Meet our team and volunteers
Meet the people at the heart of social impact in downtown Ottawa. With an unwavering commitment to community-centred impact, our team and volunteers connect members, facilitate cross-sector collaboration, design events, build programs, and support your work.
So, how can we help you?
Our Team
Liz Cleland (she/her)
Managing Director
Meet Elizabeth Cleland, the Managing Director of Impact Hub Ottawa. With a professional background in both business and the charitable sector, Liz brings an entrepreneurial and community-building mindset to her role at the Hub.
Liz started her Hub journey supporting the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in the region, and she is always on the lookout for sustainable products or businesses to support.
As for what Liz loves about the Hub, it’s being witness to the random connections or collisions over coffee that can spark a potential collaboration or even a new friendship. She especially values the vibrant collective of individuals who show up to support fellow members and create a welcoming space and community.
Members are welcome to approach Liz with any questions or ideas related to their Hub journey, partnerships and dedicated offices and desks.
Keshana King (she/her)
Operations Manager
Meet Keshana King, the Operations Manager of Impact Hub Ottawa. She has long been passionate about social impact, and her background in business management and entrepreneurship is what drives her to see social entrepreneurs and initiatives thrive.
Beginning her journey at the Hub in late 2023, Keshana has worked to make the Hub a more inclusive workspace by ensuring members are greeted warmly and have a comfortable and accessible place to thrive, and making sure that all coworking amenities are in tip-top shape.
What Keshana loves most about the Hub is the chance to work with a diverse community of professionals. Engaging with people from various backgrounds and industries not only broadens her perspective, but also sparks collaborations that drive positive change for the future.
At the Hub, Keshana is your go-to for all things membership, community building, and member portal troubleshooting.
Celeste Alcena (she/they)
Program Officer
Meet Celeste Alcena, the Program Officer of Impact Hub Ottawa, a Canadian-Bahamian community organizer and multidisciplinary creative (DJ Celestial). With a professional background in the non-profit youth leadership and project management space, Celeste brings her experiences in community-engagement, activism, and collaboration to her role at the Hub.
Celeste has been around the Hub-sphere as a member for the past 5 years in various capacities, often facilitating youth leadership opportunities that support civic engagement and project creation for social/environmental action. She’s passionate about designing safer spaces for their communities that centers creativity, spirituality, and healing (for and with the land). They hope to offer a spirit of collective dreaming to ignite aligning partnerships and maintain spaces for care & connection within the Hub Community!
Her work in community currently includes organizing through Pass the Vibes, a youth-led DJ collective of queer and/or Black creatives in Ottawa. Celeste is also a yoga/meditation guide and loves to write, especially on topics of racial/environmental justice!
At the Hub, you’re welcome to come to Celeste with any questions or ideas related to partnerships, funding, and community building efforts within or around the Hub.
Dalainey Gervais (she/they)
Events Lead
Meet Dalainey Gervais, the Events Lead of Impact Hub Ottawa. With a professional background in the world of inclusive sexual education and sustainable writing, Dal has been a long-time advocate of creating safe spaces for new ideas, collaboration, and environmental advocacy.
After moving to Ottawa in 2022 to pursue Professional Writing at Algonquin College, Dal fell in love with the collaborative nature of the Hub, and its goal to create a more sustainable tomorrow.
From the blooming greenery to the lingering smell of freshly brewed coffee, there’s nothing Dal loves more about the Hub than the lasting connections she’s made with members, program participants and colleagues.
At the Hub, members are welcome to approach Dal with all things bookings, lunch & learns, and Tweakshops.
Mingan Wang (he/him)
Community Host
Meet Mingan Wang, the Community Host of Impact Hub Ottawa. A recent graduate of the Journalism Program at Algonquin College, Ming has developed his skills in communications and brand management.
Passionate about supporting social entrepreneurs to thrive, Ming is excited to get involved in the Hub community by getting to know members, hosting some lunch & learn events, and enhancing the coworking space.
With his multilingual background, Ming brings a new, unique perspective to Hub.
Although still learning, Ming is here to help members with all things relating to membership offerings, tours, printing, and mail service.
Sarah Samwatin (she/her)
Digital Marketing Coordinator
Meet Sarah Samwatin, the Digital Marketing Coordinator of Impact Hub Ottawa, a dynamic individual currently pursuing her studies in International Management.
She is passionate about transforming the world into a unified global market. Sarah found her way to the Hub through an encounter during her university co-op program. Amidst her university studies, the lessons learned here are treasures, shaping her every day. The Hub’s vision for a sustainable future resonates deeply with Sarah, a guiding light among many that drew her in.
Hailing from the vibrant land of Bangladesh, Sarah finds the Hub to be a sanctuary of creativity and connection. The exchange of ideas flows like a river, each conversation sparking new inspiration and innovation, making our Hub not just a place to work, but a fertile land for dreams to flourish, which is what Sarah loves most about being part of this community.
If you’re curious about the enchanting world of digital marketing, Sarah is right here at the Hub. Don’t hesitate to reach out and ignite a conversation with her.
Advisors & Board
Monica Chohan
Chair of the Board
Originally from Calgary, Monica moved to Ottawa in 2008 while completing the final year of her law degree at Queen’s University. Following several years of professional experience as a regulatory lawyer and public policy advisor, she decided to change gears in 2016 so that she could work with people and organizations seeking to make the world a better place. For the next five years, Monica funneled her longstanding dedication to the safety and well-being of girls into a role as Co-Executive Director of Dandelion Dance. She also began building an independent facilitation, consulting and legal practice.
Today, Monica works full-time with diverse clients from across Canada. She is very excited to join the board of directors at Impact Hub Ottawa and to help steward the next stages of its evolution during the pandemic and beyond.
To learn more about Monica and her work, visit her website at wilbrodhouse.com. You can also reach out to her on LinkedIn.
Brian Toller
Board Member
Brian Toller is the President of Tolcor Investments Ltd., a private investment firm. During his career, he has been an entrepreneur and investor in publishing, renewable energy, commercial real estate, venture capital and mental health training. Brian has had a couple of decades of experience as a board member of various charities.
He is currently Co-Chair of the Ottawa Climate Action Fund, an investment fund intent on creating a low-carbon, equitable future in Ottawa, part of the Low Carbon Cities Canada network. He also is involved in the creation of PAL Place, an 82-unit, net-zero affordable housing project for older arts workers opening in Ottawa in 2025.
He was on the Board of the Ottawa Community Foundation for ten years, three as Board Chair, where he led the foundation’s move into Responsible Investing and Impact Investing. He also served for six years on the board of Community Foundations of Canada representing the 191 community foundations across Canada.
He was awarded a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and a Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award for his work in the community.
Jesse Cressman-Dickinson
Board Member
Jesse has a background in community management and stakeholder relations. She is a founder and Board Member of JustChange Canada, a not for profit that supports the development of giving circles and sits on the board of their local chapter in Ottawa. She gets excited about new models of philanthropy, experimenting with new forms of public engagement, creating quality public spaces for people of all ages and abilities and working with local organizations to address community challenges.
Catherine McKenney
Board Member
Catherine is the executive director of CitySHAPES a national nonprofit organization working to make Cities healthier, greener and more vibrant. As a former Ottawa city councillor, Catherine cares deeply about equity through affordable housing & ending homelessness, climate action, transit & active transportation, trees & green space, and how we build our cities so everyone can thrive in them.
Want to get involved?
At Impact Hub Ottawa, we’re dedicated to strengthening communities through connection, collaboration and shared impact.
Sound interesting? Get in touch — we’d love to hear from you.
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