Profiles

John Abraham spent most of his childhood and youth living across four countries on three continents. It was here that his interdisciplinary academic journey began. He completed an undergraduate degree in Religious Studies at the University of Calgary, followed by a Masters in Philosophy degree in Modern South Asian Studies at the University of Cambridge, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Politics and International Relations from Royal Holloway, University of London. Subsequently, he undertook two postdoctoral fellowships: one on Community Based Conservation at St. Mary’s University (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and the second on Social Innovation at the University of Waterloo (WISIR), before serving as Assistant Professor of Global Studies and Social Entrepreneurship at Wilfrid Laurier University between 2016-19. Following the completion of that appointment, he joined the International Development Program at United College.

His current research takes an interdisciplinary focus, engaging with issues of religion, political economy, environment, social innovation, and decolonization. His recent and forthcoming journal publications have addressed issues of social innovation, the intellectual history of international development, and the global political economy. Two of his longer-term research projects include a book-length study of the political economy of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party in India and a decolonial analysis of the life and work of the English activist and clergyman Charles Freer Andrews. He actively engages with the international development professional community and serves as a Board member of both the Mennonite Central Committee, Ontario and the Ontario Council for International Cooperation.

Meet our Social Media Coordinator! Mira is an ambitious social changemaker who is extremely passionate about leading an environmentally friendly lifestyle and wants to have an impact on social and environmental issues around the world. Mira is currently enrolled in her second year of Environment and Business program here at Waterloo and is working in her first co-op term, perfectly combining her interests in green finance, social marketing, corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurship and climate action.

She looks forward to meeting more creative minds and see what differences can be made!

Starting his career selling bubble gum at pow wows at the age of nine, Jacob Crane describes himself as a lifelong entrepreneur. Coming to United College from Tsuut'ina Nation in Alberta, Jacob brings two decades of experience and a passion for supporting Indigenous communities in Canada and the United States. Most recently, Jacob worked as the Executive Director for the SLC Air Protectors, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving Indigenous people in Utah. He also co-founded and runs a media production company called The Arrow’s Journey, which showcases the stories of successful small Indigenous youth-led businesses and non-profits across the United States. He has been recognized with several awards and grants for his efforts in supporting Indigenous communities. 

In his role, Jacob looks forward to making a positive impact on the economic futures of Indigenous youth and empowering them to take charge of their lives by gaining the critical skills that come from being entrepreneurial. 

Tania Del Matto has supported the launch of hundreds of ventures and has nurtured the entrepreneurial mindset of thousands of undergraduate and graduate students. Prior to her role at United College, she co-founded and operated a social venture with a national mandate to help organizations adopt more sustainable consumption and production practices. Tania is currently pursuing a PhD in Higher Education from the University of Toronto at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Her research focuses on how students assimilate the knowledge, skills and values gained through their social entrepreneurship education into their personal and professional identities and how graduates perceive their social entrepreneurship education in relation to their career choices.

Priyana Elangainesan is an undergraduate student in Global Business and Digital Arts at the University of Waterloo’s Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business. She has experience with all things creative, such as UX/UI design, videography, graphic design, and social media marketing.

Priyana initially began her journey at United College as a student in the Workplace Innovation program. Her team is focused on evaluating the impact of existing mental health supports at United College to propose and implement effective improvements. Additionally, Priyana recently worked as a Marketing and Recruitment Assistant for Renison University. There she was responsible for developing creative assets that encompassed the brand for their social media channels.

Her entrepreneurial spirit, eagerness to learn, and passion for solving critical day-to-day problems propelled her towards GreenHouse. As the Social Media Coordinator, she will design and curate engaging content for GreenHouse's social media platforms and suggest creative ways to attract prospective students.

Wayne is the founding President of the International Inter-tribal Trade and Investment Organization, Senior Lawyer, and Principal Director of the law firm Garwill Law Professional Corporation, and leads an international business entitled Indigenous Sovereign Trade Consultancy Ltd. specializing in Tribal Trade and Sustainable Economic Development.

He is the past Chair of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Appeal Tribunal and is currently on the board of directors of the International Law Association – Canada chapter, Council of the Great Lakes Region, Capacity Canada and Board Chair of the 60’s Scoop Healing Foundation.

He is also a Research Fellow specializing in International Comparative Indigenous law at the University of Oklahoma, College of Law. He was appointed by Order in Council as a member to the NAFTA Chapter 19 Trade Remedies roster and then appointed in 2020 as a CUSMA Advisory Committee Member on Private Commercial Disputes, Article 31.22.

