Rhonelle Bruder is the Executive Director of Project iRISE, a survivor-led anti-trafficking agency, and a doctoral student at The University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health. As a Ph.D. student in Social and Behavioural Sciences, Rhonelle plans to focus her research on strengthening best practices, gender-based violence prevention methodologies, and community-based recovery and resilience strategies for survivors of human trafficking.

Rhonelle earned a Master of Science in Health Informatics from the University of Victoria, and an Honours Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration from New York City College of Technology and has over ten years of public service, community leadership, and research experience.


A passionate human rights advocate, Rhonelle’s work has been recognized both in Canada and internationally, with the 2021 distinction as L'Oreal Paris Women of Worth Honouree and as a part of the Canadian Delegation to the 65th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW). Her work has also been featured on many national and local media sources, including but not limited to CBC, CP24, The Toronto Star, Flare Magazine, Global News, and many more.

https://www.rhonellebruder.com/

Iris graduated from the Master of Health Evaluation program at the University of Waterloo in 2018, and has spent the past eight years coordinating, planning, implementing, and evaluating health system programs. Recently, Iris made the shift from working in the provincial health system to provincial law enforcement and policing, in a research and program evaluation capacity. Iris is excited to work with and learn from the talented iRise team and is looking forward to seeing the impact of the program.

Camille has extensive customer service experience that she uses to inform her work as a Project Coordinator. She is passionate about social justice issues, victim support and survivor advocacy, and has a particular interest in how members of a community can work together to achieve change. Currently, she is working toward completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology at York University.

Olivia is a graduate of George Brown College's Assaulted Women's and Children's Counsellor/Advocate (AWCCA) Program and a current Social Service Worker Student also at George Brown College.

She is a Public Speaker who talks about Trauma, Intergenerational Trauma, Childhood Sexual Exploitation, Addiction, and Human Trafficking.
Olivia has also worked Internationally, working with Children, Teachers, and Community Members in Todze, Ghana.

Valentina recently graduated from Western University with an Honours Specialization in Psychology and a Minor in Transitional Justice and Post-Conflict Reconstruction. Her passion to work with female victims of armed conflict and gender-based violence motivated her to pursue a career in mental health. By combining both fields, she has gained a greater understanding of mental health and human rights issues, and the need for a greater emphasis on survivor healing and development. One of the most appealing aspects of Project IRISE is that it provides survivors of human trafficking a safe space where they can begin their healing journey and become part of a community that speaks up for change. It's an honor to be able to support the growth and mission of Project Irise.

Jenny is a student at McMaster University, focusing on child health and well-being. She is an experienced researcher who has worked on several projects that involve health policy, the needs of various stakeholders, and the social determinants of health.

Jenny is currently using her expertise in helping to create a Survivor Toolkit as part of her role at Project iRISE.

Ayumi studied at the Musashino Art University in Japan and graduated in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in art and design. After graduation, she worked as a graphic designer. She contributed to creating companies' advertisements. In 2020, she moved to Canada to study web development at the Cornerstone International Community College of Canada. Currently, She is working on creating web sites with some languages to improve her skills.

Iman began her career with Scotiabank in 2013 through the International Associate Development Program. Building on her rotations in Finance, Transaction Banking, and Risk Management, Iman moved into the Global Capital Markets Banking division in 2015 and Canadian Corporate Banking in 2019.

In her current role, Iman provides lending origination and execution coverage for Canadian Telecom, Media, Technology and Healthcare corporate clients. Before Scotiabank, Iman worked with Citibank and JPMorgan in Retail Cards Strategy. Iman is actively involved in mentoring of junior employees at Scotiabank and is an Ambassador for the Scotiabank Young Professionals’ Toronto chapter.

In the community, she is an active volunteer with Yonge Street Mission and Good Shepherd Ministries Toronto. Iman has an MBA from Queen’s University and an M.Sc. in Statistics from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.

Mirlo Liendo is a mother of 4 and a youth counsellor who has dedicated her life to helping people navigate through life with her patience, honesty, and tenacity.

Mirlo has more than twenty years of experience working with young women and men who are vulnerably housed, have youth justice involvement, and face mental health challenges. She recently shared her insights into domestic violence and how our recent experience with social isolation has/will affect those who are living in violent households with Spacing Magazine.

Mirlo plans to continue to share her expertise and experience as an emerging writer and public speaker with the intent of educating people and their support systems around the dangers of Intimate Partner Violence.

Michael Wolfe is the head of school at Stanstead College, a co-educational boarding and day school for 265 students in Grades 7 through 12 located in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. Mr. Wolfe’s involvement with Stanstead College began in 1991 when he directed the school’s successful 21st Century Capital Campaign. In 1993, he returned to the College as director development.
Mr. Wolfe holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Political Science degrees from the University of Western Ontario, a Master of Management degree from McGill University and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). He lives on the campus of Stanstead College with his wife Amy. They have three children, two of whom are Stanstead College graduates. Their youngest is a current student in grade 10.

Julia Chew is a senior consultant with the health and life sciences practice at Global Public Affairs, where she provides strategic analysis, government relations strategies, research, and project management support to clients.

Previously, Julia worked at another health-focused government relations firm and prior to that, held a number of roles within the Government of Ontario as a policy advisor to administrative authorities and consumer policy. She has also worked at a newly formed regulatory authority for condo management licensure and provided policy analysis support towards the organization’s growth. Julia is also a member of the Consumer Advisory Council at Tarion and holds a Master’s in Public Administration and a B.A. (Honours) in Political Studies, both from Queen’s University.

Shanna began her career studying fashion design and working in women's product development in the apparel industry. She has worked in operations, buying and project coordination roles for various multi-channel retail organizations. She has experience with entrepreneurship, having owned her own business for 3 years selling handmade products made by women across Canada, and loves to support women-owned businesses.

She has transitioned her career into the nonprofit sector and working as a Project Coordinator for Project iRISE, for their Branding Tattoo Removal service for survivors of human trafficking and most recently as a Program Coordinator and Job Developer for Massey Centre's Success in Employment for Adolescent Mothers program. In this role, Shanna works with I work with adolescent mothers, employers, and community partners to assist the mothers in preparing for and securing sustainable employment.

Shanna is also studying international development and has a strong passion for women's rights and empowerment.