Cynthia Reyes
Innoversity Co-founder and Chair

Cynthia Reyes is co-founder of Innoversity. She is also vice-president of DiversiPro Inc, a full-service management consulting practice with a special interest in diversity.

Coming from "the world's most multicultural family", Reyes took an early interest in the stories of her extended family's roots. This curiosity about other people and their stories likely influenced her career choice. In her early teens, she started her career as a newspaper writer. After graduating from university, she worked as a television journalist, then became a producer-director and executive producer in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Her work attracted many industry honours.

In 1990, Reyes was asked to train other journalists, then producers, managers and whole teams in the CBC. In the mid-90's, she turned to organizational development and worked as a consultant on several large-scale projects. Her projects have taken her across Canada, and to Asia, Africa, the USA, Latin America, and Europe.

Reyes has developed television programs, coached teams and their leaders, and helped senior managers to develop new strategies and plans for their organizations. Her clients have included TV networks and other corporations, cultural and service organizations as well as not-for-profit groups.

In 2000, Reyes and partner Hamlin Grange launched ProMedia International, now renamed DiversiPro Inc. They launched Innoversity soon after.

Awards (partial list):

  • Crystal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film and Television;
  • CBC President's Award;
  • African Canadian Achievement Award;
  • Children's Broadcast Institute Award.

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Hamlin Grange
 Co-founder

Hamlin Grange is president and co-founder of DiversiPro Inc, a workplace diversity training, coaching and consulting company.

DiversiPro's clients include television networks, healthcare providers and other organizations looking for ways to meet the challenges and reap the rewards of a culturally diverse marketplace.

He is also co-founder of Innoversity and the Innoversity Creative Summit, an international event that allows delegates to share ideas, showcase solutions, successes and breakthroughs in serving a culturally diverse society in a range of sectors, from media to other cultural institutions and corporate settings.

As a diversity change management consultant Hamlin facilitates employees and managers in projects related to the integration of cultural diversity into their work and work force. He has led diversity management workshops for senior managers from a wide variety of sectors including, law enforcement, media, public service, healthcare and the private sector.

Before starting a career as a diversity consultant, Hamlin had a stellar career as a journalist. He has been a reporter at Global Television and CBC Television, where he was Assignment Editor, Municipal Affairs Reporter, host, interviewer and news anchor. He was also a reporter at the Toronto Star. Hamlin has hosted two popular television current affairs programs: Workweek, on CBC Newsworld and TVOntario and the CBC's More to the Story.

Hamlin graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from the University of Colorado. After working as a reporter at Denver's Rocky Mountain News, he returned to Canada as managing editor of Contrast, a black community newspaper.

He has won numerous awards including:

  • Co-winner of a B'Nai Brith Human Rights Award for Journalism,
  • A Black Film and Video Achievement Award and a separate award for Leadership.
  • He is also a recipient of the African Canadian Achievement Award
  • Awards from the New York and Houston International Film and Video Festivals.

Other activities include:

  • A Trustee of the Royal Ontario Museum (Provincial Appointment)
  • Member Toronto Police Services Board (Provincial Appointment)
  • YMCA of Greater Toronto Board of Directors;
  • Board of Directors of Innoversity.
  • Past President of the Canadian Association of Black Journalists,
  • Former member Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Community Advisory Committee.

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Larry Mah
 Project Manager and Team Leader

Larry Mah is the Project Manager and team leader for the 2009 Innoversity Summit™.

Larry comes to Innoversity with more than 10 years experience consulting with the not-for-profit sector. He brings expertise in:

  • Program design, administration and delivery
  • Project management
  • Evaluation
  • Research
  • Relationship building

Larry's work has involved national organizations that focus on community and youth development, including the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education, Canadian Youth Business Foundation, Youth in Motion, Canadian Career Development Foundation and the Ontario Safety League.

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Eleanor Edwards
 On-Site COordinator

Eleanor Edwards is a Certified Life Skills Coach, creator of Life esteem™ Coaching, Leading Ladies Matrix™ and President of Positive Possibilities.

She is a well rounded management professional with an extensive and diverse background in project management.
Her experience spans across developing and coordinating conferences, keynote speaker at various events and designing and implementing women and youth programs.

She also started the first Youth Resource Centre inside Scarborough Town Centre, coordinated the first employment resource centre for street youth and successfully conducted the first Life Skills classes in several Secondary Schools in Toronto.
She was also one of Toronto's youngest Property Manager for seven Residential buildings and condominiums.

She has over 19 years experience working with women, youth and their families. She is a dynamic and energetic motivational speaker, who uses her life experiences to motivate individuals to achieve their goals and realize their self-worth.

 

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Desrine Nelson
 Content Manager

 
WHO WE ARE

Paul Lewis, Bob culbert, kim clark, Karen Clout, Brenda Nadjiwan, Melanie Farrell, Raja khanna, Karen Mancini, joyce wayne

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 Steering Committee


Paul Lewis
Chair of Innoversity Steering Committee President and General Manager of Discovery Channel Canada

Paul Lewis, as President and General Manager of Discovery Channel Canada, oversees all of the network's day-to-day operations including programming, production and marketing. In addition, he oversees Discovery Civilization, Animal Planet, CTV Travel, Exploration Production Inc. and Exploration Distribution Inc.

Lewis joined Discovery Channel in 1994 as Executive Producer of in-house programming and helped to create the world's first daily science magazine show, @discovery.ca, which was re-introduced in Fall 2002 as Daily Planet.

