Born and raised in Toronto, there’s nothing I love more than helping others! It’s a value I believe most Canadians share. No one embodied this more than my Greek-immigrant grandparents, who helped shape my understanding of the concept of Philanthropy (Greek, for “love of humanity”). Their love for their family and friends and their selfless generosity were qualities I strive for to this day.

My passion for charitable giving can be traced back to one particular Christmas, when I was gifted a small piece of the rainforest through WWF. I couldn’t believe that six-year-old me could help save the planet and so I made it my mission to protect that little acre. I was hooked on helping.

Later in my teenage years, my besties and I sponsored a child through World Vision. That helped fuel my interest in international development and ended up being the sector I spent almost two decades of my career in.

Shortly after I started working, my family sponsored a little girl from Ethiopia and a few years later I was fortunate to get to travel there and visit her family. I saw the incredible work being done in her community by the organization and its partners – powered, in part, by donor love.

After that, I was introduced to fundraising, specifically legacy giving, and found my true calling. From what I saw, legacy giving was the ultimate gift of love. It was talking to these donors – average Canadians – and capturing their heartfelt stories to share with others for inspiration that motivated me most. At Good Works, I’m honoured to be able to help craft amazing stories of philanthropy for many important causes, locally, nationally and internationally.

Our family has now settled in small-town Ontario (Quinte West, AKA, Trenton) where we try to raise our boys as empathetic, social justice warriors who understand the meaning of philanthropy. In my spare time you’ll find me helping my husband run his food truck, volunteering on the kids’ school committee, or spending time in nature – all while continuing my love of humanity.