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!Biography

!Biography

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=== Dale Booth ===

=== Dale Booth===

Owner and President, Innovation Seven

Owner and President, Innovation Seven

|Dale Booth is the Owner and President of Innovation Seven, a registered Indigenous Business, located in Pikwakanagan, ON., which is 100% First Nations owned and operated and is PSIB compliant.  

|Dale Booth is the Owner and President of Innovation Seven, a registered Indigenous Business, located in Pikwakanagan, ON., which is 100% First Nations owned and operated and is PSIB compliant.  

To find out more about Dale and Innovation 7, [[Research and Innovation Symposium 2024 Speakers/www.innovation7.ca/|click here]]

To find out more about Dale and Innovation 7, [[Research and Innovation Symposium 2024 Speakers/www.innovation7.ca/|click here]]

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=== Hannah Brais ===

===Hannah Brais===

Head of Research, Old Brewery Mission Montreal

Head of Research, Old Brewery Mission Montreal

|Hannah Brais is the head of research at the Old Brewery Mission, Quebec's largest homeless service provider, where she oversees research to inform and evaluate frontline practices. More broadly, her research is concerned with programming and policy solutions for people across the housing continuum. She is concurrently a doctoral candidate at McGill University in the geography department and a member of the National Advisory Council on Poverty. She resides in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal) with her partner, son, and two cats.

|Hannah Brais is the head of research at the Old Brewery Mission, Quebec's largest homeless service provider, where she oversees research to inform and evaluate frontline practices. More broadly, her research is concerned with programming and policy solutions for people across the housing continuum. She is concurrently a doctoral candidate at McGill University in the geography department and a member of the National Advisory Council on Poverty. She resides in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal) with her partner, son, and two cats.

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=== Stefania Di Mauro-Nava ===

===Stefania Di Mauro-Nava===

Director of Development, Metrolab

Director of Development, Metrolab

|Stefania serves as MetroLab's Director of Development, focused on curating and implementing federal, philanthropic, and corporate development efforts for the organization. Prior to this role, Stefania served in several other capacities at MetroLab, helping to deploy programs, creating communications content, and implementing MetroLab’s Data Science and Human Services portfolio among other activities. Stefania has spent her career working at the nexus of science, technology and society, forging bridges between technical and nontechnical communities in this space. Prior to MetroLab, she served as a Science & Innovation Officer at the British Consulate-General in San Francisco and as an External Development Manager at CRDF Global in Arlington, VA. Stefania is a certified project management professional (PMP) and holds a M.A. in International Science and Technology Policy from George Washington University and a B.A. in International Studies from American University.

|Stefania serves as MetroLab's Director of Development, focused on curating and implementing federal, philanthropic, and corporate development efforts for the organization. Prior to this role, Stefania served in several other capacities at MetroLab, helping to deploy programs, creating communications content, and implementing MetroLab’s Data Science and Human Services portfolio among other activities. Stefania has spent her career working at the nexus of science, technology and society, forging bridges between technical and nontechnical communities in this space. Prior to MetroLab, she served as a Science & Innovation Officer at the British Consulate-General in San Francisco and as an External Development Manager at CRDF Global in Arlington, VA. Stefania is a certified project management professional (PMP) and holds a M.A. in International Science and Technology Policy from George Washington University and a B.A. in International Studies from American University.

To find out more about Stefania and Metrolab, [https://metrolabnetwork.org/ click here]

To find out more about Stefania and Metrolab, [https://metrolabnetwork.org/ click here]

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=== '''Zahra Ebrahim''' ===

==='''Zahra Ebrahim'''===

Co-Founder, Monumental

Co-Founder, Monumental

|Zahra Ebrahim is the Co-Founder of Monumental. She is a public interest designer and strategist, and an established bridge builder across grassroots and institutional spaces. Her work has focused on community-led approaches to policy, infrastructure, and service design. Prior to Monumental, she built and led Doblin Canada, Deloitte’s Human-Centred Design practice. In her early career, Zahra led one of Canada’s first social design studios, working with communities to co-design towards better social outcomes, leading some of Canada’s most ambitious participatory infrastructure and policy programs. Zahra is currently an Urbanist-in-Residence at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities, and an Adjunct Professor at the Daniels School of Architecture . She has been recognized as a Next City Vanguard Civic Leader, Ascend Canada’s Mentor of the Year, one of WXN’s Top 100 Women in Canadian Business, and most recently recognized as one of the Urban Land Institute’s WLI Champions. Zahra is currently a Board member of the Toronto Arts Council, and the Board Chair for Park People.

