Introducing our Founding Board of Directors
Women walking across crosswalk on St. Catherine Street, Montreal, QC (photo by: Nicole Roach, 2022)
Women in Urbanism Canada began as an idea in 2018, started taking shape in fall of 2021, and was finally launched to the public at the beginning of 2022. For many months, Sharee and I have been working hard in our spare time to produce original content, deliver monthly newsletters, participate in public outreach, generate engagement on social media, and keep up with email inquiries. We are very proud of the work we have done thus far, but it became very apparent to us very soon that more perspectives, skills, and capacity were needed to deliver on our mission to inspire and mobilize women-led transformation in Canadian cities.
In spring of 2022, we brought on Tahereh GranpayehVaghei and Jenna Dutton to provide support and guidance on the organization’s strategic direction. We then launched a call for board members, with applications open throughout the summer. We were blown away by the positive response, receiving over 30 applications from incredible women across Canada, and even from other countries!
We evaluated applicants based on their areas of expertise, special skills, location, languages spoken, capacity for involvement, and personal attributes to find a favourable complement. We also worked to ensure our selected board met the Government of Canada’s 50-30 challenge, with over 50% of women and/or non-binary people, and over 30% of other equity-deserving groups.
We are so thrilled with the women we have selected to make up the board of directors and are so excited for you to meet them!
Introducing… Women in Urbanism Canada’s founding board of directors:
Co-Founder & Co-Chair
Nicole Roach
(she/her/hers) Orillia, ON
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Nicole grew up in the country, with a 20 minute drive to the nearest town. She didn’t live in a city until attending university in Hamilton, Ontario, where she immediately fell in love with the possibilities of accessing services and amenities without a vehicle.
Nicole holds an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Communications from McMaster University and a Masters of Sustainability Science, Policy, and Society from Maastricht University. She has worked in the field of sustainable transportation for several years, with a focus on commuting behaviours, community engagement, and children’s mobility.
Nicole brings her interest and expertise to the topics of feminist theory, urban mobility, and sustainability.
Co-Founder & Co-Chair
Sharee Hochman (she/her/hers) Winnipeg, MB
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Sharee’s interest in urban planning and mobility began while travelling abroad, noticing how people's behaviours and experiences were shaped by their built environment. Growing up in the suburbs of Winnipeg, she questioned how her city’s built environment positively or negatively shaped others.
Using her studies in rhetoric communication and sociology, Sharee began dedicating her time volunteering with multiple local and national advocacy, research, and project-based organizations. Helping her connect with professionals and community members across the country who have a similar mission of making Canadian cities more accessible, enjoyable, and sustainable, including co-founding Women in Urbanism Canada.
Sharee now works in sustainable transportation, focusing on active transportation and school travel planning. The knowledge she’s gained on intersectional feminist approaches has brought valuable insights at home and abroad as a participant in the Young Leaders Program at the Urban Futures Global Conference. She continues to practice and learn about best-practices to city and transportation planning by living car free, participating and leading public engagement consultations, and biking in any weather, all-year long.
Vice-Chair
Lilit Houlder
(she/her/hers) Edmonton, AB
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Lilit grew up living in various cities throughout her life. She was born in Yerevan, Armenia and grew up in Moscow, Russia before moving to a small town in northern Alberta in her adolescent years. For the first time she understood the challenges and opportunities of living in rural Canada, becoming aware of how people are influenced by their environment.
Lilit has since pursued her undergraduate degree in Sociology and Human Geography at the University of Alberta (Edmonton, AB) and a Masters in Urban Planning at the University of Calgary (Calgary, AB). During her years as a student, Lilit also attended the International Summer School at the University of Oslo, briefly living in Norway.
Interdisciplinary collaboration is vital for the success of planning and designing places for everyone and Lilit brings it out with her formal training in Leadership and Intercultural Communications from the University of Alberta.
