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Generous Futures: 2SLGBTQ+ Communities Impacting

Date
June 01, 2021
Time
1:00 PM EDT - 2:00 PM EDT
Location
Online
Generous Futures: 2SLGBTQ+ Communities Impacting

Queer liberation has always come at a price. What role does philanthropy play in addressing 2SLGBTQ+ justice and equity? How are queer leaders affecting positive policy changes and increasing visibility of initiatives in support of 2SLGBTQ+ communities? Join us as we kick off Pride Month with this discussion about the future of queer leadership in charitable giving.

Moderator

Jen McMillen, Vice-Provost, Students, Ryerson University

Jen McMillen, Vice-Provost, Students, Toronto Metropolitan University

Panellists

Jennifer Pritzker, President & Chief Executive Officer, Tawani Foundation

Jennifer Pritzker, Colonel (IL) Jennifer N. Pritzker, IL ARNG (Retired), President & Chief Executive Officer, TAWANI Enterprises

Mark Bonham,Executive Director, The Veritas Foundation

Mark Bonham, Executive Director, The Veritas Foundation

Al Ramsay, Associate Vice President, Sales and Strategy & Head of LGBTQ2S+ Business Development, TD Wealth

Al Ramsay, Associate Vice President, Sales and Strategy & Head of LGBTQ2S+ Business Development, TD Wealth

Biographies

Jen McMillen is a senior post-secondary leader with more than 20 years experience in student affairs, human rights and policy development. A strong advocate for equity and inclusion, Jen believes that student achievements are closely linked to an active student community.

As vice-provost, students at Toronto Metropolitan University, Jen oversees the direction of multiple units dedicated to  ensuring student programs, experiences and services are of the highest quality and readily accessible to all students, which fall under five main areas of responsibility - the  Office of the Registrar, Athletics and Recreation, Student Affairs, Student Wellbeing, and International Enrolment.

Jen joined Toronto Metropolitan University in 2019 from Humber College, where as dean of students, she oversaw a range of student success and engagement departments. In addition, Jen was chair of the student affairs group within Colleges Ontario and was also a founding member of the Positive Space Committee at Brock University, where she served as a human rights and equity officer. Jen frequently speaks and consults on issues such as diversity, leadership, team and trust building, communication and civic responsibility. 

In addition to her professional roles at Humber College, Jen has worked in various progressive capacities at New College, University of Toronto, Brock University, the University of Western Ontario and the University of Guelph. She holds a bachelor of kinesiology from McMaster University, and a master of education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.  

COL (IL) Pritzker is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the United States Army and upon her retirement in 2001, was promoted to the rank of honorary Colonel in the Illinois National Guard. A historian, businesswoman, investor, developer, and philanthropist; she founded TAWANI Enterprises in 1994, a visionary umbrella organization with a private equity portfolio consisting of startup and mature innovative companies in various industries, as well as nonprofit interests through foundation work and military history and education organizations. TAWANI Enterprises oversees all internally owned companies, including TAWANI Property Management, TAWANI Property Development, the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, the TAWANI Foundation, the Pritzker Military Foundation, Master Wings Publishing and Aurum Trading, a gold coin trading market maker.

Mark S. Bonham is the Executive Director of The Veritas Foundation, a non-profit charitable public foundation whose mission is to be Canada’s authoritative source for individuals, groups and companies to participate in the country’s charitable sector and evaluate its effectiveness and impact. Mark is a Senior Fellow of Massey College, University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada. An LGBTQ educator and activist, Mark was included in the Financial Times of London (UK) OUTstanding LGBT Global Business Leaders list in 2017 and was named the 2018 Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Mark has had an extensive career in the Canadian financial industry, having founded two public mutual fund companies in Canada. Mark is the author or editor of six books to date: Trade-Offs: The History of Canada-U.S. Trade Negotiations (2019), Becoming 150: 150 Years of Canadian Business History (2018), A Path to Diversity: LGBTQ Participation in the Working World (2017), Notables: 101 Global LGBTQ People who Changed the World (2015), and Champions: Biographies of Global LGBTQ Pioneers (2014). As an LGBTQ activist, Mark is Co-Founder and Managing Editor of the online biographical encyclopedia QueerBio.Com, a source of biographical information on over 17,000 international LGBTQ individuals. Mark is also a contributor to The Canadian Encyclopedia on the financial industry. A Co Founder and Member of the Board of the Canadian Business History Association, Mark is the past Board Chair of the Toronto Botanical Garden and has endowed the Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies at the University of Toronto. Among his many community projects, Mark has co-chaired the capital campaign for Toronto’s new LGBTQI2S youth homeless shelter and was the lead donor and co Chair and Lead Donor of the Casey House Hospital Capital Campaign. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honours, including the Inaugural Alumni of Influence Award from the University of Toronto (2012), the Clarkson Laureateship in Public Service (2016), and is a Member of the Group of 175, being the 175 most influential graduates of the University of Toronto (2002). Visit www.marksbonham.ca for a more detailed biography.

As Associate Vice President, Sales and Strategy & Head LGBTQ2+ Business Development, Al is a member of TD's Wealth leadership team, acting as a key liaison between TD Wealth Advice and Business Banking.

Al also leads TD's LGBTQ2+ business development team executing strategies across One TD. This program is considered leading edge and unique within the financial industry across North America.

Originally from Jamaica, Al and his family moved to Canada in 1994 to start a new life and complete his education. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Toronto Metropolitan University. Over the past 15 years, Al has held increasingly senior positions supporting TD’s Diversity and Inclusion mandate spearheading customer, employee and community initiatives. He is instrumental in helping TD to become a leader in the Black and LGBTQ2+ communities.

Al’s previous work experience at TD includes: National Manager, Diversity Community Relations; Senior Manager, Corporate Diversity; Senior Manager, Marketing Diversity, and Branch Manager.

Al has a passion for advancing inclusiveness in the workplace and in his community. He spearheaded the launch of several of TD's Employee Resource Groups, including its LGBTQ2+ and Black Employee Networks which have now expanded to include thousands of employees across North America.

He has served on numerous work committees and boards championing Diversity and Inclusion. He currently sits on the board of Rainbow Railroad and is a corporate advisor to the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and ExeQutive. 

In 2016, Al was awarded TD's Vision in Action award, its highest honour for an employee. In 2018, Al was awarded the Ted Rogers School of Business Management's Trailblazer Alumni Award – for his leadership work in Diversity and Inclusion. Earlier this year, Al was the recipient of the 2020 International Day of Pink Executive Pride Award for his outstanding contributions in the LGBTQ2+ community. 

In his spare time, Al is an advocate for promoting health, wellness and creating safe spaces for everyone to feel a sense of belonging. He also enjoys mentoring students and young professionals to help them achieve their full potential both personally and professionally.

Generous Futures: Power and Politics in Charitable Giving

Through a series of panel discussions we will explore the struggles, politics and possibilities within the charitable sector.

Promotional Partners: Association of Fundraising Professionals; Canadian Association of Gift Planners; Canada Helps; Imagine Canada

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