforts being made in Ontario to help people quit smoking were not effectively reaching equity-seeking communities. Given the limits of reaching people through in-patient clinic visits, he chose to leverage emerging technologies to reach a larger audience of people who wanted to quit.

“ O ur model is designed to focus first and foremost on the person who’s smoking; we focus on their needs first, while creating a virtual community of practice so that the practitioners also have a support network. [Since 2005] we’ve reached 400,000 Canadians, making a positive impact on their health while filling in the gaps in the Canadian heath care system. We hear inspiring stories every day, like one of our elderly patients who suffers from osteoporosis related to smoking, who engaged with STOP and completely transformed their lifestyle. We’re reaching people who never thought they could quit.”

41k

Canadians enrolled in smoking cessation programs (up from 23k).

The Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients (STOP) Program is a province-wide initiative that provides smoking cessation treatment to people who want to reduce or quit their tobacco use.

STOP’s innovation and methods are scalable to other provinces.

The Problem

350 practitioners delivering the STOP program.

66k years of life gained by quitting smoking.

4.6 million Canadians continue to smoke tobacco, at the cost of numerous fatal health consequences and resulting in $18B in annual health care costs to Canada. However, most smokers can’t quit on their own. Only 3-5% of smokers are successful when trying to quit unassisted. Furthermore, healthcare providers have limited time and often do not adequately address smoking treatment for their patients. Few research-backed models exist today that effectively integrate within the healthcare system.

The Solution

STOP works primarily with healthcare practitioners, offering training and access to a proprietary platform that provides personalized smoking cessation recommendations to patients. They also offer free smoking cessation treatment in a directto-patient method to individuals through STOP on the Net, their online platform, and community workshops in local public health units.

The LEAP Effect

LEAP’s collaboration with STOP has centered on the development of strategic approaches and tools to foster partnerships across various industry sectors, including government, pharmacy, and non-profit organizations. Most recently, LEAP has been conducting research to establish a product-market fit with Canadian pharmacies, aiming to enhance access to primary care and serve more beneficiaries, aligning with the Ministry of Health’s objectives and enhancing STOP’s digital program for an optimal market fit.

“ LEAP has been a perfect complement to our team. We have research and clinical experience and we find that LEAP provides much needed business expertise.”

SARWAR HUSSAIN, DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION, OPERATIONS & STRATEGY, INTREPID LAB, CAMH

Meet Darshana

When Darshana was in high school, she saw how the normalization of vaping culture amongst older students was impacting younger kids who were facing social pressures to fit in. LungSask started the Youth4Change group and engaged youth to join to advocate for provincial legislation surrounding vaping products, as well as educate their peers about the negative and unknown health consequences surrounding vaping.

“ In 2018, there was actually no provisional legislation surrounding vaping regulation. We really wanted to advocate for these products to be regulated - where you can buy them, where you can use them and at what age. I’m really proud that we have successfully helped pass two bills that address these issues -we’ve seen concrete change. We’re breaking myths around tobacco products, and empowering young people by giving them a seat at the table when it comes to decisions around their own health. Advocacy is a long game, and we’re just getting started!”

300+ youth reached.

13 communities reached (up from two).

Youth4Change is a community-led health and education initiative that aims to reduce harms caused by commercial tobacco and vaping use, specifically among Saskatchewan First Nations Youth.

The Problem

Saskatchewan has some of the highest youth smoking rates and the third-highest prevalence of cannabis use in Canada, and First Nations youth are disproportionately affected by tobacco, vaping, and substance abuse. To successfully tackle this problem, it was crucial to develop a culturally-oriented education, prevention, cessation and advocacy model that brings youth to the table while developing policies that directly affect them.

100 youth trained since inception, doubling in the past year.

The Solution

Youth4Change (Y4C) is an education initiative conducted through an original partnership between Lung Saskatchewan, the Students Commission of Canada, and the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN). In 2021, FSIN passed on their role to the Tribal Councils and their communities across Saskatchewan. Y4C provides a culturally-responsive approach to reduce vaping and smoking rates among youth. Y4C aims to enable youth to make informed choices around tobacco, educate others, and advocate for change within the community.