|Zahra Ebrahim is the Co-Founder of Monumental. She is a public interest designer and strategist, and an established bridge builder across grassroots and institutional spaces. Her work has focused on community-led approaches to policy, infrastructure, and service design. Prior to Monumental, she built and led Doblin Canada, Deloitte’s Human-Centred Design practice. In her early career, Zahra led one of Canada’s first social design studios, working with communities to co-design towards better social outcomes, leading some of Canada’s most ambitious participatory infrastructure and policy programs. Zahra is currently an Urbanist-in-Residence at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities, and an Adjunct Professor at the Daniels School of Architecture . She has been recognized as a Next City Vanguard Civic Leader, Ascend Canada’s Mentor of the Year, one of WXN’s Top 100 Women in Canadian Business, and most recently recognized as one of the Urban Land Institute’s WLI Champions. Zahra is currently a Board member of the Toronto Arts Council, and the Board Chair for Park People.

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=== Ursula Eicker ===

===Ursula Eicker===

Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Communities and Cities

Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Communities and Cities

|'''Ursula Eicker''' is the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Communities and Cities and Founder and Director of the [https://www.concordia.ca/research/chairs/smart-cities.html Next-Generation Cities Institute at Concordia University] in Montréal. She works on decarbonization strategies for cities using living labs and urban digital twins for scenario modeling, user engagement and operational optimization.    

|'''Ursula Eicker''' is the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Communities and Cities and Founder and Director of the [https://www.concordia.ca/research/chairs/smart-cities.html Next-Generation Cities Institute at Concordia University] in Montréal. She works on decarbonization strategies for cities using living labs and urban digital twins for scenario modeling, user engagement and operational optimization.    

Her research interests cover zero emission and smart cities, renewable energy integration, and sustainable urban infrastructure. With a team of about 50 graduate students and software developers she is working on multiple eco-district projects in Canada and builds the urban modeling and data analytics platform Tools4Cities. To engage users, 3D city models can be accessed via web interfaces or immersive gamification tools. Prof. Eicker has published 8 books, 20 book contributions, over 140 Peer-Reviewed Papers and more than 340 Conference Papers.

Her research interests cover zero emission and smart cities, renewable energy integration, and sustainable urban infrastructure. With a team of about 50 graduate students and software developers she is working on multiple eco-district projects in Canada and builds the urban modeling and data analytics platform Tools4Cities. To engage users, 3D city models can be accessed via web interfaces or immersive gamification tools. Prof. Eicker has published 8 books, 20 book contributions, over 140 Peer-Reviewed Papers and more than 340 Conference Papers.

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=== Dr. Colin Ellard ===

=== Dr. Colin Ellard===

Professor, University of Waterloo

Professor, University of Waterloo

|Colin Ellard is a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Waterloo and director of its Urban Realities Laboratory.  Ellard works at the intersection of urban and architectural design and experimental psychology.  He has developed a novel set of methods by which the human response to the built environment can be measured using a toolkit consisting of both traditional psychological methods and sensor-based measurements of physiology and brain function.  Ellard publishes his work frequently in the peer-reviewed scientific literature but he also engages in extensive knowledge mobilization work involving collaboration and partnership with architects, museums and other NGOs. Ellard is an Urban Design and Mental Health Fellow, a Salzburg Global Fellow and an editor of the Journal of Environmental Psychology and the Journal of Urban Design and Mental Health. Ellard’s most recent book is Places of the Heart (Bellevue Literary Press, 2015).

|Colin Ellard is a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Waterloo and director of its Urban Realities Laboratory.  Ellard works at the intersection of urban and architectural design and experimental psychology.  He has developed a novel set of methods by which the human response to the built environment can be measured using a toolkit consisting of both traditional psychological methods and sensor-based measurements of physiology and brain function.  Ellard publishes his work frequently in the peer-reviewed scientific literature but he also engages in extensive knowledge mobilization work involving collaboration and partnership with architects, museums and other NGOs. Ellard is an Urban Design and Mental Health Fellow, a Salzburg Global Fellow and an editor of the Journal of Environmental Psychology and the Journal of Urban Design and Mental Health. Ellard’s most recent book is Places of the Heart (Bellevue Literary Press, 2015).

