Meet the members of the amazing team who worked together to bring you the Cannabis and Mental Health project! From creating the content and design to translating, reviewing and building the website, these awesome and skilled humans from across Canada made this for you!
Youth Action Committee
Ally Campbell (she/her) Lake Huron, ON
Ally lives in Huron County, a farming community on the South-Eastern shores of Lake Huron. She enjoys photography, music, and hanging out with her partner and their three cats.
Alyana Lalani (she/her) Burnaby, BC
Alyana loves dogs, reading, and spending time in nature!
Anvita Desai (she/her) Toronto, ON
Anvita loves reading, cooking, crocheting, and mental health equity for young people!
Armaan Fallahi (he/him) Aurora, ON
Armaan’s birthday is on valentines day! He doesn’t get double the presents though.
Ashley MacLean (she/her) Saint John, NB
Ashley prefers winter over summer, and loves the cold!
Connor Lafortune (he/him) Dokis First Nation
Connor “Little Thunder” Lafortune is from Dokis First Nation. He is in Indigenous, Gender, and Legal studies at Nipissing University.
Nimkiins ndizhinikaaz bineshiinh ndondem Okikendawt ndonjiibaa Anishinaabe nini ndow.
Hargun Kaur (she/her) Markham, ON
Hey, I’m Hargun, and I’m a health sciences student, amateur poet, and mental health advocate.
Ilyas Khamis (he/him/them/they) Toronto, ON
Ilyas is studying for a bachelor’s of social work. He lives with schizoaffective disorder, and was twice on the Cadet Men’s Epee National Team, Ilyas loves spending time at home with his partner.
Dr. Jimmy Tan (he/him) Toronto, ON
When Jimmy is not advocating for youth mental health, he can be found catching them all on the mobile game Pokémon GO (spoiler: he has not caught them all yet).
Kristy Allen (she/her) Barrie, ON
Kristy loves yoga, playing piano, and hiking with her dog, Moose.
Leif Harris (he/him) Ottawa, ON
Salutations! Leif is a spoken word artist from Ottawa, Ontario. He advocates for healthy living through the utilization of writing and mindfulness!
Maleesha Paskarathas (she/they) Brampton, ON
Maleesha recently completed her degree in Global Health, at York University. Maleesha sees the importance of better connection in mental health services and cultural understanding on creating healthier societies and loves trees!
Natasha Taylor (she/her) Saint John, NB
Natasha is studying Psychology at University of New Brunswick. She is passionate about promoting mental health awareness, making knowledge accessible, and giving a voice to individuals with lived experience, and can play the violin!
Teresa Chen (she/her) Edmonton, AB
Teresa welcomes you to our website! She is a medical student at University of Alberta, a mental health advocate and amateur chef.
Will Landon (Waabshkigaabo)
Will Landon is a nationally recognized speaker, writer, and advocate for First Nation issues. He balances his work with school and being a father.
Boozhoo nindinawemaaganidog Waabishkigaabo indigoo Bizhu Ndoodem Wauzhushk Onigum Ndoonjibaa.
Translation Team
Gaëlle Nicolussi (she/her) Switzerland
Gaëlle, is originally from Switzerland, has a cocker spaniel and loves drawing!
Jérôme Lelièvre (he/him) Montreal, QC
Jérôme sells legal cannabis, at a governmental store, in Montreal, and loves writing!
Mary Aucoin (she/her) BC
Mary loves being around her loved ones!
Practium Student
Ishani Sharma (she/her) Toronto, ON
Ishani is currently studying Global Health at York University in Ontario, and enjoys film photography!
Cannabis and Mental Health Project Facilitator
Kiah Ellis-Durity (she/her) Vancouver, BC
Kiah is currently living in Vancouver, British Columbia on the land of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Squamish nations. In her spare time she loves to knit, felt, and nap.
Strategic Advisors
Niki Pankratz (she/her) Nanaimo, BC
Niki lives and works in Nanaimo, BC, on the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. Niki loves yoga, vegan food and going on adventures with her two awesome daughters. She has a background in health promotion, teaching and writing.
Scott Ste-Marie (he/him) Toronto, ON
Scott has everything figured out! and is a complete mess all at the same time.
Heath D’Alessio (they/he/she) Montreal, QC
Heath believes that the stories we tell shape the way we understand each other and the world around us, and sharing those stories has the power to foster healing and care in our communities and remind us that we aren’t alone. They also do stand up comedy and love to MC events.
Past Stratigic Advisor
Kira London-Nadeau (she/her) Montreal, QC
Kira is PhD student studying the relationships between weed and mental health in queer and trans youth. She loves basketball, plants and her composting worms.