The LEAP Effect

LEAP worked with Y4C to develop its strategy for programming in Indigenous communities according to local needs and priorities. Additionally, LEAP helped them build their fundraising capacity to achieve greater financial stability, develop a funding tracker, and create a budget template and key messaging documents. Equally important is the change at the systemic level. In 2023, Youth4Change advocated for and was instrumental in the passing of Bill 147, which increased the minimum age for the purchase of tobacco and vaping products in Saskatchewan.

“Throughout the years, LEAP staff advised us through many stages of the program (i.e. funding proposals, pitch decks, budgeting, planning, etc.) Their guidance was instrumental in setting up the foundation of Y4C and we at Lung Sask, along with our Y4C partners, are grateful for their support!”

JENNIFER MAY, VICE PRESIDENT OF HEALTH PROMOTION & GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, LUNG SASKATCHEWAN

In Canada, women face long-standing barriers adversely affecting their economic well-being.

To build our latest initiative, LEAP examined the interconnected drivers that impact a woman’s personal and financial well-being. Our report Advancing Women’s Economic Well-Being demonstrates that by taking a holistic approach to ensuring women’s economic equity, we can help women break out of the cycle of poverty. This is vitally important for themselves, their children, their communities - and ultimately, society as a whole.

The six social ventures in The Equity Opportunity are addressing this issue with innovative, community-based solutions that prioritize women and genderdiverse individuals living below the poverty line. The majority of them identify as Indigenous, racialized, newcomer, 2SLGBTQ+, or living with disabilities - and many are single mothers. They are working with program leaders to learn new

skills and secure education, or accreditation - all in an effort to build their financial security.

Since the initiative’s launch in late 2022, LEAP has worked with social ventures – leveraging expertise and pro bono services from our sector partners, and bringing in champions and donors to provide specific advice and insights – to establish the strong foundation for

The Equity Opportunity

future growth. Together, we have co-designed scaling strategies, strengthened organizational capacities, and convened the brightest minds across all sectors to build a community that enables learning and empowers leaders to imagine what is possible when we invest collective effort and resources to conquer intractable problems.

60% of program participants are visible minorities or Indigenous.

“ LEAP is a great partner. Their expertise and support in helping to define a scaling strategy for WoodGreen’s Homeward Bound program has been game changing.”

RANDALL

FREEBORN, SVP, PEOPLE & STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, WOODGREEN COMMUNITY SERVICES

“ We have enjoyed our work with LEAP to create a partnership evaluation tool that will help us assess and select industry partners that are aligned with our values. Partnering with industry players who are collaborative, culturally competent, and open to active reconciliation is key to creating long-term sustainable success for Indigenous women who enter their workplaces.”

BERTHA CORMIER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KEEPERS OF THE CIRCLE

93% of program participants live with low socioeconomic conditions. ~3k women across Canada are served by the social ventures in The Equity Opportunity.

1 out of 5 program participants are in remote areas.

Meet Ukeme

Ukeme Ebong is passionate about helping newcomer women find their footing in Canada. As a communications and social media specialist at Newcomer Women’s Services Toronto (NEW), she is a witness to the incredible success stories of the many clients served annually by NEW’s diverse range of programming; all designed to support immigrant and refugee women and their families to socially and economically become part of the wider Canadian community.

“ O ne of our clients came from Sri Lanka to Canada with an MBA and a decade of experience in HR, but despite her impressive slate of credentials she still faced underemployment. She worked in a restaurant before stumbling upon our Sister2Sister Advanced Leadership Program, which helped her find her voice and build her networks. Now she’s working as an HR Manager and has a meaningful job that aligns with her credentials. We’re breaking down the barriers that newcomers face, whether though settlement resources like how to enroll their children into school or how to access basic banking information, to bridging access to the labour market.”

University-educated immigrant women experience unemployment rates more than

2x higher than their Canadianborn counterparts.

Newcomer Women’s Services Toronto (NEW) empowers newcomers to build their lives in Canada by providing settlement services, womenonly English classes, skills development, leadership programs and employment services for youth and adults.

The Problem

320+

immigrant women have completed the Sister2Sister Advanced Leadership Program.

