National Executive Board
Dwight
Best
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LinkedInDwight has been building culturally-intelligent teams as a social entrepreneur for 15 years. His undergraduate studies in Political Science and Modern Chinese Language & Culture at Concordia University and Université de Montréal formed the background to, if not the source of, his passion for leadership and economic empowerment.
Throughout his professional career including 10 years in financial services & wealth management – most recently as an investment advisor and consultant to fintech start-ups – Dwight has become an astute observer of these legacy industries and how they can best leverage technology and social capital formation to meet the challenges of a new era.
Growing up in a proudly Saint Lucian household, I was blessed to learn the importance of education, heritage, as well as respect for and curiosity about all cultures and peoples. Most of all though, what my family inspired in me was a sense of purpose, creativity and resourcefulness.
In the fall of 2005 when I reached out to fellow Black student leaders to explore the establishment of a new umbrella organization, I knew what we were doing could be important, but I didn’t know just how much I would grow personally and professionally as a result of this involvement.
Nearly every founding assumption we had was questioned, and many obstacles were encountered as we persistently pivoted towards ever more consequential ways of helping the African diaspora in Canada to create enduring prosperity. Amazingly, through this relentlessly positive problem-solving process, the community we sought to build truly has come to resemble the vision set out many years ago by some wide-eyed young adults barely out of high school.
And we are just getting started! Brilliant futures await those who dare to construct their foundations today. Leadership makes it happen. I’m more excited than ever for us to keep building!
Yolande
Monfiston
Contact Yolande
LinkedInThese are the beliefs of Yolande Monfiston: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. ” – Confucius. We spend most of our time at work; it is important to do something that we love. We live in a world of possibilities, but we must create the opportunities we seek. Knowing yourself is the first step to success.
Yolande is passionate about career development. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in education specializing in Career Development at UQAM to help others reach their potential and their goals. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in education specialized in adult training at UQAM.
Since I was a little girl, I dreamt of being a career woman. I wanted to make my mom and my dad proud.
Aspiring for a better future, they both left Haiti to seek new opportunities. Their job choices were limited by the need to provide for their family. As their offspring, I made a promise: carry their desires with me. I was the next generation. It has not always been easy. I had the talk; You must work twice as hard; you must give 110% to succeed, I heard it all.
I had what we call in career development “double jeopardy”. I am a Black woman. This never stops me. On the contrary, it ignited me. I wanted to make my community proud and still do. ACSioN was designed for this purpose. To lead the next generation of African diaspora towards career excellence. As a founding member of this organization, I am hopeful, and I believe we can achieve this task.
Alex
Ocheoha
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LinkedInAlex is a PhD Candidate in Building Engineering at Concordia University. He has a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Liverpool and is an affiliate of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). He has had experience working in different industry sectors.
Alex has been involved with ACSioN since 2013 and has volunteered for various student groups. He also volunteers for causes he cares about. He served as a student leader in different capacities and was president of both the Concordia University Graduate Students Association (GSA) and the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACE) Concordia University Chapter.
Board of Directors - Permanent Committees
Edwige
Lafortune
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LinkedInEdwige has a graduate diploma in criminology from Université de Montréal and is pursuing her degree in human resources management at HEC Montréal. She has previously done intervention work with various vulnerable populations and has acquired extensive research experience in social sciences. Edwige is interested in social justice and its intersection with popular culture.
During my studies, I was able to get involved in my school’s diversity committee. This opportunity allowed me to participate in the creation of spaces for Afro-descendant students to feel welcomed and recognized. As a Haitian Montrealer who is proud of her heritage, I am hoping to get involved at a local level and highlight the positive aspects of Black communities.
Chike
Odenigbo
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LinkedInChike Odenigbo is a graduate of the Bachelor of Commerce Program at McGill University and is currently working as a data scientist at Bell Canada. Prior to joining Bell, Chike has worked in analytics related roles at McGill University, TD Bank Group and LoyaltyOne.
I am very excited to be contributing to an organization with a mission of giving back such as ACSioN. As a university student, I was VP Finance for the McGill African Students’ Society and I am very proud of the various initiatives that the organization has been able to do for our communities such as our annual fundraising dinner that has raised donations for amazing charities during each of my mandates. I am originally from Zimbabwe and Nigeria.
Sarah-Lindsay
Borno Ermilus
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LinkedInHer life-long passion for promoting positive human interactions and intersectional feminism have shaped both her academic and professional careers as well as what she hopes to achieve at ACSioN. Her academic journey began with her Nursing diploma at Collège-de-Bois-de-Boulogne, followed by a B.A. in Women Studies at Concordia University. Nowadays, she is completing her B.Sc. in Nursing at Laurentian University.
Since elementary school, I have liked being involved in different associations and projects whether it was as a class representative, a plus-size model, a Sunday school teacher with the youth, or a backstage coordinator. I enjoy meeting new people, being exposed to new ideas, and sharing thoughts about different topics and experiences with them. To sum up, I am a proud black woman who happens to be a Christian, Haitian-Canadian, plus-size feminist nurse who likes to meet new people and to participate in exchanges about different social issues. Thus, one of my main goals in ACSioN Canada is to be a catalyst for change. Everything will start with you!
Yvette
Mejo M'Obam
Contact Yvette
LinkedInYvette Mejo is currently a third-year business student at HEC Montréal. While working at accounting firms, the Government of Canada as well as other non profit organizations, she gained great insights she plans to use to fulfil her role within ACSioN.
I always find myself involved in projects intending to elevate and strengthen the Black Community. In the past years, I invested my time into initiatives such as creating a permanent Black History Month Committee at a secondary school as well as being a project manager for a Canadian non profit operating in Cameroon, my birth country.
Britney
Rolle
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LinkedInBritney is currently employed in the financial services sector . She obtained her BComm in Marketing & Supply Chain Operations Management from John Molson School of Business, Concordia University. She enjoys all aspects of the Marketing field and plans to further her education in the future.
Born and raised in The Bahamas, Britney has always aspired to become a successful businesswoman. Her desire to seek out greater opportunities landed her in Canada. She has volunteered with ACSioN for a few years now and enjoys helping and bringing the community together in any way she can. Prior to her move to Canada she was also involved with the youth and children in her religious community. She lives by the verse – “With God all things are possible” – Matthew 19:26.
Tetdra 'Sonet'
Providence
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LinkedInAfter completing her Bachelor’s of Fine arts at OCAD University, Tedra began pursuing a second degree in Linguistics at Concordia University.
Tetdra was born in the island nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and grew up in Toronto before moving to Montreal to continue her studies. For two years Tetdra held the role of Central Coordinator for the ACSioN-Concordia University Chapter.