Scientific Advisor
Ilyas Khamis (he/him/them/they) Toronto, ON
Ilyas is studying for a bachelor’s of social work. He lives with schizoaffective disorder, and was twice on the Cadet Men’s Epee National Team, Ilyas loves spending time at home with his partner.
Teen Advisors
Aislin McWilliam-Roht (she/her) Toronto, ON
Aislin is an avid reader who loves her pets, and takes way too many pics of the sunset!
Manny Pahwa (he/him) Markham, ON
Manny is a grade 12 student at Unionville High School enrolled in the Arts Program! He loves to play music, specifically percussion and trumpet, and is a huge sneakerhead!
Talah Bodner Nanaimo, BC
Talah is a Grade 7 student in Nanaimo, BC, on the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. Talah loves writing, drawing and playing sports, especially basketball and Taekwondo. She also loves talking and writing about harm reduction.
Teen Advisory Committee
This committee consists of 12 teens across Canada, ages varying from 17-19. They gave feedback on course content aided in general direction of the project. Teen Advisory Committee members include:
- Analise Hoberg (AB)
- Daniel Silva (ON)
- Paige Schacher (BC)
- Eric Normandeau (MB)
- Jercin Elsa Koshy (ON)
- Aislin McWilliam- Roht (ON)
- Kelsey Mclean (NS)
- Manny Pahwa (ON)
- Alessandra Chiu (BC)
- Hana Lalani (BC)
- Katrina Moncayo (ON)
- Lilly Garneau (BC)
Project Management | Manager of Operations
Sarah Roht (she/her) Toronto Island, ON
Sarah lives in Toronto, ON which is located on the traditional territories of the Wendat, Anishnabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nations and the Metis Nation. Sarah loves working with this fabulous team! She also loves warm walks on the beach, being creative and her amazing family.
Project Management | Project Manager
Catherine Willinsky (she/her) Toronto, ON
Catherine lives in Toronto, ON which is located on the traditional Territories of the Wendat, Anishnabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nations and the Metis Nation. Catherine is proud to be a member of this amazing, creative team, and devoted to peer support, harm reduction and recovery!
Project Management | CEO of Schizophrenia Society of Canada
Chris Summerville (he/him) Steinbach, MB
Chris Summerville, CEO of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada lives in Steinbach, Manitoba and loves being outdoors in nature.
YouthRex Partners
Chantal Phillips (she/her) Toronto, ON
Chantal is also a medical student at the University of Toronto. Her research and advocacy interests include addressing oppression, with a specific focus on harm reduction and anti-Black racism in academic, political, and health-based contexts. She is also the project manager of the Black COVID Resilience Health Promotion Project with Black Health Alliance.
Cyril Cromwell (he/him) Toronto, ON
As a proponent of Social Justice, Cyril has led professional development and media art projects across the Greater Toronto Area and abroad for over a decade in community centres, schools, open custody detention centres and in his photography studio.
Katarina Gligorijevic (she/her) Toronto, ON
Katarina supports the creation and curation of resources for the Knowledge Hub, and is involved in research and evaluation work at YouthREX. Her interests include coffee, electronic music, and dabbling in different forms of movement.
Kathe Rogers (she/her) Toronto, ON
Kathe is the Program Director at YouthREX. She is a registered social worker with extensive experience in communications, advocacy, public education, counselling, and community building. Kathe is a former film student, seasoned storyteller, engaged lover of art and music, amateur star-gazer, novice embroiderer, and pop culture trivia guru.
Web Developers
Brendan Carr (he/him) Mission, BC
With over two decades of experience in the industry, Brendan is a skilled developer and technician. He has helped hundreds of clients with tech support and web development in the Fraser Valley.
David Hushion
An accomplished and veteran photographer & graphic designer, he brings over a decade of experience to the team and can work in almost any media. When he’s not working from Ontario, he resides in France where he is a fixture at Festival Hestiv’Òc.
Seb Jagoe
Seb Jagoe is a web designer and developer who loves working with organizations and individuals trying to do good in the world!
Web Designer
Cory Ingwersen (he/him) Toronto, ON
Cory is a Professional designer, amateur adventurer. He is also a cultivator of indoor homegrown organic cannabis.
Video Editor
Rob Comeau (he/him) Toronto, ON
Rob has been creating videos since he was 12 years old. Today, he continues to help everyone he can scale with video!
Graphic Designer
Payton Mikrogianakis
Payton studies design and law, but is at her happiest when crocheting, horseback riding, and spending money at antique markets (not all at the same time).