Frans Tjallingii 

Board Chair

Frans Tjallingii is the Co-Founder of Foundations for Social Change and Board Chair. He has extensive entrepreneurial, organizational leadership, and development and strategy experience in the technology, infrastructure, oil & gas, and marine industries. He is the CEO of 7 Generation Capital, a group that helps accelerate the adoption of medium and heavy-duty electric vehicles. In addition, he actively supports a number of clean technology companies and clean tech incubators as Advisor, Mentor and/or Investor. His career has primarily been in the maritime field serving the oil & gas and port industries globally. Frans is a Director and Board Chair of the Prince Rupert Port Authority and a Director at MeatMe.ca.

Frans has a master’s degree in Marine Biology from the University of Groningen (Groningen, the Netherlands) and a Master of Business Administration from the Rotterdam School of Management (Rotterdam, the Netherlands).

Caroline Bonesky

Board Member

Caroline Bonesky is the CEO of WJS Canada, a national, employee owned, B Corp certified company. Her career has focused on leadership in community-based social service sectors. She has had a varied 35-year career with experience in almost every facet of human services. Her senior leadership experience includes roles as Program Director, Assistant Executive Director as well as CEO positions. In addition, Caroline has served on health, post-secondary, municipal, and national Boards.

As a registered social worker, Caroline has undergraduate degrees from both the University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia, and also holds an MBA. Caroline focuses her down time on travelling and cycling and reading.

Praveen K. varshney

Board Member

Praveen has been a principal of Varshney Capital Corp., a Vancouver based merchant banking, venture capital and corporate advisory services firm since 1991.  He's also a Founding Director of Pyfera Growth Capital & a Founding Director of Humanitas Smart Planet Fund, both with a social impact focus.  Mr. Varshney obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia in 1987 and is a FCPA, FCA.

He has been a Director or Officer of many publicly traded companies over the years including one of Canada's largest fintech co., Mogo (Co-Founder).  He is also a Co-Founder of NEXE Innovations and of Little Kitchen Academy, and former CFO of Carmanah Technologies which became Canada's largest solar company and of The Plastic Bank.  He was also Co-Founder of a predecessor of Mountain Province Diamonds ("MPV") who's Gahcho Kue in September 2016 became the world's largest new diamond mine since 2003 & De Beer's (MPV's partner) second-largest producer behind its Jwaneng mine in Botswana.

Praveen is a member of Toniic, TiE Vancouver (Founding Director) & Silicon Valley Blockchain Society - Vancouver Chapter (Founding Director).  He's also on a number of non-profit boards such as The Varshney Family Charitable Foundation, Dalai Lama Center for Peace + Education & a Founding Member of Instruments Beyond Borders.  He's also an SVP Vancouver Partner, a Director of Foundations for Change, and on the Advisory Boards of Room to Read Vancouver and The Thomas Edison Innovation Foundation in New Jersey.  He also Co-Founded with his daughter, Jaiya, Down to the Last Straw, a global movement to reduce plastic waste with a major focus on single-use plastic straws.

Praveen is also a past recipient of Business in Vancouver's 40 Under 40 Awards and the 2020 Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Wendy McDonald Diversity Awards Outstanding Mentor recipient.

Jacqueline Koerner

Board Member

Jacqueline Koerner consistently brings evidence backed innovative thinking and best practices, to public benefit social enterprises and charities. As co-founder, and current Co-Chair, of Ecotrust Canada, her work experience includes public and private foundation grant-making; microfinance in North America and in the Global South; and doctoral research (UBC PhD, Geography) examining the charitable programming/social enterprises of BRAC (Bangladesh), the world’s top ranked NGO. She is driven by a belief that understanding is the start, collaboration is key, and that people in the places they call home matter.

Jacqueline is a director of CIFAR, Toronto. She served as a Director and Vice-Chair of Ecotrust (Portland, OR), 1994-2005, and as an Advisory Committee member of UBC’s Museum of Anthropology, 2007-2014. She is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend and colleague who can nearly always be found drinking coffee, in her vegetable garden, hiking, or reading.

BEIER CAI

Board Member

Beier Cai is an experienced technology entrepreneur, executive, investor, and advisor. He is currently the co-founder and CTO at Commit Solutions, a global talent distribution platform bringing world-class technology talents and world-changing startups together.

Claire elizabeth williams

Co-Founder & CEO

Claire Elizabeth Williams is the Co-Founder of Foundations for Social Change (FSC), a charitable organization whose mission is to advance social change through evidence-based research and innovation. She was the driving force behind the New Leaf Project, North America’s first direct-giving pilot with people experiencing homelessness, which has made an impact on the global stage.

