Carolina Domenico, from Minas Gerais, Brazil, is a biologist with a master's degree in Tropical Agriculture. She started her experience at the Botanical Garden of the Agronomic Institute of Campinas and continued this journey as an R&D intern at Natura. She is currently working on her postgraduate on socio-environmental business at the IPÊ (Ecological Research Institute). She has over 15 years experience in research, first as an intern, researcher and is currently the Scientific Manager of the Amazon Innovation Center. She works directly with the research of new Bioingredients; sustainable use of plant resources; structuring of sociobiodiversity suply chains; technologies applied to forest bioeconomy; and more recently to the issue of productive forests. In her free time, she has fun with her kids, with jeep expeditions, and experiencing living in the north of Brazil.

Choyce Chappell is the current ACIC Provincial Coordinator for Prince Edward Island. Though she was born in Nova Scotia, Choyce has now spent most of her life in rural PEI with her parents and grandmother. Choyce holds a Bachelors of Environmental Studies from the University of Prince Edward Island, and returned to UPEI to receive a Masters of Environmental Sciences in May this year. Her thesis focused on designing an app for extreme weather preparation, response, and recovery on PEI, which she feels has only become more relevant after Hurricane Fiona. Working in the nonprofit sector is Choyce’s way of continuing to dedicate herself to community.

Fredy has worked for 20 years with public sector entities and international cooperation agencies in projects related to food security, infrastructure and territorial development. His areas of expertise and experience include strengthening value chains in the agricultural and forestry sector, development of solidarity economy enterprises, construction of community infrastructure and strategic planning for rural development. Fredy is an economist from the National University of Colombia and holds a master’s degree in development practice from the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) in Costa Rica. He is a fellow of the Japan-World Bank Joint

Program (JJWBGSP).

Originally from St. Lucia, Gabriel Allahdua worked as a migrant farm worker in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program for four years, from 2012 to 2015, before leaving the program to seek permanent residency in Canada. Now a leading voice in the migrant justice movement, Allahdua is an organizer with Justicia for Migrant Workers and an outreach worker with The Neighbourhood Organization, providing services to migrant workers across southwestern Ontario. He lives in Toronto with his two adult children and his grandson.

With a science degree in Environmental Studies and experience in adult education, Janelle is currently working as the Engagement and Operations Manager with CLIMAtlantic. Her past work involved 10 years working with international cooperation organizations throughout the Atlantic with ACIC. She's also a long time volunteer with the Breaking the Silence Maritimes Guatemala Solidarity Network.

Jennifer Makena Murogocho brings decades of leadership and community service to the goal of bettering the lives of the people of Meru County, Kenya. She has served on and chaired community boards in both the health and education sectors and is the patron of the Muchui and Marigati women’s self-help groups. Following a career in the financial sector and operation of a successful farm and businesses, Jennifer was appointed as Elections Coordinator of the newly established Meru County. She subsequently won elected office as the Member of the County Assembly in 2013 and again in 2022, and is currently chairing the County’s Youth, Gender and Community Development and its Potato Stakeholders Forum. Since 2000, Farmers Helping Farmers PEI has been fortunate to have Jennifer’s friendship and support in shared work to build food security and empower women in Meru County. Throughout that time, serving mostly in a volunteer capacity, Jennifer has brought her skills and the trust and respect of her community to the roles of community liaison, and school feeding program coordinator. Over the years, “Mama Jennifer” has also welcomed and hosted dozens of FHF volunteers and students. Since 2020, she has served as FHF’s PSEA Focal Point for its More Food, Better Food project, and in 2022, she was appointed as Vice-Chair of the board of FHF’s newly established Kenyan wing, Wakulima Waisidia Wakulima. She continues to provide invaluable insight and guidance to FHF’s work and approaches.

Judyannet’s intellectual and political interests include gender justice, civic participation, digital technologies, feminist foreign policy and knowledge creation processes. Her most recent work has been in Canada’s international cooperation sector and the non-profit sector in Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Cameroon, and Uganda. Currently, Judyannet is leading policy work at the Inter-Council Network (ICN), co-leading the Africa Community Engagement Hub (ACE) and completing her doctoral work at Memorial University. 