Immigrant women in Canada are marginalized in the workplace, overworked, and pushed to the periphery through exclusions and exploitation. Despite long-standing work experience in their countries of origin, their foreign credentials frequently go unrecognized, and they often face deskilling, underemployment and are forced to change professions and settle for low-status jobs.

The Solution

Newcomer Women’s Services Toronto equips newcomer women with the skills and credentials needed to break into the Canadian job market. Their Sister2Sister Advanced Leadership Program (ALP) bridges the gap between employer needs and newcomer women skills through intensive training in soft and hard skills, capped with a paid internship. The program offers a go-tomarket strategic plan, employment readiness, career coaching and a paid internship through a strategic partner network.

The LEAP Effect

In 2023, LEAP supported NEW in acquiring new employer partners to enable program participants to secure internships and fulltime job opportunities. LEAP also worked with NEW to build their impact measurement and reporting, strengthening their ability to highlight the program’s impact.

“We are proud to partner with LEAP to support the scalingup strategy of our Advanced Leadership Program. LEAP is helping us advance women’s economic well-being through various means, including granting access to resources, sharing best practices, and contributing to build organizational capacity.”

SARA ASALYA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEWCOMER WOMEN’S SERVICES TORONTO

Meet Melodie

Melodie Gingras is inspired every day by the women entrepreneurs she works with. As the Director of Programs and Community at The Forum, she has a clear understanding of the barriers women face when starting a business.

“Women start businesses for different reasons; they seek different goals and face different issues. On top of that, they are vastly underrepresented in terms of capital. Our mission at The Forum is to design programs specifically to support their needs; to create community as well as filling in the knowledge gaps. For example, in our educational programs, we go beyond cash flow to help confront fears and assumptions about money and help them flex their resilience muscles. We’re focusing on the whole picture, and doing that to change the world, one woman-owned business at a time.”

1.6k women served.

61% of women entrepreneurs said that current funding models do not meet their needs.

Only

2.3% of venture capital goes to women entrepreneurs.

The Forum is a national Canadian charity that unlocks access to wisdom, financial and social capital for women entrepreneurs, by delivering impactful programs designed to elevate them in their unique journeys.

The Problem

In Canada, only 2.3% of venture capital goes to women entrepreneurs, and women face other challenges in starting and growing their businesses compared to their male counterparts, including a lack of mentorship and access to social capital and a lack of education and programming.

“ T he Forum has been integral in my journey as a founder. One-on-one support, guidance and mentorship to community connection and collaboration; the moment I joined The Forum community I NEVER felt alone as a female entrepreneur. I cannot express enough how deeply grateful I am for all The Forum’s impactful work.”

RHOWENA ADOLFO PATEL, FORMER CEO & FOUNDER, HEALING MAMA™ CO

The Solution

The Forum meets the needs of women entrepreneurs at various stages in their entrepreneurship journey, offering supports ondemand through synchronous, live, and self-paced programming as well as its nationwide community of over 40,000 supporters. The Forum’s suite of programming and initiatives are designed to help women access all forms of capital, whether it be financial, wisdom or community capital. As entrepreneurs grow, The Forum’s ecosystem provides them with access to the resources they need to thrive while also inviting them to contribute back to The Forum community — enabling greater access to multiple forms of capital for women entrepreneurs.

The LEAP Effect

LEAP’s partnership with The Forum is focused on projects to accelerate growth by supporting their fund development plan, expanding their storytelling narrative and unlocking the power of the alumna community. In 2023 LEAP streamlined their impact measurement framework, embedding it into their operations. The Forum is now poised to implement its scaling strategy to support even more women entrepreneurs.

“ Since discovering The Forum two years ago and participating in much of their programming (E-Series, Mentorship Program, Odlum Brown Pitch Finale, Weekly Connect Calls), my business has grown in immeasurable ways – new clients, collaborations, peer mastermind colleagues. They truly support women entrepreneurs to thrive at every stage of business development!”

KIM JACOB, FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, ARVOREI COMMUNICATIONS GROUP

Central to LEAP’s model is our commitment to share our learnings and to foster the exchange of ideas and insights. We know through experience that collaboration between social ventures and with those from other sectors sparks the transformative dialogues and stimulates the innovation that is needed to drive massive social change.

