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The Redwood Board of Directors

Laura Boudreau

Laura Boudreau is the Director of Development for the Image Centre and the Public Realm at Toronto Metropolitan University. Prior to joining TMU, she served as Director of Development at United for Literacy (formerly Frontier College), facilitating partnerships with hundreds of funders, supporters, and community groups from coast to coast to coast. She holds degrees in Media, Information, and Technoculture (BA Hons., Western University) and Creative Writing (MA, University of Toronto). Her freelance arts and culture journalism has been published in London, Zurich, and Toronto, and her award-winning short stories were published in the 2011 collection Suitable Precautions (Biblioasis). Laura is passionate about lifelong learning, community connections, and thriving public spaces. She lives in Toronto with her partner and children.

Olayinka Ekenkwo

Olayinka Ekenkwo is currently the founder and sole proprietor at the Law Office of Olayinka Ekenkwo.  Prior to starting her law practice, Olayinka worked for several years with the Ontario Public Service first as a legal intern with the Legal Services Branch of the Ministry of Labour before articling with the Crown Law Office Civil, Ministry of Attorney General.  Olayinka worked as a Human Rights Advisor in the Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Office of the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services for five years before she left to start her practice in Ajax, Ontario.  Olayinka immigrated to Canada in 2008 after living in the United Kingdom where she went to law school.  She is a Canadian citizen as well as a Nigerian where she was born.  When not practicing law, Olayinka is passionate about working with women and young people.  She is an author, inspirational speaker, coach, and enjoys hiking and the outdoors. Olayinka is married with children.

Vaishnavy Gupta

Vaishnavy is the Head of Go to Market at FutureFit AI, where she brings over six years of experience to drive initiatives that empower marginalized communities through meaningful employment. She has seen how stable jobs can transform lives, particularly for women, enhancing their quality of life and fostering economic independence. A long-time supporter of The Redwood, Vaishnavy is now eager to deepen her involvement, driven by a passion for giving back and helping women achieve brighter futures through sustainable employment and community support.

Kathryn Lamothe

As Managing Director and Head of Global Trade Finance, Kathryn leads the Global Trade Finance business as well as the Product & Client Solutions, Innovation, Network Management and Business Intelligence teams supporting all of TD Securities’ Global Transaction Banking business.  She earned her Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) designation in the Assurance practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers before joining TD Bank, where she has gained extensive experience in the areas of treasury, risk management, business strategy, and finance.  Kathryn is passionate about promoting inclusivity both in the community and in the workplace.  Kathryn is co-lead for TD Securities’ 2SLGBTQ+ employee resource group, a member of TD Securities’ Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council, and an active mentor to many future female leaders.  Outside of work, Kathryn is on the Board of Directors for The Redwood and for Big Brothers and Sisters of Toronto, an organization that provides the opportunity to create strong mentoring relationships between adults and at-risk youth.

Lauriana Mandody

Lauriana is the Head of Finance at HelloFresh Canada. She has over twelve years of professional experience as a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and brings with her a broad range of consulting services to a diverse set of clients across various industries with a focus on consumer packaged goods. When she is not working, Lauriana is committed to community outreach. She began by sitting on the board of Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Care Centre as the Treasurer in 2009 and Board Chair in 2013. Since then, she has been a board member of the Black Physicians Association, Brooklyn Ballet and currently sits on the board of Elizabeth Fry Toronto. Lauriana has participated in the Regent Park Film Festival Programming Committee, fostered dogs through Save our Scruff and in the past, she has mentored students at Toronto Metropolitan University, coached students through the CPA exam writing process, participated in volunteer Tax Clinics. She lives in downtown Toronto with her rescue dog, Frankie.

Kiran Ramnane

Kiran Ramnane was born in India and moved to Canada in 2005. She is now the Global Learning Lead for the Operations Practice at McKinsey and Company. In her role she defines the vision, strategy and execution for learning and development of the 5000 consultants in her Practice.    With a MA in counseling and several certifications in Learning Leadership and Design, Kiran is also an ICF-certified coach with a PCC designation. Most of her coaching assignments are with women who are emerging leaders or are re-entering the workforce.  Kiran also volunteers as a coach to new immigrants to Canada, helping them refine their interviewing skills.

Kiran’s passion topics are equality and justice for all, and she is a fervent ally and supporter of an individual’s right to be safe and have the freedom to express their true self.  When she is not working you will find Kiran reading, walking, listening to Podcasts, talking to her family and friends, and doing yoga and strength-building exercises.

Allyson Samuel, CPA, CMA

Allyson has over 20 years of professional accounting experience; she obtained her CMA designation from the Society of Management Accountants of Ontario and holds a Bachelor of Administration degree from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. Allyson is currently employed as the Director of Finance and Administration at The Elizabeth Fry Society of Toronto. Elizabeth Fry Toronto delivers gender-based, trauma-informed services and advocates for justice and equity for women and nonbinary people who are criminalized and their families. Allyson is a huge basketball and Toronto Raptors fan wanting a WNBA team in Toronto. 

Nadine Sookermany

Nadine is the Executive Director of Fife House, the largest supportive housing provider to people living with HIV/AIDS in the country. She comes to this work as an educator, community activist and advocate with specific experience in the gender-based violence sector. Nadine brings decades of senior non-profit leadership experience to the area of community and social services, health, equity and accessibility, specifically as a change agent with an anti-racism, anti-oppression lens. She holds a Women’s Studies and Political Science degree from the University of Manitoba, along with the completion of graduate courses at the University of Toronto – Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE). Nadine also held the position of professor with the Assaulted Women’s and Children’s Counsellor/Advocate and Social Service Worker programs at George Brown College in Toronto for over 12 years. She is incredibly passionate about community-based health and harm reduction, and this passion has guided her work as a community leader, human resources practitioner and social justice advocate for over 25 years.

Abi Ajibolade, Executive Director

Abi Ajibolade is the Executive Director of The Redwood, an organization recognizing that interpersonal and systemic forms of violence are interconnected. Abi’s goal is to end gender-based violence by connecting women to lifesaving supports so they can survive and thrive after experiencing violence.  She is an attorney called to the Nigerian Bar and has a Certificate of Qualification from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada with extensive experience in women’s and children’s rights advocacy as a social justice worker. She is a Registered Psychotherapist, certified Crisis Prevention Intervention Instructor, and certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor. She is also a licensed facilitator of Mindfulness-Based Chronic Pain Management. Abi also completed the Public Sector Executive Leadership Institute Program from Queen’s University. She co-created The Redwood’s highly acclaimed Safety Assessment Risk Management (SARM) framework, and to date, has delivered the SARM presentation to over twenty-five groups and conferences including the Canadian Domestic Violence Conference, and the 3rd World Conference of Women’s Shelters in The Netherlands, and more recently, led the launch of the SARM training online.  Abi sits on the board of METRAC and the Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses (OAITH). In 2018, Abi was awarded a scholarship to Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management program. Abi received the Pioneers for Change Award by Skills for Change in 2019. In 2021, Abi received the 9th Annual Spirit of Barbra Schlifer Award presented to women who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to increased access to justice for women who have experienced violence.

Interested in joining our board?

The Redwood’s Board of Director is currently not recruiting, but keep an eye on this page for future opportunities. 

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