Inspired to be a positive force for change, Claire is dedicated to cultivating compassionate communities and advancing new models of leadership. In 2021 she was named one of the Top 25 Women of Influence™, an award that recognizes the extraordinary accomplishments of Canada’s diverse women role models. In 2020, Claire was placed on the 21 Founders to Watch list prepared by “The Future of Good” – Canada’s leading digital publication covering the world of social impact.

Prior to Foundations for Social Change, Claire worked as an environmental consultant where she had the opportunity to collaborate with Indigenous Peoples, the private sector companies, and government to promote environmental protection, corporate responsibility and sustainable land-use. During this time, she honed her skills in relationship building, strategic planning and project management. Claire holds a BA (High Distinction) in Environmental Studies and Economics from Carleton University and Master of Planning with Distinction from Dalhousie University.

Heather Hay

Acting CEO & COO

Heather Hay, RN, M.A., MSC (A) is a health care executive with extensive senior leadership experience across the health care system in Canada. She has vast experience in innovative program planning, evaluation, and development. With a passion for working with marginalized client populations and adapting systems to meet their needs, Heather led the development of ground-breaking harm reduction programs including North America’s first Supervised Injection Site, Canada’s only Community Court, and British Columbia’s first Drug Treatment Court. As part of the Olympic legacy projects, she developed a strategy to support complex homeless mental health and addiction clients and implemented a forward-thinking 100-bed treatment centre (Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addiction) and an 80-bed facility at the Crossing at Keremeos, a long-term treatment program, for youth.

Heather is the recipient of the National Deloitte Public Service Award and twice awarded the Premier’s Public Service award for Innovation and Collaboration. She has been recognized by the BC Business Association and is the recipient of Innovator of the Year Award.

She is an experienced consultant who has provided services to a variety of clients both nationally and internationally and is a sought-after guest speaker. Heather has a strong interest in the Arts and is currently enrolled at SFU in the liberal studies program. She holds a Master of Science (Applied) from Montreal’s McGill University and a Master’s in Leadership from Royal Roads University in British Columbia.

alice hopkins

Research and Development Manager

Alice Hopkins is the Research and Development Manager at Foundations for Social Change and is passionate about using qualitative research to tell bold and compelling stories about complex social issues. Alice has worked in a range of roles in the charity and non-profit sector, both in the UK and internationally, and holds a Master’s with Distinction in Social and Cultural Anthropology from University College London.

Prior to joining Foundations for Social Change, Alice worked with a leading social research agency in London, specializing in qualitative research and engaging marginalized populations. As Project Manager and Researcher, she helped deliver bold and honest insights to public sector organizations on topics including long-term health conditions, physical impairments, gambling and homelessness. Alice also gained expertise in the charity fundraising sector, working as a Development Associate for an innovative UK fundraising consultancy that specialized in helping organizations to diversify their funding bases and improve financial resilience.

Since joining the Foundation, she has played a key role in overseeing project operations and data collection, and is developing new ways to bring insight from qualitative data into an understanding of impact.

JEROME PAREDES

Partnership & Fundraising Manager

A member of the FSC team since 2021, Jerome is excited about community collaboration, relationship building, and culturally-mindful systems change — rooted in his lived experience as a racialised immigrant and his undergraduate studies in Sociology (BSc.) at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Jerome manages FSC’s relationships with its key organizational funders, corporate partners and service providers, and leads its grant writing and corporate giving teams. Jerome also has a professional background in environmental and social impact assessment, and ESG reporting/due diligence.

RAY BONNETROUGE

LEAP Co-Chair & Peer Coordinator

Ray is a previous recipient of the cash transfer from the New Leaf pilot project. When Ray got his cash transfer from the New Leaf project, he invested in things that gave him stability. With the help of a friend he found housing, and started taking courses that would advance his career, one that he would feel proud of and would help build a more stable life where he could provide more for his son. Having finished school and received his Community Support Worker certificate, Ray is confident about his future.

He is now the co-chair of FSC’s Lived Experience Advisory Panel, a group made up of participants and leaders from the New Leaf pilot project, and peer coordinator of FSC’s HAW project, playing a central role in gathering stories from the community and elevating the voice of lived experience.

KENNETH ONG

Project Manager

Ken Ong is the Project Manager at Foundations for Social Change and is passionate about supporting vulnerable populations and implementing large-scale change. He has been involved since the early stages of the New Leaf Project and is currently a Medical Student at the University of British Columbia. Prior to this, Ken has held a variety of roles including in the Provincial Health Service Authority (PHSA) and as a crisis line call taker.

