Board Members

David Spring

With a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Masters of International Development, I worked for the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) from 1970 to 2005. I designed, planned and managed projects and programs in Africa and Asia including microfinance and small enterprise development, both at the local and national level. The experience and skills I acquired are applicable to Social Enterprise Development in Canada and I was therefore very happy to join the CSED Board.

Drayton Mulindabigwi

Drayton is a 4th year health sciences student, who is on a mission to find the secret behind creativity and how we can use that to better our lives. This journey led him to create 20today20tomorrow, the biggest youth-led creative hub. This hub is at the forefront of the social innovation wave, by consulting with the big players in this field, and creating their own social innovations in the process. This led him to launch The Novas Group, an expansion on the idea of creating a one stop shop for venture creation. The Novas Group continues to run successfully today. His passion for creativity knows no bounds.

Elspeth McKay

Elspeth joined the Operation Come Home team in December 2007 with more than 30+ years of experience as a senior executive in the not-for-profit sector. Elspeth is a dedicated fund-raiser, an expert in community economic development and a leader in social innovation. She has years of experience in developing programs such as supported employment, entrepreneurship, education, and social enterprise.

Kevin Holmes

Kevin is the Founder and Managing Director of the Social Innovation Lab at Algonquin College. He oversees the Service Learning in Design & Engineering (SLiDE) initiative which supports local social enterprise and non-profits in digital technology. He is passionate about community and leveraging the significant public trust held within our post-secondary institutions towards the greater public good. Kevin also serves as the National Co-Chair of the Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) ImpAct Project Working Group on Social Entrepreneurship.

Manjit Basi

Manjit facilitates and enables individuals, teams, organizations and communities to move forward together with a shared and sustainable vision. Her foundation comes from experiences in entrepreneurship, leadership and team coaching, mentoring and consulting in the business, voluntary, and government sectors – often working across organizational and sectoral boundaries. Manjit’s facility is in creating trust, fostering generative thinking, and supporting others in finding clarity and strategic coherency. She brings a systemic lens approach that builds relational intelligence.

She has a deep commitment to community that has resulted in many board experiences ranging from The Ottawa Community Foundation to Immigrant Women Services Ottawa, along with mentorship roles in various organizations. Currently, she chairs the TELUS Ottawa Community Board, the Harry P. Ward Foundation, and is an advisor to Synapcity.

Steve Beauchesne

Established in 2006, Beau’s has won more than 125 national and international awards for beer-making, marketing and packaging design, sustainability and business practices, and has raised more than $2 million for charity, community, and the independent arts. Steve certified Beau’s as Canada’s first-ever B-Corp brewery, helped found the first craft brewery in Rwanda, and was a founding member of the Canadian Craft Brewers Association. Steve was awarded the social entrepreneurship award by the Best of Ottawa Awards, named Design Thinker of the year by the Association of Registered Designers and Community Builder of the year by the United Way.

Tobi Awolalu

Tobi is a qualified chartered accountant with over 15 years accounting experience. She has worked with several public companies across the UK and Canada, gaining vital skills and knowledge along the way. She is passionate about the community and supports local charities either by being on the board or offering volunteer finance work. Tobi received her bachelor’s degree in accounting and business from Bournemouth university in the UK. She is also in good standing of the CPA and ACCA. Tobi is a member of the board of Directors and Treasurer with CSED.