To find out more about Colin, [https://uwaterloo.ca/psychology/profiles/colin-ellard click here]

To find out more about Colin, [https://uwaterloo.ca/psychology/profiles/colin-ellard click here]

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=== '''Dr. Adam Found''' ===

==='''Dr. Adam Found'''===

Metropolitan City Fellow, C.D. Howe Institute and sessional lecturer in Economics at Trent University

Metropolitan City Fellow, C.D. Howe Institute and sessional lecturer in Economics at Trent University

|A recognized expert in municipal finance, Adam Found holds a PhD in economics from the University of Toronto and a Professional Land Economist designation from the Association of Ontario Land Economists. He has written several peer-reviewed publications and engaged media on such topics as property taxation, development charges, tax increment financing, municipal governance, and business tax competitiveness. As Manager of Corporate Assets at the City of Kawartha Lakes, Adam oversees the City’s capital planning, capital budgeting, and development charges portfolios, and in 2023 he was elected to serve as Vice President and President of the Municipal Finance Officers’ Association of Ontario for 2024 and 2025, respectively. He is also a Research Fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute, a part-time faculty member at Trent University’s Department of Economics, and a public finance consultant specializing in municipal finance. As a professional economist and an advocate for municipalities’ autonomy and self-reliance, Adam continues to work in the public finance field through the municipal, academic, public policy, and consulting sectors.

|A recognized expert in municipal finance, Adam Found holds a PhD in economics from the University of Toronto and a Professional Land Economist designation from the Association of Ontario Land Economists. He has written several peer-reviewed publications and engaged media on such topics as property taxation, development charges, tax increment financing, municipal governance, and business tax competitiveness. As Manager of Corporate Assets at the City of Kawartha Lakes, Adam oversees the City’s capital planning, capital budgeting, and development charges portfolios, and in 2023 he was elected to serve as Vice President and President of the Municipal Finance Officers’ Association of Ontario for 2024 and 2025, respectively. He is also a Research Fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute, a part-time faculty member at Trent University’s Department of Economics, and a public finance consultant specializing in municipal finance. As a professional economist and an advocate for municipalities’ autonomy and self-reliance, Adam continues to work in the public finance field through the municipal, academic, public policy, and consulting sectors.

To find out more about Adam, [[/www.cdhowe.org/our-people/adam-found|click here]]

To find out more about Adam, [[/www.cdhowe.org/our-people/adam-found|click here]]

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=== '''Lisa Helps''' ===

==='''Lisa Helps'''===

Executive Lead, BC Builds Project Origination and Process Innovation, BC Housing

Executive Lead, BC Builds Project Origination and Process Innovation, BC Housing

|Lisa is currently working as Executive Lead BC Builds Project Origination and Process Innovation at BC Housing. Previously she was the Housing Solutions Advisor to Premier Eby for the start-up of BC Builds, a new housing program that uses public land, low-cost financing, and other innovative tools to get more housing built more quickly for working people in B.C. Prior to that she was a two-term Mayor of Victoria, British Columbia. As Mayor, Lisa worked hard to create deep collaboration across the community to get Victoria ready for the future and built connection across the Province as Co-Chair of the BC Urban Mayors Caucus to advance shared priorities for cities. Areas of focus included economic development and prosperity, housing, climate action, resilient infrastructure, and reconciliation.

|Lisa is currently working as Executive Lead BC Builds Project Origination and Process Innovation at BC Housing. Previously she was the Housing Solutions Advisor to Premier Eby for the start-up of BC Builds, a new housing program that uses public land, low-cost financing, and other innovative tools to get more housing built more quickly for working people in B.C. Prior to that she was a two-term Mayor of Victoria, British Columbia. As Mayor, Lisa worked hard to create deep collaboration across the community to get Victoria ready for the future and built connection across the Province as Co-Chair of the BC Urban Mayors Caucus to advance shared priorities for cities. Areas of focus included economic development and prosperity, housing, climate action, resilient infrastructure, and reconciliation.