Scaling Solutions in Public Health

In March, In March, LEAP convened the leaders of the Healthy Futures social ventures for a two-day workshop, Scaling Solutions in Public Health. The workshop provided a unique forum for leaders and team members to explore innovative solutions to their shared challenges, and to learn from LEAP’s esteemed private sector partners in their areas of expertise. This was a powerful catalyst for networking, sharing insights, and fostering partnerships.

This workshop was made possible with the investment of time, expertise and hospitality of Boston Consulting Group, EY Canada, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, and Marts & Lundy Canada.

“ [ It was] truly wonderful to meet and learn from LEAP, other social ventures, and presenters…Such a welldone event! I so appreciated the perspective of both nonprofits and corporate (we don’t get the corporate very often in my world). I found it so helpful and insightful! Thank you! Very valuable.”

The Equity Opportunity Cohort Convening

In June, LEAP brought together the social venture leaders from The Equity Opportunity cohort for group learning and peer networking. The engagement kicked off with a leadership roundtable and an opportunity to network with initiative champions

Convening & Connecting

— two community-building opportunities that solidified the cohort in our approach to collective action. This was followed by a day of intensive workshops focused on the latest trends in fundraising, financial sustainability and partnership development. The convening created a space for the leaders to build relationships, learn from, and share with others.

“This was a fantastic opportunity to meet with peers and start seeding collective advocacy on behalf of women’s organizations.”

A New Partnership

In September, The Equity Opportunity became a multisectoral initiative with a new major partnership. The Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth (WAGE), made the announcement at a gathering with cohort members, volunteers and sector partners.

“ When women have equal opportunities in the workforce, economies thrive. Working with women’s organizations on the frontlines is key to addressing the systemic barriers that hold diverse women back. Our investment in LEAP and The Equity Opportunity reaffirms our commitment to building a more equal and inclusive country where everyone can reach their full potential.”

THE HONOURABLE MARCI IEN, MINISTER FOR WOMEN AND GENDER EQUALITY AND YOUTH

Expert Talks

In November, LEAP launched a speaker series for social venture leaders called Expert Talks — microsessions focused on common issues tied to scaling success. The inaugural session was an online discussion to learn about the latest insights and trends on employee health and well-being from expert Eric Pfeiffer of Manulife, who also shared low- and no-cost resources and tips that leaders could use right away with their teams. Expert Talks is one example of how partners, donors and champions add deep value to our social ventures through their expertise.

Team

Lorna Read Ph.D.

Managing Director

Sophie Armstrong Donor Relations & Communications Coordinator

Lindsay Birbrager

Portfolio Manager

Shawn Ford

Vice President Finance, Administration

Taharka Gibb

Senior Director, Portfolio

Vicky Jiang

Portfolio Analyst

Gina Leslie Portfolio Director, The Equity Opportunity

Yash Mehta

Portfolio Manager

Jennifer Verschraegen Vice President, Philanthropy & Partnerships

Board

Joan Dea

Chair of the Board, Beckwith Investments, Past BMO Senior Executive and BCG Global Partner

Gordon Baird Partner, McCarthy Tétrault

Janet Bannister

Founder & Managing Partner, Staircase Ventures

Kilian Berz

Managing Director & Senior Partner, BCG

Helen Burstyn Chair, Evergreen

Mark Davis

Consultant, MAD Solutions

Nan DasGupta

Managing Director & Senior Partner, BCG

Ashim Khemani

Founder & CEO, STEM Capital

Joe Manget

Chairman & CEO, Edgewood Health Network Inc.

Philip Moore

Former SVP, Deputy General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, TD Bank Group

Champions

Joan Dea,

Chair, The Equity Opportunity, Beckwith Investments, Past BMO Senior Executive and BCG Global Partner

Vivian Abdelmessih

Chair, Export Development Canada & Independent Director

Jacqui Allard

Group Head, Global Wealth Management, Scotiabank

Janet Bannister

Founder And Managing Partner, Staircase Ventures

Helen Burstyn Chair, Evergreen

Rowena Chan

President, Sun Life Financial Distributors (Canada) Inc. and SVP, Retail Advice & Solutions, Sun Life Financial

