Contacts

Sean Geobey is the Assistant Professor in Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship in the University of Waterloo's School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) and the Director of Academic Programs for the Waterloo Institute for Social Innovation and Resilience. He has worked with a number of research-intensive or policy-oriented organizations inside and outside academia including the City of Kitchener, Filene Research Institute, Canadian Credit Union Association, Waterloo Institute for Social Innovation and Resilience (WISIR), and the Canadian Index of Wellbeing.

Tara Campbell is a systemic designer, combining design methods with systems thinking to advance systems change. She has a Master of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation from OCAD University where she developed her practice to include design thinking, participatory design, innovation strategy, systems thinking, and foresight. Beyond her work with the Legacy Leadership Lab, she is the strategic engagement catalyst for Dene Nahjo, an Indigenous innovation collective, and a member of the design collective Superorganism. Tara also holds a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from McGill University and worked for several years as an open-source software developer and designer.

Meg Ronson is a business succession researcher and economic development professional, and specializes in community and stakeholder engagement and small business education. Prior to joining the Legacy Leadership Lab (L3), she worked briefly at the French-language social economy non-profit Conseil de la coopération de l'Ontario's Windsor office, and has held several positions at economic development technology startup SuccessionMatching. While completing her Masters of Economic Development and Innovation at the University of Waterloo, Meg produced a paper on Ontario's small business succession challenges and the social purpose conversion opportunity alongside her research supervisor Sean Geobey. Meg also holds a Certificate of Economics at Ryerson University and a Bachelor of Humanities at Carleton University.

Liliana is a sustainability researcher, process facilitator and economist focusing on social and sustainable transitions. She is currently a PhD student at University of Waterloo, exploring how businesses generate and experiment with ecological and social value as they transition to deeply sustainable business models. “Lili” has worked on four continents and traveled to 30 countries, feeding her curiosity about the role of markets and cultures in creating sustainable social and ecological change. She joins L3 as the Local Community Activation Lead, mobilizing and supporting actors across Canada to engage in social business acquisitions. She also supports TRANSFORM’s University of Waterloo Hub as a researcher on accelerating sustainability transitions of small and medium businesses. Prior to joining the University of Waterloo, Lili was an economist at Environment Canada (now Environment & Climate Change Canada); led global climate change and development work at Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA); facilitated design thinking processes for social innovation organizations in Southeast Asia with DSIL Global; and engaged in consulting work on sustainability policy and group process facilitation. Lili holds a Master of Arts in Economics from McMaster University, an Executive Certificate in Design for Innovation and Leadership from the UN Mandated University for Peace (UPEACE), and an International Bachelor of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business (York University).

Aleksandra Szaflarska assisted L3 during its first year of operation up until the end of August 2020. Aleksandra's academic research focuses on participatory governance models. She is currently working toward her doctorate at Wilfrid Laurier University, examining collaborative and inclusive governance based on co-operative principles in Canadian conservation land trusts. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Toronto, and a Masters in Forest Conservation focusing on ecological commodification from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Forestry. She is also active in community building across the Kitchener-Waterloo region. Alex is a founding member and director of: worker-owned local craft brewery Together We’re Bitter Co-operative Brewery; Ontario’s first community real estate co-operative, Union; and local environmental non-profit Hold the Line. Alex has ten years of experience working in the nongovernmental sector in Canada and Poland, focusing on community engagement and project implementation, as well as eight years of experience in the banking sector.

Sean Campbell assisted L3 during its first year of operation up until the end of August 2020. Sean wears many hats: he is currently a PhD Candidate in Sustainability Management at the University of Waterloo; he is the Principal of Scaled Purpose, a consultancy which develops strategies and supports the implementation of new programs for nonprofits, charities, and co-operatives; and he is leading the development of Union: Sustainable Development Co-operative, a new organization that seeks to democratize city-building by empowering its members to collectively buy, upgrade, and manage commercial and residential properties to improve the economic, social, and environmental health of Waterloo Region. Sean further holds a Bachelor of Business Administration at Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Environmental Studies at the University of Waterloo.

Zainab Ashraf is a fourth-year student at the University of Waterloo, with a double major in Psychology and Philosophy. Currently, Zainab is pursuing a Research Intense Specialization and finalizing her Honors Thesis under the Department of Psychology. Her academic research focuses on gratitude norms, collective action and motivation. In previous roles, Zainab has worked as a research assistant, graphic designer and marketing intern. She is also part of community building and organizing in the K-W area, particularly through her role as a coordinator for UW RAISE.

Sabrina a fourth year Political Science and Business student at the University of Waterloo. She is an active student representative on campus as a member of the University of Waterloo’s Board of Governors and Senate. She also has previous experience working in economic development and innovation spaces with positions at Waterloo EDC, Innovation Labs at Deloitte, and Thomson Reuters.

Karin Lie completed a summer co-op term at the Legacy Leadership Lab in 2020. She is a fourth-year psychology major at the University of Waterloo. Her past work experience includes customer success, content creation, and human centered design. Her co-op experience with St. Paul's University College introduced her to the world of social enterprise and its importance to the local community. As a customer success intern, she resolved customer's issues with a software, where she learned about the importance of customer feedback and the dynamics between a software and the people who use the end product. During her co-op at Manulife, she assisted her supervisor in delivering introductory training lessons on human centered design and adapting learning material based on user feedback. She also worked on a toolkit for C-level executives to understand human centered design and its benefits.

Will Volpe completed a summer coop term with L3 in 2020. He is studying Planning at the University of Waterloo and is pursuing a diploma in Environmental Assessment. His main interests are focused on how to create resilient communities through sustainable economic development. Before joining the L3 team, Will worked at Ontario Parks as a Park Planner where he worked on management planning and environmental assessment. He has also worked for the City of Brampton as an Environmental Planner where he focused on community engagement and natural heritage protection.

Madhumita Prasad joined L3 for the final months of the project as a case writer and assisted in producing the Épicerie Moonbeam Grocery Cooperative case study (.pdf).