He has recently written four chapters and is co-editor for a textbook published by Cambridge University Press on International Indigenous Trade & Environmental law and is teaching a course based on his textbook as part of the Bachelor of Indigenous Entrepreneurialism Program at the University of Waterloo, St. Paul’s College campus.

He is the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business 2019 Award winner for Excellence in Aboriginal Relations, the 2020 Queen’s University alumni award winner as well as the recipient of the 2020 Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) - International Legal Specialist in Peace, Justice and Governance Award. He is Plains Cree from Treaty 6, Moosomin First Nation.

Rob Greene is a mature student in 3rd year Planning at the University of Waterloo, specializing in Land Development Planning and Geographic Information Systems.

Erin Hogan (she/her) first participated in GreenHouse as an undergraduate student at the University of Waterloo. She worked with the Multiple Sclerosis Society to improve accessibility to the Ontario Disability Support Program for people with episodic and invisible disabilities. Erin graduated from UW with a Bachelor in Knowledge Integration, specializing in Collaborative Design and Science, Technology & Society. Erin also attended the Westcoast Adventure College, where she earned a certificate in Adventure Tourism. Erin is GreenHouse's Programs Manager. She wears many hats and helps out with Social Innovators in Training, Changemaker Labs, and our classroom engagements. In her role, Erin manages many of the behind-the-scenes operations and nurtures GreenHouse's relationships with faculty and instructors, external partners, and student participants. She has a background and interest in experiential and place-based education and her favourite part of working at GreenHouse is watching students develop their confidence and skills as they make an impact!

Board member since 2020

Board of Governors profile

Julia (Julie Kate) Seirlis holds a BA in English, French, Italian, Latin and Private Law from the University of Cape Town and an MSt and DPhil in Social and Cultural Anthropology from the University of Oxford. Her doctorate examined the relationships between race and space in the construction -- and alienation -- of Coloured ("mixed race") identities in Rhodesia and Zimbabwe. 

Wanda is Anishinaabe and a member of Neyaashiinigmiing (Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation). They are a recent graduate of the Theatre and Performance program at the University of Waterloo with a focus in costuming and dramaturgy. Wanda served as an executive member of the Indigenous Student Association for three years, where they played an active role in connecting the ISA with the wider campus community and advocating for the needs of Indigenous students on campus. They spend most of their time (re)connecting with community, designing costumes for book characters, and getting lost in antique markets.

Dr. Lara-Morales is a Research Assistant at the University of Waterloo, an Associate Fellow at the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL), and a Project Officer with the United Nations Association in Canada. She holds a Ph.D. in the discipline of sustainable development and tourism and has taught management courses at the Lord Ashcroft International Business School (LAIBS) in Cambridge, UK.

Odeeth is a Nahua Indigenous descendant from Mexico and her research interests focus on environmental studies such as sustainability and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on a local level and internationally through the implementation of sustainable community plans, civic engagement, and market-based approaches. Her research also examines enterprises and sustainable tourism to support sustainable development for ecological and cultural protection, gender equality, and poverty reduction in Indigenous communities.

Dr. Kelsey Leonard is a water scientist, legal scholar, policy expert, writer, and enrolled citizen of the Shinnecock Nation. Dr. Leonard is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo, where her research focuses on Indigenous water justice and its climatic, territorial, and governance underpinnings. Dr. Leonard seeks to establish Indigenous traditions of water conservation as the foundation for international water policymaking.

Dr. Leonard has been instrumental in safeguarding the interests of Indigenous Nations for environmental planning and builds Indigenous science and knowledge into new solutions for water governance and sustainable oceans. In collaboration with a global team of water law scholars, Dr. Leonard has published in Lewis and Clark Law Review on Indigenous Water Justice and the defining international legal principle of self-determination under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

I grew up in Ethiopia during a very turbulent time – surrounded by serious economic hardships and socio-political upheaval – which sparked my early interest in development economics, setting me on an improbable journey to pursuing higher education in Economics at Berkeley.

Growing up in the small town of  Newcastle, Ontario, Steve has been a part of the UWaterloo community since starting his undergraduate degree, majoring in Anthropology and Religious Studies. Coming to campus accompanied by his twin brother, he lived at Ron Eydt Village and enjoyed the excitement of a large residence.

Dr. Anna Purkey is a lawyer and human rights scholar with a focus on refugee and forced migration studies. She received her Doctorate in Law from McGill University, and is a member of the Quebec Bar Association and the executive of the Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (CARFMS). She has previously held the position of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice (Canada) and has worked as an external consultant for the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.