Nan DasGupta

Managing Director & Senior Partner, BCG

Susan Davis

Lawyer (Non-Practicing), Philanthropist & Champion For Women

Antonella Deo

Deputy General Counsel, Manulife

Sarah Dinnick

Photographer / Graphic Designer

Gillian Riley

President & CEO, Tangerine and Founder, The Scotiabank Women Initiative

Catherine Roche

Chief Marketing Officer, BMO Financial Group

Godyne Sibay

Senior Strategic Advisor, McCarthy Tétrault

Hua Yu

Managing Partner, Level5 Strategy

Advisors

Nina Abdelmessih

Chief of Operations & External Relations, BCG Canada

Sarah Andrewes

Senior Vice President, H+K Strategies

Kathryn Babcock CEO, capitalW

Brad Baker

Managing Director & Partner, BCG

Kate Banting Head of Social Impact & Marketing for Canada, BCG

John P. Brown

Legal & Strategic Advisor, Indigenous Initiatives, McCarthy Tétrault

Mary Jane Braide Strategist & Brand Coach

Lisa Dinnick

Communications Advisor

Michael Dodsworth Human Resources Advisor

Damian Eleftheriou

EY Canada Consulting Leader, Private Equity & Pensions

Cliff Grevler Chair, BCG Canada

“ I champion LEAP and The Equity Opportunity because I believe that tapping into the full power and potential of women’s entrepreneurship, creativity, and social impact is an engine for prosperity that our communities everywhere desperately need. We’ve made progress as a society, but there’s so much more to do - and I’m excited to be part of that important work.”

CATHERINE ROCHE, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, BMO FINANCIAL GROUP

Marc Gilbert

Managing Director & Senior Partner, BCG

Jake Irwin Partner, McCarthy Tétrault

Shannon K. Monk CEO, Sakatay Global

Martin Regg Cohn Political Columnist, Toronto Star

Vinay Shandal Managing Director & Senior Partner, BCG

Godyne Sibay

Senior Strategic Advisor, McCarthy Tétrault

Andrew Steele VP & Group Head, StrategyCorp

Mark Wallace CEO, Cority Software

Bill Young Founder & Chairman, Social Capital Partners

“ I’m passionate about championing women’s representation not only at leadership levels but across all industries and in our communities.”

GILLIAN RILEY, PRESIDENT & CEO, TANGERINE AND FOUNDER, THE SCOTIABANK WOMEN INITIATIVE

Sector Partners

“ It has been a pleasure to continue to partner with LEAP over the past 10 years to drive significant social impact in Canada. This past year we have supported countless projects within both the Healthy Futures and The Equity Opportunity initiatives to support non-profits to scale effectively by understanding and maximizing their unique strengths to meet growing demands for their critical services across the country. At BCG we strive to unlock to potential of those who advance the world and are excited to see the potential of so many unlocked by LEAP and the organizations they partner with every day.”

KATE BANTING, HEAD OF SOCIAL IMPACT AND MARKETING, BCG CANADA

“ LEAP’s model leverages private sector expertise in a compelling way. Our lawyers get to work collaboratively with other leaders to provide pro bono resources to social ventures that aren’t typically able to access them. Healthy Futures and The Equity Opportunity have afforded many opportunities to contribute, and it has been amazing to witness the collective impact that we have collectively made on the social impact sector.”

JAKE IRWIN, PARTNER, MCCARTHY TÉTRAULT

Donors

Joan Dea & Lionel Conacher | Mark & Susan Davis

Helen Burstyn | Nan DasGupta & Michael Bernstein

Joe Manget & Christina Mauro-Manget

Janet Bannister | Katharine Lake Berz & Kilian Berz

Ralph & Jeanie Davis | Ashim & Alka Khemani

Jacqui Allard | Sophie Armstrong | Kathryn Babcock

Gordon Baird & Maia MacNiven | Kate Banting | Shawn Ford

Alison Holt & Innes van Nostrand | Ellis Jacob | Liza Mauer | Philip Moore

Lorna Read | Catherine Roche & Michael Book | Anchal Thind

Jennifer Verschraegen | Phyllis Yaffe | Hua Yu

Nine individuals who prefer to remain anonymous

Registered Charity Number

830400305 RR0001

81 Bay Street, Suite 4810

Toronto, ON, M5J 0E7 Canada

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