She has worked as a planner in private and public sectors with a focus on urban design and planning policy. In her volunteering efforts, Lilit strives to advocate for equitable cities and towns by taking an intersectional approach to urban planning that focuses on people’s health and safety.
“My efforts to advocate for girls and women in urban and rural areas could one day help them overcome barriers and help reach their full potential. Women greatly contribute to the social development of families and communities that they are part of, and through our work with Women for Urbanism, I strive to promote the research and knowledge of how to reduce these barriers for women in our communities.”
Treasurer
Varvara Belenko
(she/her/hers) Calgary, AB
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Varvara grew up in Moscow, where the dynamic pace and advanced public infrastructure sparked her interest in the complex interactions between citizens and their built environments. She had a chance to observe various mobility patterns and housing choices along with the rapid transformation of the urban realm.
Founding upon her MSc Degree in Economics and Management, Varvara continued her post-graduate studies in Planning at the University College London. She transitioned into leading cross-functional analytical teams in consulting, supporting municipalities and investors in shaping long-term visions for their communities and public spaces. She also engaged in collaborative research on metropolitan spatial structures, growth and governance within Russian and global contexts.
Varvara has had the privilege to live in the most diverse and thriving cities - New York, London, and Phoenix. Now making her home in Calgary, she explores practical ways to promote sustainability in all aspects of community development. As a lifelong learner, she further expands her skill set via the Environmental Management program at the University of Calgary and memberships with the ISSP and APA.
Varvara is involved with several NGOs and small businesses, addressing climate change, waste management and gender equality concerns. Her multidisciplinary background dares her to advocate for sustainability-informed solutions that foster healthy, polycentric, walkable, and empowering cities.
“The challenging experience as a first-time immigrant mother during the global pandemic and climate crisis led me to gain feminist and sustainability perspectives on urban development. I aspire to improve professional, physical and emotional interactions with their environment for all self-identifying women. Excited to become a part of Women in Urbanism, I look forward to creating meaningful connections among urban professionals across Canada and dissolving the barriers to women’s participation in community development and placemaking.”
Secretary
Stephanie Bertolo
(she/her/hers) Toronto, ON
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Stephanie grew up in Hamilton, Ontario, where she developed a passion for city building. While working for the McMaster Students Union, she advocated for better transit service and safer rental housing, which were priority issues for many students. She also served as Chair of the City of Hamilton’s Status of Women Committee and worked as a Constituent & Research Assistant for a city councillor. Through her advocacy, she connected with people who shared a desire to improve their city for all residents.
In 2019, Stephanie moved to Toronto to pursue a Master in Public Policy at the University of Toronto. Upon graduation, she worked for a legal aid clinic on housing policy and now works for Springboard Policy where she does work in a range of policy areas.
“I became involved with Women in Urbanism Canada to connect with like-minded people passionate about creating more equitable cities. Our world is rapidly changing and grappling with new challenges. By coming together to discuss these issues, we can devise innovative solutions and make a meaningful impact in cities across the country.”
Content Lead
Holly Hixson
(she/her/hers) Montreal, Quebec
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Holly is a passionate city-dweller and endlessly curious people-person. She brings expertise in active mobility, placemaking, and urban wellbeing as well as a commitment to lifelong learning and incorporating equity into her practice. Her professional experience centers around managing projects, events, and research in the non-profit sector that address urban challenges and provide opportunities for cross-sectoral collaboration. She currently works at the Canadian Urban Transportation Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC) as a Project Manager for Sustainable Transit Initiatives.
Holly has completed a Master's of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Amsterdam and dual Bachelor's degrees in Planning, Public Policy, & Management, and Psychology at the University of Oregon. She has lived and worked professionally in Portland, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Montreal.
“I became involved with Women in Urbanism Canada because I strongly believe in the mission of inspiring and mobilizing women-led transformation in Canadian cities. Through this work, I’m excited to collaborate with other professionals across the country who are working to make cities more equitable, livable, and inclusive.”
