Fellows
Social Capital Partners Fellows have deep knowledge and unique experiences that they share with the SCP community.
Their insights support us in identifying initiatives that will help working people build wealth, own assets and achieve financial security for themselves and their communities.
Fellows are commited to challenging orthodox understandings of how the economy works and who it serves. They support SCP’s research and advise us on projects important to their communities and aligned with their own work.
They make us smarter, improve our reach and deepen our impact. We are lucky that they have chosen to share their time and expertise with us.
Liliana Camacho
Liliana is the Director of Operations and Knowledge Mobilization at the Better Way Alliance, Canada's ethical employer network.
She leverages her background in economics and inclusive economic development to lead research and foster partnerships that level the playing field for decent-work employers and keep good jobs in local communities.
Liliana is dedicated to social impact and sustainability and has supported small business owners around the world to develop resilient and inclusive businesses. A small business owner herself, she co-founded Lirio AI to help organizations digitize and scale their corporate training, making professional learning more accessible, inclusive and impactful. Liliana loves exploring new ideas using lateral thinking.
She has an International B.B.A. from the Schulich School of Business at York University, an M.A. in Economics from McMaster University and pursued doctoral studies in sustainable business models at the University of Waterloo.
Cheryll Case
Cheryll is the Founder and Executive Director of CP Planning, a Toronto-based non-profit that practices a human rights-based approach to urban planning.
Her work includes the co-design and implementation of local, city, province-wide and national strategies that have mobilized millions of dollars in community-led solutions to protect and improve access to housing, community space and equitable participation in the land-use planning economy.
Cheryll also contributes to influential committees, including the Black Community Housing Advisory Table, the Balanced Supply of Housing Knowledge Mobilization Committee at the Canadian Housing Evidence Collaborative and the City of Toronto’s HousingTO 2020-30 Advisory Committee. She is the co-author and co-editor of House Divided.
She holds a degree in urban planning from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Ashley Challinor
Ashley is a Senior Manager in EY Canada’s Government & Public Sector consulting practice and is the national lead on housing policy and regulation reform. Prior to joining EY, Ashley served as Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy & Research for the Clerk of the Executive Council in the Government of Manitoba.
Her career includes time as the Vice President, Policy at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, editing a local newspaper in Tbilisi, Georgia and with the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of More Neighbours Toronto and is the editor of Policycraft, a newsletter for public policy professionals.
Ashley holds an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics and Political Science, an M.A. from the University of Southern California and an H.B.A. from the University of Toronto.
Sarah Doyle
Sarah is Head of Policy to Mariana Mazzucato, Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London and Founding Director of the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP). She develops policy impact strategies, manages partnerships and supports Professor Mazzucato’s engagement with leaders around the world, working to advance a new approach to innovation-led inclusive and sustainable growth.
Previously, Sarah was the Director of Policy + Research at the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship at Toronto Metropolitan University, where she led the development of a research agenda aimed at helping to build an inclusive innovation-driven economy in Canada. At the Centre for Impact Investing at the MaRS Discovery District, she collaborated with community, government and private sector stakeholders to advance policies to broaden business models aligned with public benefit. Sarah also worked in the Government of Canada, including the Privy Council Office, developing advice for the Prime Minister on a range of policy issues, and at Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
She holds a M.S. in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Antoine Genest-Grégoire
Antoine is an assistant professor of the Department of Taxation at Université de Sherbrooke and a researcher at its Chaire en fiscalité et en finances publiques.
He studies the distributional effect of tax policy, as well as how it is perceived by citizens, using surveys and administrative tax data. This includes work on partnering incentives in the Canadian tax system, tax literacy, motivational drivers of tax compliance, the simplicity of Canadian tax returns, capital gains taxation and perceptions of belonging to the middle class.
He has published in the National Tax Journal, the Canadian Tax Journal and Canadian Public Policy. His research had been abundantly covered in Canadian media and he provides regular comment on current tax policy issues in both French and English.
A recipient of both federal and Québec public funding for his research, Antoine holds a Ph.D. from Carleton University.
Karim Harji
Karim supports people and organizations to understand, measure and improve their social impact. He is the Programme Director of the Oxford Impact Measurement Programme at the Said Business School, University of Oxford, where he also teaches executive education courses in impact investing and innovative finance. He is also the Managing Director at Evalysis, an impact measurement and management advisory firm.
Karim has been involved in multi-stakeholder efforts to advance impact measurement with the G8, Government of Ontario, American Evaluation Association, Innoweave, Impact Management Project and the Rockefeller Foundation.
He was previously Co-Founder of Purpose Capital, the precursor to Rally Assets, where he led its research, advisory and field-building in impact investing, and Senior Manager at Social Capital Partners, advancing workforce development and cross-sector partnerships.
Karim holds an M.A. in Public Administration from Carleton University, and is completing his doctorate in impact measurement for impact investing at the University of Oxford.
Audrey Jamal
Audrey is the Assistant Dean (Strategic Partnerships and Societal Impact) and an Assistant Professor in the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph.
Audrey is currently leading a national SSHRC-funded project that will explore strategies to scale community finance initiatives across Canada.
A community-engaged researcher, she focuses on the role of community engagement in advancing local economic development. Audrey’s research aims to build stronger, more resilient communities and explores everything from community wealth building and newcomer integration to downtown renewal and the sharing economy. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in sustainability, social entrepreneurship and nonprofit community leadership.
She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo (Urban Planning) and holds a M.A. (Conflict Analysis and Management) from Royal Roads University.
Ryan Knight
Ryan has built multiple businesses over the last 10 years and is President and Co-Founder of the Afro-Caribbean Business Network, a non-profit organization created to help entrepreneurs of African and Caribbean heritage to start and grow businesses to become assets for future generations.
