Our people

Recognized by Forbes in 2013 as an Innovative Rising Star in Education, Healthcare and Environment, Jennifer Corriero has designed and delivered youth engagement programs since 1999 when she co-founded TakingITGlobal. Jennifer earned her BA and Masters in Environmental Studies from York University and was appointed as Adjunct Professor by the Faculty of Health.

Michael has appeared on Oprah, presented at TED, and was named one of Teen People's "Twenty Teens that will Change the World". Over the last decade, he has keynoted over 100 events, sharing his technology expertise and passion for youth engagement and educational reform to audiences in over 30 countries.

Liam is a community organizer with a background in sociology, semiotics, improvisation and environmental issues. When he is not connecting and mobilizing youth with innovative solutions to global challenges, he enjoys riding bikes, swimming to music, cooking without recipes and drinking copious volumes of tea.

Tania’s passion for global issues and youth advocacy led her to TakingITGlobal, where she supports educators in inspiring others to become global citizens. She believes education is a continuous process that is shaped not only in the classroom but also by our lived experiences. When she's not connecting and mobilizing educators and youth to act on global challenges, you can find her sharing memes with her friends.

Originally from Mexico City, Edgar arrived to Canada in 2009 to study Graphic Design at Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology. Currently, he is one of the several artistic minds at TIG, working mostly for print and web design purposes as well as providing technical assistance. Big coffee drinker, foodie, animal and nature lover, and a fan of lifting heavy things.

Silvia is TIG's accounting assistant. She obtained a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. At TIG she is part of a team that is responsible for making sure that the flow of cost and revenue between the various projects is accurately accounted for and managed.

Susanna has a passion for numbers. Her tireless efforts keep the TIG team on track with their financials and reporting . She is a chartered professional accountant with many years of experience. In her spare time she loves to cook and spend quality time with her children.

Mali is a retired teacher with 35 years experience as a classroom teacher. Over the past 18 years, she has used ICT and successfully integrated literacy and content area curriculum to have her students connect, communicate and collaborate with several classes from around the world. Mali collaborates with museums, art galleries, artists and a variety of individuals and institutions to develop content for students in remote areas of Canada for the Connected North program. In her spare time, Mali loves to travel, take photos and journal her experiences in scrapbooks.

From Ecuador, Cristian came to Canada when he was young and that's where he used his first computer. Since then, he has become so fond of them that his degree is in Computer Science. He likes how TIG empowers youth to understand and act on the world's greatest challenges through the use of technology and as a web developer he would like to keep helping with this greater cause.

Waukomaun is an Ojibwe from Wasauksing First Nation. He has a background in the television and film industry and has travelled across Canada documenting and sharing inspiring stories from Indigenous communities across the country. He loves to experience the outdoors by camping, fishing, learning traditional survival techniques, and connecting with Mother Nature… and video games!

Magdalena is Coast Salish from Stol:o Nation, born and raised in Vancouver, BC. From being a part of a dance company in New York, to a non-profit in Vancouver, Magdalena is excited to take her experience in Aboriginal business and apply it at Connected North! As Magdalena loves networking and working with people, she is excited to contribute in making a difference in Aboriginal youth’s lives.

Melissa is driven by a passion for global economic equality and a strong belief that today’s youth will create a more unified future. Her work over the past 14+ years in marketing communications and project management has led her to work on initiatives spanning the globe. As a Program Manager at TIG, she will leverage her expertise and acquired skills in hopes of creating lasting impacts in our communities.

Michael's role at TIG involves serving Connected North partner school communities as well as involving Indigenous youth throughout Turtle Island in leading projects supported by the Rising Youth Community Service Fund. He also loves to travel and has visited Peru, Netherlands, France, Belgium and Germany. On his spare time, Michael enjoys boxing, hockey, lacrosse and other sports.

Kayla is a Indigenous educator who was raised in Pinehouse Lake, located in northern Saskatchewan. She has a Bachelor of Education degree courtesy of University of Saskatchewan. She works towards inspiring and encouraging Indigenous youth to believe in themselves and follow their own dreams. Kayla also enjoys working out and spending time outdoors fishing, quadding, and boating with loved ones.

Shavonté is a passionate community activist with the hopes to continue to help others find the resources needed to help themselves. This local Nova Scotian Rapper/Songwriter has had the privilege to witness first hand power of community and togetherness and hopes to see it continue to be explored through her position as TIG Nova Scotia's Youth Engagement Activator!