As Project Manager with the Foundation, Ken has played a key role in developing and implementing processes to organize and support project operations.

CHRISTINA LABARCA

Campaign Cabinet Development Consultant

Christina Labarca is the Campaign Cabinet Development Consultant at Foundations for Social Change (FSC). Their mission of taking a bold, innovative approach to addressing social change is what inspired her to join the team at FSC, and to support the fundraising efforts of the Campaign Cabinet.

Christina is the co-founder of a consulting firm, Giving Well, where she works with individuals and organizations to research, evaluate and select charities that align with their goals and values. Christina is a long-time volunteer with the Vancouver Chapter of Room to Read. She sits on the board of the Canadian Mental Health Association - Vancouver Fraser Branch and is the chair of their Fundraising Committee. Over the years, Christina has fundraised, volunteered and supported numerous local and international charitable organizations. Christina holds a BA in Adult Education and a Masters of Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership from Carleton University.

ALYSSA CHAN

Communications Intern

Alyssa Chan (she/her) is a recent graduate from Simon Fraser University’s psychology program. Her lived experiences have given her a passion for supporting individuals with disabilities and other vulnerable populations, as well as addressing systemic oppression through practical solutions. She started working as the Communications Intern in June 2022, being responsible for managing FSC’s social media presence and performing research on potential government partners. Prior to joining Foundations for Social Change, Alyssa has also held communications positions at SFU’s psychology department and posAbilities. In addition, she has experience in accessibility research, event planning, student advising, policy analysis, and disability support.

VANESSA WRIGHT

DANIELLE DUCORNEAU

DR. JIAYING ZHAO

Principal Investigator and Professor, UBC

Dr. Jiaying Zhao is a Canada Research Chair and Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia. She uses psychological principles to design behavioural solutions to address financial and environmental sustainability challenges. Her paper “Poverty Impedes Cognitive Function”, published along with several colleagues in Science, drew significant attention from such media outlets at the New York Times, Associated Press, Washington Post, NBC, and TIME magazine.

Dr. Zhao earned her PhD from Princeton University in Cognitive Psychology and has a master’s in Cognitive Psychology (Princeton) and a master’s in Cognitive Science (University College Dublin). She is the current Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Sustainability and is a Researcher with the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability.

In 2015, she received the BX Award for Outstanding Research which recognizes outstanding research in the behavioural sciences and policy combining originality, rigour, a demonstrated or potential practical application, and the potential for lasting impact. Most recently, Dr. Zhao has received research grants in the areas of climate change, sustainability in US forestry, and COVID-19.

Dr. Zhao led the research portion of the New Leaf Project. She became interested in studying how direct cash transfers can contribute to individual development in people experiencing homelessness in developed countries and recognized the high likelihood of success from this innovative approach.

ANITA PALEPU

Advisor, Professor of Medicine, University of British Columbia

Anita Palepu, MD, MPH, FRCPC, MACP is the Providence Health Care Head of Medicine and a Professor and Eric Hamber Chair of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. She is a General Internal Medicine Specialist and conducts her research at the Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences. Dr. Palepu has a research program that falls under the broad umbrella of urban health research with particular interest in populations who are vulnerable to poor health outcomes such as individuals who experience homelessness and persons who use substances. She is passionate about health advocacy and is an associate editor for the Annals of Internal Medicine.

RYAN DWYER

PhD Candidate, Department of Psychology, UBC

Ryan Dwyer is a PhD candidate in social psychology at the University of British Columbia, and a Vanier Scholar. His academic research focuses on applying behavioral insights to improve human well-being. In his current streams of research, he is investigating the impacts of technology in social life and the impacts of direct cash transfers for marginalized groups. His work has been featured in media outlets such as TIME magazine, National Geographic, and the CBC. Previously, he conducted research on consumer and organizational behaviour as a research assistant at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

KAITLYN STEWART

Kaitlyn Stewart (She/Her) is a recent graduate from the University of British Columbia having majored in psychology and minored in interpersonal development. Throughout her time at UBC, Kaitlyn has worked in various research labs in the areas of counselling, addictions, wellbeing, and poverty. Her passion for working towards solutions to homelessness was first ignited when she began volunteering on the Downtown East Side as an overdose prevention and harm reduction worker. Kaitlyn previously worked with Dr. Dwyer and Dr. Zhao on creating a comprehensive database capturing all of the unconditional cash transfers throughout the global North and South, subsequently leading her to join FSC as a member of the research team in January of 2022.