Dr. Purkey’s research focuses on international and Canadian refugee law and policy, with a special emphasis on protracted refugee situations and themes of human rights, human capability, and legal empowerment. Recent and current projects center on the concept of vulnerability in the Canadian refugee system, and the treatment of marginalized groups including refugee children and older refugees.

Ryan MacTavish, a proud Turtle Clan member and a Mohawk from the Six Nations of the Grand River, recently completed his Social Development Studies undergraduate degree and is now pursuing a Bachelor of Social Work. He brings a deep commitment to restorative justice values, shaped through his experience working with Community Justice Initiatives. Currently, as part of his practicum, he is working with the Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre, where he applies his passion for community and social development to support Indigenous students. Ryan is dedicated to creating meaningful impact within the community. His goals include finishing his Bachelor of Social Work and then a Master of Social Work with the hope of working in the helping professions as a Clinical Social Worker/Mental Health Counsellor. 

Emma is Aniishnaabe from Walpole Island First Nation. She graduated in Fine Arts from the University of Waterloo in 2018 and is finishing her Masters at the University of Waterloo working in Indigenous History. Their research is focused on Indigenous History – specifically, presenting Oral History in Museums. Based on her curatorial experience on Dibaajimowin: Stories from this Land (2022) exhibition with the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum. Emma has worked with and been involved in the KW Indigenous community for almost 10 years. She is a producer, curator, artists, and community organizer. They hope to use their passion of working with students and youth to create more leaders in community.

Sophia studied Science and Business at Waterloo specialized in Biotechnology. She was a Co-President of UW Enactus, a student-run social entrepreneurship incubator that worked on projects focused on Ai for Social Good, Women in STEM, Financial Literacy, youth connection, and Waste Management. She has experience working at NGOs, medical device startups, and big corporations like Deloitte supporting innovation, design, donor management, and business strategy. 

Sophia looks forward to making connections with and between people and ideas!

Board of Governors profile

Nancy R. Tapias Torrado is a doctor in sociology (University of Oxford) and human rights lawyer (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana-PUJ). She also holds master’s degrees in international human rights law (University of Essex), philosophy (PUJ) and education (University of Barcelona). For over two decades, Dr. Tapias Torrado has been dedicated to working with and for human rights defenders at risk and some of the most vulnerable persons and communities, mainly in Latin America. Dr. Tapias Torrado is a former Law Professor at PUJ and a former Amnesty International’s Americas Regional Researcher (International Secretariat, London, UK). She is the 2023-24 Barry Pashak Postdoctoral Fellow of Concordia University’s Social Justice Centre and a former Postdoctoral Fellow at the UQAM. Dr. Tapias Torrado has consulted for the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and several non-governmental organizations, including OXFAM, CEJIL and PBI. She is a member of the Advisory Council on Restorative Justice for the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) in Colombia. She has also done extensive pro bono work with and for Colombian refugees, mainly women human rights defenders in exile.

Joshua Taylor-Detlor is a proud member of the Haudenosaunee Mohawk Wolf Clan and an honours graduate of the University of Waterloo’s Environment, Resources, and Sustainability program. Grounded in his relationship with the land and commitment to decolonization, he integrates principles of reciprocity and respect into his advocacy for Reconciliation and environmental justice.  

His professional journey merges traditional governance work with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and community-building roles at Volunteer Waterloo Region and Volunteer Canada GreenHouse. This blend of experience equips him to empower others toward systemic change.  

In his new position as Student Engagement Coordinator with GreenHouse at United College, Joshua supports Social Innovators in Training and the Impact Minor program. He fosters student-led initiatives rooted in sustainability, equity, and innovation, emphasizing Indigenous perspectives that prioritize relationship-building with the land and community.  

Joshua is energized by collaborative leadership and sees mentorship as a practice of mutual growth. He strives to create spaces where students feel empowered to challenge historical inequities while co-creating solutions for a resilient, inclusive future.

Lily Viggiano is driven by a profound belief in fostering an accessible, equitable and just society for all.  As GreenHouse’s Senior Project Manager, Lily created and leads Changemaker Labs, a program that invites changemakers from across the Waterloo Region to come together and take climate action. This initiative is aligned with Canada’s goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and operates an intergenerational participation model. In her previous role at the Halton Youth Initiative, she empowered over 300 young leaders to make meaningful community contributions. With a focus on developmental relationships and leveraging assets, Lily mobilized a dedicated group of adult allies that played a vital role in the project’s success.  A recognized expert in youth engagement, she was seconded by Volunteer Canada to develop a youth engagement curriculum for the Canada Service Corps. Lily has a Bachelor of Public Relations from Conestoga College.

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