Tinisha's love of mysteries and problem solving led her to I.T where she has found an endless number of interesting technologies to explore. She likes the way TIG uses technology to touch the lives of people in remote communities, making the world a larger place. Lover of puns, coffee and gardening, Tinisha finds the adventure in each day.

I am very passionate about giving back and supporting those who want to make a change. I was once mentored and able to develop the confidence to utilize the greatness within me. Over the last several years, I have worked closely with several organizations and all types of youth demographics and gotten to witness people turn to leaders. I intend to keep working towards this and helping activate the greatness within our communities.

Jayson Moore is an OCT certified teacher by trade and holds an MA in Child Study and Education. His focus on culturally relevant pedagogy and social justice education led him to the Connected North program where he works as at engaging educators through curriculum-aligned virtual field trips and professional learning opportunities. Jayson is able to utilize his years of teaching experience abroad and his work with Northern communities as a researcher to help provide support to the TIG Team.

Anne-Marie Côté holds a Master's in Organizational Psychology, but began working with youth as a classroom teacher. She is committed to building engaging and empowering spaces to learn for all. Working for TakingITGlobal, Anne-Marie heads up the Connected North Francophone program and coordinates the personal and professional development of staff.

Brenda is Ontario educator with an M.Ed in Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning from OISE who has held many roles over the past 32 years at the school, district, and provincial level. She is thrilled to have joined the TIG team as an Education Coordinator with Connected North and Code to Learn. Brenda believes that technology has the power to unite people, expand worlds, make change, amplify knowledge, and empower learners of all ages. The best days start with skiing fresh tracks with her family and great coffee!

Khayla comes mostly from the world of social innovation and social entrepreneurship. She has a real knack for creating something new from just an idea, whether this be a new program, business or strategy. Khayla's experience in equity-centered design ensures that social justice and the needs of the community she's serving is at the centre of whatever she's building. Her approach to working with community is rooted in trust and reciprocity.

Meryem has a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and graduated last October from a graduate financial services program. Over the past 8 years, Meryem has worked in different fields such as Account Representative in Shenzhen, China; working for the United Nation in New York representing Moroccan Youth; and being a client service representative at MD Financial Management in Ottawa, Canada. Meryem is also very passionate about cultures, art and women empowerment.

Combining the dynamic character and enthusiasm of a recent graduate with several years of experience, Gabriel is the Communications and Impact Storytelling Manager at #RisingYouth. As such, he has the privilege of sharing to the world the unique stories of passionate youths devoted to making a difference in their community. Outside from work, Gabriel loves to explore the trails, lakes, rivers and mountains of Quebec, the province he calls home.

Katie has a background in education and has earned a Bachelor of Education from the University of Prince Edward Island. Katie is passionate about community-building, education, and travel. A fun fact about Katie is that she loves to go on nature walks with her puppy Winnie.

Christina is passionate about supporting youth to take up leadership and make positive changes they would like to see in their own communities. Christina is a graduate of the Strategic, Foresight and Innovation program at OCAD University. Previously, Christina worked on TIG's Rwanda Huguka Dukore project, and is excited to re-join TIG's Rising Youth Project to contribute to work that has a tangible impact on young people. Christina loves traveling, a good adventure, watching comedies and solving complex and simple problems including playing mobile games.

Loizza is a global motivational speaker and social activist. In 2018 Loizza was recognized as a Top 25 Canadian Immigrant and received the YMCA Peace Medal for her advocacy surrounding mental health. Currently, Loizza is in her final year of completing her H BSc. at the University of Toronto in Mental Health, International Development and Media Studies. Loizza is passionate about helping youth develop their leadership skills and empowering youth to create positive social change within their communities.

Katie Burch has worked as an Instructional Technology Coach for the past twelve years with Public Schools, First Nations Schools, and Private Non-Profit organizations. She brings her tech knowledge and best practices to her lessons and professional development sessions. Katie has taught in remote areas of Canada and continues to work with remote communities in her role as Education & Partnership Coordinator for Connected North. She is also a Google Certified Trainer and regularly works with schools in implementing GSuite into the classroom.

Karalyn is from Fort Providence, Northwest Territories. She is Dene from the Deh Gah Gotie Kue First Nation and is situated right by the mighty Mackenzie River. Karalyn is a recent graduate from Carleton University and completed a BA in Political Science with a minor in Indigenous Studies. She is a proud mother to a beautiful four-year-old boy and now resides in her home community. Karalyn is extremely thankful for unconditional love and support of her family along her life journey, which now brings her to work for TakingITGlobal as. school coordinator for Connected North.