Communications
Lead
Doolin O’Reilly
(she/her/hers) Toronto, ON
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Doolin’s academic and professional endeavours have focused on the intersection between active transportation and age-friendly cities.
Doolin completed her undergraduate studies at UofT, and attended Dalhousie University and the University of Amsterdam to gain her Master’s Degree in Urban Planning.
She has developed her career by gaining experience in Ireland, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Most recently, Doolin was employed as the Principal Sustainable Transportation Planner at Hackney Council in London England, where she delivered projects such as Hackney’s trailblazing School Streets programme and the UK’s first public cargo-bike share service. She now works at the City of Toronto in the Transportation Division’s Policy and Innovation Unit.
Doolin believes that understanding and incorporating how women experience, and are impacted by, the urban environment is essential for good city-building now and in the future.
“Cities can be unnecessarily challenging for women. Ask any woman who’s walked home alone at night, had to navigate public transit with a stroller, or find a public washroom to change menstrual products. The good news? Things are changing.”
Volunteer Lead
Michelle Grover
(she/her/hers) Winnipeg, MB
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Michelle grew up in southern Ontario, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Governance from the University of Guelph. Through her education, Michelle grew interested in how people interact with the natural and built environment, and how positionality shapes a person's experience of the city.
In 2019, she moved to Winnipeg to pursue a Masters of City Planning from the University of Manitoba. Working in Winnipeg's historic Exchange District as a Planner, Michelle advocates for informed decision-making, and uses story work to centre the voices of those who have been historically underrepresented in planning. Michelle brings experience from the public, private, and non-profit sectors, with knowledge and expertise in community development, engagement, and planning in an Indigenous context.
“I’m thrilled to be part of a community that aims to empower women, and am hopeful that by cultivating a space for women’s perspectives, we can build more inclusive and equitable cities.”
Partnerships & Outreach Lead
Allison Lord
(she/her/hers) Halifax, NS
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Ally became interested in learning more about urbanism and active transportation when she accepted a position with Bicycle Nova Scotia in 2021. It was here that she began to work with mothers and children to deepen their levels of comfort with cycling, as research shows that when a mother is comfortable cycling, her children are more likely to cycle as well.
Ally is inspired by the work of Melissa and Chris Bruntlett, urban mobility advocates who focus on the benefits of sustainable transport to create happier, healthier, more human-scale cities.
Ally holds a BA from The University of King's College in Social Anthropology and Political Science, and is a Doula- which has influenced her work with mothers and children at Bicycle Nova Scotia. Ally is currently completing the RBC Sustainable Leadership certificate from Dalhousie University which focuses on generative listening as a form of collaboration. By asking, "how?" we are able to better understand, "why?" Ally lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is passionate about active transportation development in Atlantic Canada.
“I became involved with Women in Urbanism Canada to connect with other women across the country who are doing work in their cities to make them more liveable. I often feel as if the Maritimes is neglected from the rest of the country in showcasing a lot of really important work which is happening- especially in the realm of active transportation.”
Policy, Research & Advocacy Lead
Anika Munir
(she/her/hers) Toronto, ON
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Anika is a fourth-year student at the University of Toronto doing a double major in Public Policy and City Studies with a minor in Public Law. She has worked with the City of Toronto, Kingsett Capital and Infrastructure Canada. Anika hopes to pursue a career in planning after completing her undergraduate degree.
Anika is incredibly passionate about various issues related to education, transportation, and housing. She has volunteered and worked with various organizations which have tried to advocate and educate others on these serious topics. Some of my hobbies that she takes part in when she is not working, studying or volunteering are reading, biking, and going to the gym.
“My involvement with Women in Urbanism Canada was motivated by my belief that we need more women in the planning sector of our cities as they grow. In most cities around the world, the population is very diverse, and I believe the planning profession should reflect this diversity as well.”
We are a women-led community working to transform Canadian cities into more equitable, enjoyable, and sustainable places for everyone - and we just got a lot bigger. We are very excited for the future of the organization and thank you for following along!
