We Are a Small but Mighty Team! Please Meet Us.
We are a mix of seasoned and experienced and young professionals who share a strong desire to make the world a better place.
We are committed and dedicated to working together with internal and external stakeholders to achive HOA’s wards an empowered poverty free-world by eradicating barriers to success by strengthening, employment, and entrepreneurship opportunities.
This translates HOA’s vision and mission, the registered charity that we serve.
Our target beneficiaries are Black and Racialized Youth as an under-served & under-represented population.
HOA’s Board provides governance and strategic direction to HOA, ensuring that we are transparent and accountable to our beneficiaries, donors, funders, and other stakeholders. Our board members bring an extensive knowledge and understanding of the unique needs and challenges faced by immigrant youth and their families (beneficiaries) that we serve alongside array of knowledge and skills in local and international community and business ecosystems.
Joel has over 13 years’ experience in policy and strategy positions. He has worked as a consultant at 2 think tanks – the Institute for Security Studies in South Africa and the Fredrick S. Pardee in the United States of America.
He has participated in consultancy projects on strategy and policy work for Nepad – AUDA, USAID Southern Africa, USAID Ethiopia, Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, Battle River Innovation Centres, Battle River Economic Opportunities Committee and Africa Centre in Canada. Joel has supported work across innovation entities, Tourism entities and Enterprise developments entities. His recent past job involved the development of an economic development strategy for a metropolitan region that has a GDP of over USD $75 billion.
Joel managed and worked on over 10 economic development type projects. In 2019 he managed a strategic project at the Edmonton Research Centre worth CAD 1.4 million and delivered it on time. Joel’s strategy work for companies has focused on energy, agriculture, and agro-foods projects with a focus on leveraging technology for productivity.
Joel’s recent projects included private sector development program in Alberta, Canada where he managed a CAD 3 million – Canadian dollar economic diversification project for 7 rural communities. A second project involved setting up a black economic empowerment program in Edmonton, Alberta. Joel has a BBA Finance (Zimbabwe), MBA (UK) and a Master’s in Global Finance, Trade and Economic Integration (U.S.A).
Victoria is a goal-oriented and motivated person with demonstrated leadership and organizational skills, having founded, managed, and operated two businesses. Victoria possesses competencies in business strategy, design thinking, leadership, and team building, among others.
As a startup founder, Victoria has been involved in every aspect of building a business from its inception to its growth stage, gaining valuable experience and knowledge that can help guide future business endeavours. This hands-on experience allows for a deep understanding of the
inner workings of a company, which can be applied to leadership roles in other organizations.
Through her work for the government of Ecuador, she gained valuable experience in poverty
eradication and developed a deep understanding of the daily struggles of those living below the poverty line. Her experience has shown her that access to specific resources can make a significant difference in people’s lives. She is a strong believer that education is the key to
breaking the cycle of poverty and that every individual should have the opportunity to build a
brighter future for themselves and their families.
Drawing upon her educational foundation with a BBA and Economics, alongside her firsthand entrepreneurial experience, she has adeptly guided aspiring business owners in overcoming the challenges of business initiation, ensuring they embark on successful entrepreneurship journeys.
Todd was born in England but grew up in Jamaica, where he completed high school and University. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree with Honors in Management Studies. After graduating from the University of the West Indies, he spent the next seven years working for one of the top four international accounting firms. During that time, he became a designated accountant and received membership in the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (U.K.) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica. Todd relocated to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1999. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant and presently works as a legislative auditor, and he and his wife Charmaine have three children.
Todd has experience in dealing with issues facing entities in the not-for-profit sector, and he has been involved in establishing such entities and providing advice to their Boards. Todd has a passion for identifying opportunities for those who are less fortunate and has dedicated time to helping them unlock their true potential. He believes that “nothing can keep a good man down”.
Todd brings this drive and passion to Help One Another Canada Foundation.
Over 30 years spent supporting engineering and related industries, Koren Cromwell developed expertise in project planning, coordination, and management support of major engineering projects. She thrived in multi-disciplined atmospheres where interactions and collaborations between technical disciplines, business units, and external stakeholders were critical to success.
Skills include resolving schedule and budget concerns, coordinating quality, writing technical, marketing, and other documents, and performing business management endeavors, including many aspects of talent development. Since launching into entrepreneurship, she’s served a wider base of industries including print media, manufacturing, education, real estate, and non-profits, bringing creative, customized solutions to clients’ unique situations with the belief that solutions do not have to be complicated to be effective.
He has been helping clients of all backgrounds and cultures start and grow local and international
businesses, nonprofits/charities, cooperatives, and social enterprises for the last 16 years.
Jean Jacques is a Trusted Business Strategist, a Social Impact Leader, and Serial Entrepreneur. In addition to being a Non-Religious Alberta Marriage Commissioner, he is also a Freelance Translator, a Certified Community Interpreter, a Coach and Mentor, a Public Speaker,
Emcee/Event Host, and a successful Consultant for local and international businesses and non-
profits/NGOs.