Kim is a high school educator with 8 years experience in the classroom and over 15 years teaching outside the box, including outdoor education, life skills training and entrepreneurial program development. While teaching in Nunavut, Kim was able to utilize the Connected North program for her students, and saw the huge impact it made on their learning. Since transitioning from the classroom, Kim has worked on both the Connected North team and with Future Pathways, ensuring students in the north have access to engaging content and experiences to widen their perspectives. In her free time, Kim loves to travel with her husband or work in her trial and error veggie garden.

Voted Funniest Grad by Harrison Trimble High School’s class of 2007, Marc has been riding that high for the past 13 years. A survivor of the advertising world, where they honed their storytelling chops as a Lead Copywriter & Video Director, Marc has decided to use these skills for good to give youth across Turtle Island a platform to tell their own stories. Along with being a lifelong cinephile, Marc is a huge fan of Gilmore Girls and pro-wrestling, but only hosts a podcast about one of those things.

Vivian has a diverse background, having experience in financial analysis, illustration and childcare. These different qualities come together to form one individual. She truly believes innovation and passion can come from any source and be found in anyone. In her spare time, you can find her curled up reading a book or watching an animated movie, all while accompanied by her latest foster cat.

Sarah has a background in research with youth across Atlantic Canada and using unique methods to help youth share their journeys to impact change. Her educational experiences in psychology and mental health services influenced her passion towards improving programs, education, and awareness in this area. In her free time Sarah loves yoga, being at the beach, and listening to music.

Michelle is originally from Northern Manitoba and have lived in Thompson, The Pas, Cranberry Portage and even Churchill before relocating to Rivers. Michelle has a passion for entrepreneurship with 14 small business start ups in the past 25 years including businesses such as a local fitness studio, administrative services, bookkeeping, residential house cleaning and the first Escape Room to open in the province outside of Winnipeg. Working with TIG and especially with the Connected North Program seems like a perfect combination for her to use all of her passions to create new opportunities and experiences for and with others.

Alex is a community organizer, youth advocate and social justice activist. Environmental issues and decolonization are his priorities. Alex is a strong believer in participatory democracy, direct action, and citizen-based innovations for global challenges and struggles. He has a background in sociology and philosophy. He enjoys reading, biking, hiking, swimming, and camping. Alex is also an amateur permaculture gardener and a pretty well-traveled individual. He has hitchhiked and slept in his tent in almost 50 countries across Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas.

Kyle is Dene/nêhiyaw Métis from Tthebacha (Fort Smith, Northwest Territories). He has dedicated himself to the revitalization of the Indigenous languages of his lineage. As a lifelong media-maker, Kyle has interwoven digital technologies with language learning, digital literacy, and community engagement. Kyle designs web pages, video, sound projects, video games, curriculum, and communication strategies to support these co-learning environments. Kyle holds an MA — Communications and Technology (’21) and a B.Comm. — Journalism (’14).

Serei is an Anishnaabe Cree Métis from the Michele First Nation. She has completed her Master's in Education with a focus in Indigenous Perspectives in Curriculum. Serei loves working with youth to see creative solutions happen. She also loves reading, speaking Spanish and hanging out with her family - which of course includes her two boxers!

Rebecca is the Online Education Coordinator of the Centre for Global Education. She has a B.Ed. from the University of Alberta in Secondary Education and with a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Mathematics. Rebecca comes from a rural area in Northern Alberta and has had the pleasure to work closely with many Indigenous youth in the classroom before coming to CGE. She often says she has a million hobbies from knitting, to video games, to hiking, to playing with her pug Walter!

Lily is from Montreal, QC. Mi?kmaq/French Canadian. Pastel digital artist and manga/anime painter. Martial Artist. Master of Taekwondo, Kung fu and Muay Thai. Student of the elements, student of the world. Fighter for the Youth, indigenous and human rights. A rebel with a cause and a path red as the land. Wela'lin.

A humanitarian at heart, always plugged into international news to stay in tune with the struggles of the world. I was fortunate to sit on working groups and task forces that focused on improving the livelihoods of the refugee population in Jordan. When am not advocating for underserved communities’ rights for equal access to education and economic opportunities, I am usually exploring nature, making friends with the puppies in the dog park and taking care of my foster animals.

Tansi! My name is Gabrielle, and feel free to call me Gabby as well. I am from Treaty 8 Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, and was raised in Northern Alberta. My educational background is Indigenous Mental Health and my work background has been diverse in Human Services, with a focus on Indigenous populations in and around Edmonton, Alberta. My culture is Everything to me, and also my cat named Kimmie. Also, I like to paint.