Meet Our Team
Our passionate and experienced team is ready to be an extension of your team. Let’s expand our impact and rise together for systemic change.
Shaun
Loney
Managing Partner
Shaun is a widely sought-after speaker. He is an Ashoka Fellow (first on the Canadian Prairies) and Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the year. Shaun has experience in government both as political staff and as a senior civil servant. He has also co-founded and mentored the establishment of 12 different social enterprises including www.buildinc.ca, www.purposeconstruction.ca, www.socialenterprisecentrewpg.org, and www.akienergy.com Shaun is also the author of three books including An Army of Problem Solvers which has sold over 8000 copies. His third book, The Beautiful Bailout: How Social Innovation Will Solve Government’s Priciest Issues, is now available, Click here to order - free shipping in Canada.
Shaun Loney on CBC’s The Current - Disrupter Series.
Ashoka Canada Fellowship Profile
Shaun Loney on TVO`s the Agenda - From Problems to Solutions
Dawn Sands
Managing Partner
Dawn Sands has 12 years of executive management experience specializing in the community economic development sector. Originally from Nipigon Ontario, she completed her education in Social Work and Human Resources Management at Confederation College of Applied Arts and Technology in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Dawn has extensive experience leading non-profit organizations that focus on project management, building effective networks and administering government funds. She is skillful at facilitating and participating in multi-stakeholder boards and committees that focus on strategic planning and social innovation projects that build communities in a sustainable way.
As an Indigenous woman, she values collaboration and is passionate about community building by fostering respectful relationships and utilizing grassroots community-led development principles. Her experiences have taught her that this approach is fundamental to the success of effective community building.
Kierra Ryner
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Kierra Ryner is the co-founder of UniTea, a youth-led organization providing programming, resources, and community events for over 100 women, trans, non-binary and 2S students. She was selected by the Government of Canada to take part in a Global Skills Opportunity Pilot Program where she lived abroad in Glasgow, Scotland for 6 months as an intercultural mentor.
Kierra recently graduated from the University of Winnipeg, with a degree in human rights & conflict resolution studies. Her love of storytelling, fuelled by her passion for change has allowed her to work for Manitobans for Human Rights, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and Shaun Loney’s mayoral campaign. She utilizes her creative skills in marketing and communications to see tangible results towards systemic change.
Janice Beaulieu-Roulette
Aboriginal Finance Manager
My traditional name is ‘Warning Cloud Woman’. I am a member of the Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation in Manitoba. I have been married 20+yrs to Lance Roulette and blessed with 3 wonderful children and 1 amazing grandson.
As an Independent Financial Consultant and a member of AFOA MB & AFOA Canada, I have 20 years of experience in finance, exercising the highest level of integrity & professionalism. The intrinsic and extrinsic value I bring to our clients is clarity, business acumen and understanding of our commitments. I gain satisfaction when all nations we represent reach their maximum potential in taking on the ever-changing aspects of business.
My passion is elevated when we achieve together as individuals and as a nation; a reflection of our successors whom we represent at the regional and national platforms.
Voluntary Board Member of Strong Hears formerly known as Fearless R2W.
Advisory Member of Little Stars Playhouse.
Kalen Taylor
Senior Partner
Kalen Taylor is currently the General Manager of Purpose Construction. Kalen is also co-founder of Aki Energy, winner of the 2016 Start-Up Canada Social Enterprise Award. Kalen was elected a Fellow of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies in 2018. Kalen sits on the Board of Directors for Peg City Car Co-op. Kalen has been trained in mission measurement at Oxford in England and has a LEAN Green Belt, a Masters in Project Management and an B.A in International Development.
Lucas Stewart
Senior Partner
Lucas is a co-founder of Purpose Construction and Winnipeg’s Social Enterprise Centre. He was elected a fellow of Business Alliance of Local Living Economies in 2016, the first in the Canadian prairies. Lucas is known for his expertise around social procurement and setting up systems to make running social enterprises easier. With formal training in project management and conflict resolution Lucas has been able to translate these skill sets into the business world, delivering marketable services and sustainable solutions. Lucas is now the Executive Director of the WRENCH in Winnipeg.
Meet Our Collaborators
Darcy Wood
Darcy is the CEO and co-founder of both Aki Energy (Canadian Start-Up of the Year) and Aki Foods. Former Chief of the Garden Hill First Nation, Darcy is proud Oji-Cree. Darcy has 30 years policy and governance experience in national and regional First Nation political organizations. Darcy was recently appointed a Clean50 Fellow.
Marc Soberano
Marc is the co-founder and Executive Director of Building Up in Toronto. He is also the ED of Raising the Roof. He graduated from the Ivy School of Business and wanted his work to match his values. So he learned what he could about BUILD in Winnipeg and used that info to start a chapter in Toronto.
Raj Rathnavalu
Raj is the co-founder of Newo Global Energy and also the innovative University of Alberta’s Spirit of the Land Program. Raj is based out of Camrose Alberta.
Sean Hogan
Sean is the Executive Director of BUILD, Manitoba's keystone trades-based Social Enterprise. BUILD trains and employs individuals with multiple employment barriers, preparing them for long-term, meaningful careers in the trades. He’s recently retired from his side gig as children’s entertainer in Seanster and the Monsters.
Rodney Contois
Rodney is the Senior Director of Aki Foods and is a specialist in Indigenous food sovereignty. He is a member of the Misipawistik Cree Nation.
Brandon Day
Brandon is the General Manager and co-founder of Community Builders in Barrie, Ontario. Growing up working in his family’s construction business he wanted more social purpose to his work. So he got Community Builders up and off the ground.
Jonathan Meikle
Founder and Executive Team Lead of Strength in the Circle. He is an Anshinew napew, with Scottish and Irish bloodline, a member of Norway House Cree Nation, Treaty Five Territory in Manitoba. Because of Jonathan’s service in the military, support was made available to him through Veteran’s Affairs Canada and he was able to access residential treatment.
He credits his recovery to his volunteerism with Winnipeg’s Bear Clan Patrol, surrounding himself with positive people, taking positive action and engaging with the community in a positive way. Jonathan is now working with Norway House Cree Nation’s Economic Development Division.
Melanie Oliviero
Melanie is a strategist for social change. She works at the intersection of community, government, philanthropy and the private sector in collaborative arrangements. She applies her skills as senior researcher and analyst in active ways, forging alliances among diverse groups. Her experience derives from being a frontline NGO leader of nonprofit organizations (Panos Institute, Comparative Constitutionalism Project of the American Council of Learned Societies) and advisor to others (Circles for Reconciliation, Islamic Social Services Association), as well as working with philanthropic and government donors (MacArthur, Ford and Soros Foundations, UN agencies and US foreign aid). Melanie earned her degrees from Georgetown University, USA (Ph.D., M.S., Sociolinguistics) and teaches online and in person at academic institutions and in the community.
David Berg
David loves producing and making films in Winnipeg. For 28 years he worked in the inner city helping youth bring stories alive through digital media.
Through his company New Perception David works with cast and crew to produce documentaries, shorts, feature films and PSA's for education, non-profits and environmental awareness. David produced, directed and edited “Broke: The Business of System Change”, a short comedy produced by Encompass in 2021.