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=== Dr. Craig Jones ===

=== Dr. Craig Jones===

Associate Director, Housing Research Collaborative, The University of British Columbia

Associate Director, Housing Research Collaborative, The University of British Columbia

|Dr. Craig Jones is the Associate Director of the Housing Research Collaborative (HRC) and the Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) project. Through the HRC, Craig supports research on rental housing, evictions, land use, and redevelopment''.'' The HART project develops standardized, replicable, and equity-focused tools, along with associated public information and training, to improve the quality of housing supply decision-making at all levels of government across Canada. Craig is also a published researcher with work in several academic journals including ''The Canadian Geographer, Housing Policy Debate,'' and the ''Who Does What Series'' on ''The Municipal Role In Housing'' among others''.'' Craig received his PhD, MA, and BA from UBC’s Department of Geography and previously taught at the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and Langara College.

|Dr. Craig Jones is the Associate Director of the Housing Research Collaborative (HRC) and the Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) project. Through the HRC, Craig supports research on rental housing, evictions, land use, and redevelopment''.'' The HART project develops standardized, replicable, and equity-focused tools, along with associated public information and training, to improve the quality of housing supply decision-making at all levels of government across Canada. Craig is also a published researcher with work in several academic journals including ''The Canadian Geographer, Housing Policy Debate,'' and the ''Who Does What Series'' on ''The Municipal Role In Housing'' among others''.'' Craig received his PhD, MA, and BA from UBC’s Department of Geography and previously taught at the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and Langara College.

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=== Dr. Catherine Leviten-Reid ===

===Dr. Catherine Leviten-Reid===

Associate Professor, Community Economic Development, Cape Breton University

Associate Professor, Community Economic Development, Cape Breton University

|Catherine Leviten-Reid is an associate professor at Cape Breton University, and teaches in the MBA in Community Economic Development program. She is also a research associate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – Nova Scotia office. Catherine does research on affordable housing, homelessness, the social economy and community development, primarily in partnership with community-based organizations. She is currently leading a five-year, pan-Canadian, SSHRC-CMHC partnership grant on affordable housing for those in greatest need. She is also lead of a Community University Housing Research Lab, located in a community development corporation in downtown Sydney, NS.  

|Catherine Leviten-Reid is an associate professor at Cape Breton University, and teaches in the MBA in Community Economic Development program. She is also a research associate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – Nova Scotia office. Catherine does research on affordable housing, homelessness, the social economy and community development, primarily in partnership with community-based organizations. She is currently leading a five-year, pan-Canadian, SSHRC-CMHC partnership grant on affordable housing for those in greatest need. She is also lead of a Community University Housing Research Lab, located in a community development corporation in downtown Sydney, NS.  

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==='''Dr. Jayne Malenfant'''===

==='''Dr. Jayne Malenfant'''===

To learn more about Jayne and McGill University, [https://www.mcgill.ca/education/jayne-malenfant#:~:text=Jayne%20is%20from%20Kapuskasing%2C%20Ontario,and%20anarchist%2Fsocial%20justice%20education. click here].

To learn more about Jayne and McGill University, [https://www.mcgill.ca/education/jayne-malenfant#:~:text=Jayne%20is%20from%20Kapuskasing%2C%20Ontario,and%20anarchist%2Fsocial%20justice%20education. click here].

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=== '''Katie Maslechko''' ===

==='''Katie Maslechko''' ===

Chief Executive Officer, BC Rental Protection Fund

Chief Executive Officer, BC Rental Protection Fund

|Katie Maslechko is the Chief Executive Officer of the Rental Protection Fund, the $500-million Fund established by the Province of British Columbia, which provides equity investments to non-profit housing providers to support the preservation of existing, unsubsidized affordable housing (NOAH) through acquisition and renewal, while expanding the capacity of the community housing sector across the Province of B.C. She finds great passion in, and has a strong track record of, strategic partnerships across the private development, non-profit and government sectors to deliver innovative, community-building projects.

|Katie Maslechko is the Chief Executive Officer of the Rental Protection Fund, the $500-million Fund established by the Province of British Columbia, which provides equity investments to non-profit housing providers to support the preservation of existing, unsubsidized affordable housing (NOAH) through acquisition and renewal, while expanding the capacity of the community housing sector across the Province of B.C. She finds great passion in, and has a strong track record of, strategic partnerships across the private development, non-profit and government sectors to deliver innovative, community-building projects.