As a Social Impact Leader and Community Builder, Jean Jacques’ dedication to advancing local and international causes have been acknowledged by the Rotary Foundation of the Rotary International that named him a Paul Harris Fellow in appreciation of tangible and significant
assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples
of the world. He has also been named the Canadian African Community Man of the Year 2015 by Diversity Magazine Alberta in recognition of his contribution to making the world we live in a better place. Business Link has granted me a Certificate of appreciation for outstanding performance and lasting contribution to The Business Link’s networking events.
Born in Québec, raised in Québec and New-Brunswick (where I learned English), where
my parents had a tourism business, so I was immerse in business at a young age.
I Studied in International Relations in Québec & Ottawa. I am a graduate of Laval
University in International Relations in Québec & University of Ottawa in Strategic
Studies with an emphasis on International Trade.
I began my professional life at the Foreign Affairs & International Trade Department
(Global Affairs) in Ottawa, dealing with the implementation of the first Free Trade
Agreement [FTA] and worked on the NAFTA agreement at its early stage.
Then moved back to Québec to start a consulting firm supporting SME in their
international endeavors. Also worked in different positions either as a Consultant in
Public Affairs or as an Economic Development Officer or Executive Director of
organizations in Economic Development & Community Development on the Local,
Regional, and Provincial level in QC & Canada. I Was also involved in the start-up and
management of Industrial Parks and Business Incubators nationally & internationally.
Then I worked in the North as an ED to set-up, create and manage an Economic
Development organization (something like was the EEDC in YEG).. Also gave a course
in Entrepreneurship & Business communications at the local college.
Then move back South (Edmonton) for another start-up initiative (VISTA) with the
Business Link, dealing with Business Incubators. Since then, I do consulting on
Strategic Planning, Economic Development, Export plans and communications on a
part-time basis. I always kept my interest in International Affairs and when the
opportunity presented itself I volunteered and became with JJ and others one of the
founding member of Dufashanye (Help One Another) and looking forward to do some
more volunteering and participate to the evolution and growth of this organization.
In my last position, I learned how to engage effectively with the immigrant community and build a coalition between them as I believe this is the direction we must go to eradicate joblessness in the immigrant communities here in Canada.
Ready for a more impactful position in a non-profit organization. I look forward to getting involved with people who need help starting and establishing their businesses in Canadian society, especially young immigrants.
Jenny, a dedicated entrepreneurial professional, is known for her commitment to supporting small businesses with her strengths in strategic thinking and digital marketing. She empowers businesses with personalized guidance, leveraging her unique ability to cultivate connections that leave a trail of positivity. Beyond her business acumen, her leadership strengths shine as she champions the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, fostering positive global change. An active contributor to her community through volunteering and an advocate for sustainable living, Jenny’s organizational skills and unwavering commitment to her values drive her actions, creating a professional yet friendly environment where shared goals are achieved.
Mac is an enterprising and results-driven marketing undergraduate with an established knowledge framework within-subjects of market research, business strategy, and product management. Prospectively qualified, owing to the pursuit of a 4-year Bachelor of Commerce degree at MacEwan University (and a major in Marketing), ready to harness a rich educational background to laterally transfer skillsets of digital marketing strategy, stakeholder management, and content creation into the workforce, as evidenced in my profound involvement in entrepreneurship, demonstrated through experience as the owner of a Shopify E-Commerce Store.
Mac is an outstanding learner, communicator & collaborator, able to work with diverse peers to fully commit to a career direction, cross-apply skills and deliver maximal impact, punctuality and precision.
Some of Mac’s accomplishments and successes:
Yostina Geleta is a dedicated professional committed to strengthening education, employment, and entrepreneurship opportunities in Alberta. As a seasoned environmental scientist, she possesses a unique blend of technical expertise and hands-on experience.
With a proven track record in conducting fieldwork and navigating regulatory landscapes, Yostina has consistently maintained the highest standards of sustainability. Her commitment to transforming data into actionable insights aligns seamlessly with the mission of fortifying education and employment initiatives.
Beyond technical proficiency, Yostina is a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion in her approach. Her experience as an Associate with Indigenous Neighbours showcases a profound understanding of diverse communities and a steadfast commitment to collaborative solutions.
Eager to contribute to the mission of creating opportunities, her passion lies in aligning her skills and experiences to make a meaningful impact on education, employment, and entrepreneurship in Calgary, Alberta. With a dedication to accountability, effectiveness, and sustainability, Yostina is poised to play a pivotal role in fostering opportunities for success in the region.
Driven, skilled, and highly motivated Risk & Insurance Coordinator & Operations professional with over a decade of progressively combined experience.
I have honed my abilities across various domains and my career journey has equipped me with a unique blend of expertise, allowing me to thrive in diverse and fast-paced environments. My core competencies and skills span a wide range of areas, including business analysis, strategic planning, budgeting, risk analysis, client management, and regulatory compliance.
Throughout my career, I have consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to exceeding expectations and achieving exceptional results.
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