In addition to his Discovery responsibilities, Lewis is currently Director of the World Congress of Science Producers, an organization dedicated to the sharing of programming ideas and productions with international broadcasters, independent producers and distributors. He is a graduate of the journalism program at Ryerson University and has completed the Alliance Atlantis Banff Television Executive Program.


Bob Culbert
Vice-President of Documentaries CTV Inc.

Bob Culbert is Vice-President of Documentaries for CTV. Working closely with our development offices in Halifax, Montreal, Winnipeg and Vancouver, he is responsible for all network documentaries on CTV.

Previously, Mr. Culbert had a 29-year career at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. From 1994 to1999, he was Executive Director of News and Current Affairs. In this role, he was responsible for all network news and current affairs programming, and Newsworld, CBC's 24-hour news channel.

From 1991 to 1994, he held the position of Area Head of Network TV Current Affairs, responsible for all network current affairs programming, all documentary specials and documentary series. From 1981 to 1991, Mr. Culbert worked at the CBC's daily current affairs program The Journal, becoming Senior Producer. He was Area Head of all television news and current affairs programming for CBC Nova Scotia from 1979 to 1981. He joined CBC Winnipeg in 1970, working in both television news and current affairs.

In addition to his television journalism experience, he also worked in print media in Northern Ireland and the Winnipeg Free Press (1968-1970), after immigrating to Canada in 1968.

For 15 years, he has taught a course in documentary programming at Ryerson University in Toronto.

kim clark

Partnership Development - Toronto Region, CBC




Karen Clout
Manager, Social Issues, Canwest Media Inc.

Karen graduated from McGill University with a BA in Film & Communications and an MA in English Literature.

Karen currently works as Manager, Social Issues, Regulatory Affairs for Canwest.  A significant part of her role is to promote diversity within the organization, as well as build relationships with the diverse communities that Canwest serves. 

Ms. Clout spear-headed the launch of the Global Mentorship program at Canwest (aimed at visible minorities, persons with disabilities, Aboriginal people, and women) and oversees the diversity initiatives resulting from the recent purchase of Alliance Atlantis, including the creation of a national internship program for students with disabilities. 

In addition to sitting on the Innoversity Steering Committee, Karen also sits on Board of Directors for Progress Career Planning Institute (PCPI).  Ms. Clout represents Canwest on the Strategic Alliance of Broadcasters for Aboriginal Reflection (SABAR) and the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), and works as an Aboriginal Community Relations Office for Elections Canada for the riding of Trinity-Spadina during Federal Elections.

Karen is the recipient of the 2009 Canadian Women in Communications Jeanne Sauvé Convergence Program



Brenda Nadjiwan
Regional Coordinator, AWPI Indian & Northern Affairs Canada

Brenda Nadjiwan is member of the Chippewas of Nawash Band.
As coordinator of the Aboriginal Workforce Participation Initiative for the Ontario Region of Indian & Northern Affairs Canada, Brenda enjoys working collaboratively with both Aboriginal and corporate communities.
She is a participating member a variety of regional committees such as the Financial Industry Partnerships for Aboriginal Relationships and the Aboriginal Apprenticeship Board of Ontario.
She is a founding member of the Strategic Alliance of Broadcasters for Aboriginal Reflection (SABAR), a group of national broadcasters, of which she is presently chair. She is also a participating member on the Aboriginal Construction Employment Advisory Committee and has worked with federally regulated employers throughout her tenure as AWPI coordinator.
Brenda has a Master's Degree in English specializing in post-colonial literature, an Honours Degree in Specialized English, and an Honours Diploma in Social Services, in addition to various Counselling and training certificates.


Melanie Farrell
Director, Community Liaison

Melanie Farrell has been with OMNI Television (formerly, CFMT, Canada's first multilingual/multicultural television system) for almost 20 years, initially starting as a Sales Representative. Prior to her current role as Director, Community Liaison, she was Director, Business Development Sales for all of Rogers Media: Television.



Raja Khanna
Founder and President of Snap Media

Raja Khanna is the Founder and President of Snap Media, a leading digital media producer since 1995, and Co-Founder and CCO of QuickPlay Media Inc., a mobile media company. Through his projects, Raja has produced unique, internationally recognized content experiences across each of wireless, TV, iTV, and the web.

Raja currently sits on the Digital Media Advisory Committee of the OMDC, the Content Steering Committee of Innoversity, the Advisory Board of NextMedia, the Board of BiteTV, and the Program Advisory Committees of the new media programs at Sheridan College and George Brown. Recently Raja was named Producer of the Year at the Canadian New Media Awards as well as winning the Best Interactive and Most Popular Interactive Project Gemini awards for Degrassi.tv.

karen mancini

Production and Partnership Coordinator
Citytv / OMNI
Rogers Media Television

 


joyce wayne
Program Head, Internationally Trained Writers, Sheridan College

Joyce Wayne is the head of the Canadian Journalism for Internationally Trained Writers program at Sheridan College where she envisioned and launched this graduate program for diverse and new Canadians who wish to work professionally in Canada. It is the only program of its kind in North America.   She is also the former Director of the Sheridan Centre for Internationally Trained Individuals, which she developed and launched.

A professor for twenty-one years at Sheridan College, Wayne is also an award-winning journalist.  She was the Editor of Quill & Quire magazine, and the Editorial Director of non-fiction at McClelland & Stewart Publishers. Her fiction and non-fiction is published in magazines and journals.

As a long-time social activist Wayne is committed to diversity issues and is planning to establish, with her graduate students, a multi-ethnic, web-based newspaper for the growing  diversity community in the GTA.

 

 

 
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