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=== James McKellar ===

===James McKellar===

Professor Emeritus, Schulich School of Business, York University

Professor Emeritus, Schulich School of Business, York University

|James McKellar, was Associate Dean, Schulich School of Business, York University, and Professor in the Brookfield Centre in Real Estate and Infrastructure. Prior to joining York University, he was a faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and also held faculty appointments at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University. He has lectured at universities in North America, Asia and Europe and addressed various industry and government groups across the world.  

|James McKellar, was Associate Dean, Schulich School of Business, York University, and Professor in the Brookfield Centre in Real Estate and Infrastructure. Prior to joining York University, he was a faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and also held faculty appointments at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University. He has lectured at universities in North America, Asia and Europe and addressed various industry and government groups across the world.  

To learn more about James and Schulich School of Business, [https://schulich.yorku.ca/faculty/james-mckellar/ click here].

To learn more about James and Schulich School of Business, [https://schulich.yorku.ca/faculty/james-mckellar/ click here].

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=== '''Mary Rowe''' ===

==='''Mary Rowe'''===

President and CEO, Canadian Urban Institute

President and CEO, Canadian Urban Institute

|For over 30 years, Mary has acted as an impassioned civic leader and a leading urban advocate championing place-based approaches to building livable and resilient cities. Living in Canada and the United States, Mary has supported a wide range of policy transformation efforts and has led local, national and international urban initiatives such as the self-organizing initiatives that emerged in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, the initial development of Re-Imagining the Civic Commons in key cities across North America, and the engagement components of HUD-supported Rebuild by Design that informed the creation of the 100 Resilient Cities program of the Rockefeller Foundation.  

|For over 30 years, Mary has acted as an impassioned civic leader and a leading urban advocate championing place-based approaches to building livable and resilient cities. Living in Canada and the United States, Mary has supported a wide range of policy transformation efforts and has led local, national and international urban initiatives such as the self-organizing initiatives that emerged in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, the initial development of Re-Imagining the Civic Commons in key cities across North America, and the engagement components of HUD-supported Rebuild by Design that informed the creation of the 100 Resilient Cities program of the Rockefeller Foundation.  

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=== Conrad Speckert ===

===Conrad Speckert===

Architect, LGA Architectural Partners

Architect, LGA Architectural Partners

|Conrad is an intern architect at LGA Architectural Partners in Toronto with degrees from McGill and Waterloo. He is leading a CMHC-sponsored research project to develop alternative solutions to the building code requirement for two staircases in small multi-unit residential buildings and has proposed a corresponding change to the National Building Code of Canada. This was a recommendation of the 2023 National Housing Accord, the 2022 Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force and the original 2010 City of Toronto Midrise Performance Standards. The work has also been presented at conferences of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, Urban Land Institute,  Building Officials Association of British Columbia, Ontario Association of Architects and the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. Conrad originally joined LGA as project manager for ‘ReHousing’ - a collaboration with the University of Toronto to visualize gentle density and zoning by-law reform for “missing middle” housing and previously worked for other architects in Toronto, Vancouver, Berlin, and Tokyo.

|Conrad is an intern architect at LGA Architectural Partners in Toronto with degrees from McGill and Waterloo. He is leading a CMHC-sponsored research project to develop alternative solutions to the building code requirement for two staircases in small multi-unit residential buildings and has proposed a corresponding change to the National Building Code of Canada. This was a recommendation of the 2023 National Housing Accord, the 2022 Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force and the original 2010 City of Toronto Midrise Performance Standards. The work has also been presented at conferences of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, Urban Land Institute,  Building Officials Association of British Columbia, Ontario Association of Architects and the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. Conrad originally joined LGA as project manager for ‘ReHousing’ - a collaboration with the University of Toronto to visualize gentle density and zoning by-law reform for “missing middle” housing and previously worked for other architects in Toronto, Vancouver, Berlin, and Tokyo.

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