Tracy’s vision, leadership and strategic acumen are, collectively, a powerful force in establishing a strong mentoring field in Canada. Tracy is profoundly well-suited to her position. Leveraging her extensive consulting experience, as well as past senior roles at leading charities, she is galvanizing a vast network of change-makers—across sectors and regions, private industry and public institutions—to deliver on the promise of assured access to mentors for any young person, anywhere in Canada.  

An ongoing contributor to Alberta Mentoring Partnership and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada, Tracy is adept at focusing her team on developing innovative mentoring programs, tools, partnerships and collaborations.  

She holds an M.A. in Counselling Psychology from Gonzaga University and is a Certified Canadian Counsellor. A talented cook and food-lover, Tracy enjoys travelling the world. 

Armed with an inquisitive mind, Véronique conducts vital research that illuminates realities, obstacles, and opportunities for mentoring in Canada. By contextualizing both the benefits of and barriers to mentoring, her work enables practitioners to make informed decisions and Mentor Canada to deliver much-needed solutions that link research to practice. Committed to making research actionable, she helped create the Canadian Centre for Mentoring Research to facilitate exchanges between academics and practitioners.

Véronique's past studies and professional experiences centred on the development of modern gender norms, gender-based violence prevention, and healthy relationships for teens. This unique background informs her current focus on mentoring as a compelling example of the power of positive relationships in our lives. She holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Toronto and an M.A. in History from the Université de Montréal.

Véronique loves travel and gardening and is an ardent baseball fan and cat lover. 

As a Ph.D. researcher, Ben’s ability to transfer knowledge from academic literature into daily practice with respect and sensitivity makes him vital to Mentor Canada's mission. In fact, he authored a literature review that shaped our own innovative Quality Mentoring System (QMS).   

Ben has extensive knowledge about quality mentoring relationships and programming. His thoughtfully facilitated learning sessions empower staff and volunteer mentors to effectively nurture high-quality mentoring relationships. He holds an Honours B.A. in Psychology from the University of Western Ontario. Through the University of British Columbia, he earned an M.A. in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (Specialization in Cross-Age Peer Mentoring), and a Ph.D. in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (Specialization in Youth-Initiated Mentoring).  

Ben enjoys playing volleyball, reading, walking his dog, and spending time with his family.  

Sydney Piggott is the Director of Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives at Mentor Canada. She is an award-winning social impact leader, researcher, and advocate for gender equity with over a decade of experience designing and scaling inclusive programs across sectors. Prior to joining Mentor Canada, she led high-impact initiatives at Shopify, Elevate, and YWCA Canada, where she focused on youth empowerment, economic inclusion, and community engagement. 

Sydney has been a subject matter expert at global forums including the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, Women Deliver, RightsCon, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference for Young Parliamentarians. She is a dedicated mentor and has supported emerging changemakers through programs such as the Youth Policy-Maker’s Hub, Apathy is Boring’s RISE program, and Girls With Impact’s Career Accelerator. 

She holds a Master of Global Affairs from the University of Toronto—where she was a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee scholar—and a Bachelor’s in International Development Studies from McGill University. Outside of work, she loves to travel, read memoirs and science fiction books, and go to museums. 

Michèle designs, curates, and delivers bilingual training materials that elevate ability and expand capacity among internal and external audiences. She brings over ten years’ multi-industry experience in developing customized training programs focused on new hires, new technologies, or new skillsets. Now, this design-savvy “techie” directs her proven abilities and ingenuity toward taking Mentor Canada’s training portfolio to the next level by integrating wide-ranging digital platforms, software applications and technologies.   

Michèle acquired a Diploma in Sales & Tourism from Collège Paul-Émile Dufresne and studied education at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) before relocating to Alberta.   

She enjoys going for brunch, watching True Crime documentaries and taking nature walks with her husband and two dogs. 

A compelling storyteller in both official languages, Jessica is passionate about highlighting the human side of mentoring, engaging diverse audiences in recognizing why Canada needs a stronger mentoring field where no one is ever denied access to a mentor.  

As a true digital native, Jessica loves weaving words and visuals into high-impact, highly relatable web and social media content. Daily, she channels her innate creativity, marketing experience, and consummate organizational skills to propel Mentor Canada’s mission forward.  Jessica has a B.A. in Management and Finance from Concordia University. 

An avid runner, Jessica loves introducing her dog to new corners of Montreal and watching Sunday football with her parents and grandparents. 

Heather’s penchant for collaboration, proficiency in English and French, and passion for community have helped her foster strong relationships throughout the non-profit sector. Her Montreal upbringing and global travels have not only instilled in her a love of arts and culture but also a lifelong dedication to equality and human rights—amply nurtured through roles at the Foundation for Genocide Education, The Townshippers' Association, and now, Mentor Canada.

At Mentor Canada, Heather works closely with organizations, community leaders, changemakers, and stakeholders to develop and improve mentoring initiatives to address employment barriers, and the mentoring gap facing youth and equity-deserving populations across Canada.

Heather studied marketing, PR, and business administration at Concordia University and Dawson College. These days, her calendar (and her heart) are filled with physical activities from yoga to weightlifting, exploring gastronomy, experiencing museums and music, and delighting in good books and good friends.  

Olga's extensive experience as a Chartered Professional Accountant, spanning both for-profit and non-profit sectors, makes her a significant asset. She brings a distinctive combination of financial acumen, strategic oversight, and people-focused leadership to her role, where she is responsible for finance, administration, and human resources.

Olga is a strong advocate for effective talent management and robust systems within philanthropic and non-profit organizations. She emphasizes the critical importance of public accountability and transparency through clear, accessible impact communication, passionately believing that impact performance should be measured by metrics beyond simple charitable ratios, recognizing non-profits as vital engines for social change.

Olga also holds a Master's degree in Education and began her career working with elementary school children—an experience that continues to shape her people-first approach to leadership. A proud member of the Ukrainian community, Olga has called Canada home for over two decades. As a multilingual global citizen, she values opportunities to travel, connect, and immerse herself in diverse cultures around the world.

Blanche Monabeka is the Project Lead for Mentoring as a Catalyst for Youth Employment at Mentor Canada. She is a bilingual social impact leader and youth advocate working at the intersection of mental health, equity, linguistic rights, and youth engagement. She brings a systems-level, intersectional lens to advocacy, community leadership, and program development, with a strong focus on youth-led change. 

Prior to and alongside her current work, Blanche has held roles with organizations such as Réseau-Femmes Colombie-Britannique, Conseil jeunesse francophone de la Colombie-Britannique, the Canadian Coalition for Youth, Peace and Security, as well as a Youth Advocate at UNICEF Canada, among others. Through these roles, she has contributed to initiatives focused on mental health, antiracism, education, and the Francophone community, while supporting meaningful youth engagement in decision-making spaces. 

Blanche holds a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Aside from her professional work, she enjoys learning about history, spending time with friends and family, and working on creative projects that allow her to imagine new possibilities.