Kate Higgins is Chief Executive Officer of Cooperation Canada, a network of more than 95 Canadian international cooperation and humanitarian organizations that work with partners in Canada and globally for a fairer, safer and more sustainable world.

Before joining Cooperation Canada, Kate worked as the Deputy Executive Director of Oxfam Canada, in addition to serving as Interim Executive Director in 2020.  Kate has also worked in senior strategy and policy roles at CIVICUS, a global alliance of civil society organizations, and at the North-South Institute and the Overseas Development Institute.

Kate started her career at the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).  She has degrees in economics and development studies from the University of Sydney and the University of Oxford.

Keyshawn Bonamy hails from Nassau, Bahamas. In 2016, he embarked on a new chapter in his life by moving to Prince Edward Island to pursue his studies in Economics at the University of Prince Edward Island. Driven by his desire to give back, Keyshawn has consistently demonstrated his commitment to volunteering and community service. He currently holds the position of Executive Director at the Voluntary Resource Council, a role that allows him to utilize his leadership skills to foster collaboration and support various charitable initiatives. For the past two years, Keyshawn has been actively involved with Meals on Wheels PEI, a program that provides nutritious meals to those in need.

Nouhad (they/she) is a second-generation settler from Epekwitk (PEI) with a background in Anthropology and Diversity & Social Justice Studies, with experience working in post-secondary education, immigration, and non-profit sectors. A lifelong activist and community organizer, they believe that radical societal transformation is achievable by deepening our relationships with one another, with the earth, through mutual aid and collective organizing. They actively work to centre anti-oppression, anti-colonialism, community care, and radical love in their work and life.

Patrick Augustine, a Mi’kmaw from New Brunswick with ancestral ties to Sikniktuk and Epikwitk, now resides in L’sipuktuk (Elsipogtog) First Nation. Currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Indigenous Knowledge, Education, and Applied Studies (IKERAS), Patrick holds a Master's in Island Studies from the University of Prince Edward Island. With over three decades of experience, Patrick has been a dedicated contributor to Indigenous organizations at local, provincial, regional, national, and international levels. His journey includes notable roles such as a Research Officer at the First Nation Centre of the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) and later as a valued member of their Board of Directors. Patrick's expertise extends to various research areas, including Míkmaq gaming, Wabanaki history, addiction rehabilitation, traditional healing, Aboriginal health research, and First Nations health policy. His commitment to Indigenous communities and academic pursuits makes him a vital figure in advancing Indigenous knowledge and practices.

Taryn is the Deputy Executive Director at Results Canada – a grassroots advocacy organization working to create the political will to end extreme poverty. Taryn is passionate about the power of advocacy to tackle systemic inequities in the world and really enjoys sharing her experience and knowledge of advocacy with others. Prior to Results she worked as Head of Policy and Advocacy at Save the Children Canada and has also held positions with Global Affairs Canada and the United Nations Development Programme.

Wendy MacDonald brings a background in public policy, research and analysis to her involvement with Farmers Helping Farmers. She joined FHF's Education Committee in 2008, and became a member of the Board in 2014. She travelled to Kenya in 2017 on a school safety and inclusion initiative, and took on the role of Vice-President later that year. She was a member of the proposal writing team for FHF's current Global Affairs Canada project, More Food, Better Food in 2017 and 2018. In May 2019, Wendy retired from her role as Clerk Assistant to the Government of PEI, completing a 40-year public policy career spanning Saskatchewan, Ontario and Prince Edward Island, and in June she became President of FHF, serving until July 2021, and Past President 2021-23. During those roles, Wendy visited Kenya again in early 2020 and in late 2022, assisted with monitoring and reporting of the GAC project, and was involved in the work of all FHF committees. She is currently a member of FHF's Project Committee and its Strategic Planning Committee, and continues to support FHF in reporting and evaluation of its work. Wendy holds degrees in Political Studies from Queens University, Canada, and in Public Policy and Public Administration from the London School of Economics. Her other volunteer involvements have included children's education, healthy eating, and heritage preservation, and most recently community development and seniors' wellbeing.