After starting a youth social enterprise called Detailing Knights, he launched Knighthood Academy, designed to help underestimated youth in the community develop leadership skills.
A Board Member at the Peel Learning Foundation and the Mississauga Board of Trade, Ryan was named one of Brampton’s top 40 under 40, won the Business Excellence Award by the Brampton Board of Trade and the Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Toronto Region Board of Trade.
Ryan holds a B.B.A in accounting from Pilon School of Business and leads Ontario’s first Black Led Microloan Fund.
Thomas Marois
Thomas is Professor of Political Economy, Director of the Public Banking Project and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Public Banking for Sustainability, Inclusion, and Prosperity at McMaster University.
He is a leading scholar of public banks worldwide, focusing on public-public collaborations for the financing of green and just transitions.
Thomas is the author of the award-winning 2021 book, Public Banks: Decarbonisation, Definancialisation, and Democratisation with Cambridge University Press, which was awarded the 2023 Joan Robinson Prize by the European Association for Evolutionary Political Economy. He sits on the Council of Europe Development Bank Award for Social Cohesion Jury and is an active member of the Finance in Common Summit Global Research Network.
Thomas holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy from York University.
Gillian Petit
Gillian is a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Economics at the University of Calgary, where her research focuses on Canadian income and social supports spanning several areas including tax policy, municipal policy, poverty policy and access to justice.
She has advised expert panels, including the BC Basic Income Panel, published peer-reviewed journal articles, and co-wrote a book on basic income.
She serves as a member of the Affordability Action Council and is a regular contributor for IRPP. She works on intersectionality-informed, data-driven solutions to economic and social issues facing Canadians today.
She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Calgary and a J.D. from Queen’s University.
Dr. Ryan Meili
Ryan is a family physician and tuberculosis consultant in Saskatoon, SK, with a focus on health equity. A lifelong advocate for healthy public policy, he has practiced medicine in rural and Northern Saskatchewan, inner-city Saskatoon and Southern Africa.
In 2017, Ryan put the concept of politics as "medicine on a larger scale" into practice, running to become Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saskatoon Meewasin and serving as Leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party and Leader of the Official Opposition in Saskatchewan from 2018-2022.
He is the author of two books: A Healthy Society: How a focus on health can revive Canadian democracy and A Healthy Future: Lessons from the Frontlines of a Crisis.
He holds a degree in medicine from the University of Saskatchewan.
Biju Pappachan
Biju is Executive Director of POV Film, a leading charity in the film and media production sector, where he leverages his extensive experience in driving systemic change to advance the organization's mission of promoting economic inclusion. He has developed and launched innovative workforce development strategies that support BIPOC and diverse young creatives.
Biju’s expertise in forging sustainable solutions convening businesses, government and communities positions him as a key asset in the sector. His influence extends to various boards, task forces and fellowships, where he serves as a subject matter expert on strategy, equity and inclusion.
He is interested in policies and practices that empower working people and foster a more equitable economy.
Louis-Philippe Rochon
Louis-Philippe is a Professor of Economics at Laurentian University and Editor-in-Chief of the Review of Political Economy.
He created and is Founding Editor Emeritus of the Review of Keynesian Economics, Consulting Editor for Advances in Economics Education and the Associate Editor of the Journal of Business and Economic Studies. He is the co-director of the Monetary Policy Institute, and the editor of the @Monetaryblog.
Louis-Philippe has authored 180 articles in peer-reviewed journals and books, and has written or edited close to 50 books, including the Encyclopaedia of Post-Keynesian Economics and A Brief History of Economic Thought.
He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the New School for Social Research where he earned the Frieda Wunderlich Award for Outstanding Dissertation.
Alexandra Rodgers
Alexandra is a Vice President at Policy Concepts, where she draws on her public policy expertise and ability to harness the inner workings of government to drive positive policy outcomes for clients.
Previously, Alexandra was Director of Policy to Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, where she helped design the government’s pro-worker agenda, including the Future of Work and the Portable Benefits Panel. She also led five major legislative bills from concept to law, including the Working for Workers series.
Prior to her work in government, Alexandra was Director of Policy, Research and Government Relations for a major Ontario industry association.
She holds an M.A. in Sociology, a B.A. in Sociology and a Post Baccalaureate in Labour Studies, all from the Mountains of Simon Fraser University.
Dan Rohde
Dan is an Assistant Professor at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law, where his research focuses on the legal history of Canadian money, banking and central banking, with an emphasis on the history and constitution of the Bank of Canada.
He also studies and has written on banking in the colonial period, central bank independence, corporate theory and legal historiography.
Prior to joining Windsor, he was a candidate for the S.J.D. program at Harvard Law, concentrating his research on the legal dynamics surrounding money and capitalism.
Dan has practised at a labour-law firm, at a legal clinic that specializes in cases with a systemic impact on those living in poverty and clerked at the Court of Appeal for Ontario.
He obtained his J.D. from the University of Toronto before pursuing his L.L.M. at Harvard Law School.
Robin Shaban
Robin (they/them) is an economist and policy analyst with expertise in using empirical research to help solve complex public policy problems, and an Associate Partner at Deetken Insight.
A leading thinker on Canadian competition policy and law, and the intersection of economic, social and cultural inclusion, they have published original research and are a frequent public speaker and media commentator.
They are also co-founder and chair of the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project, a think tank dedicated to addressing pressing issues caused by monopoly power in Canada. In 2021, they were a recipient of The Globe and Mail’s Changemaker Award for their efforts to advance public policy centered on advancing social justice and their academic work on competition policy.
Robin has a Ph.D. from Carleton University’s School of Public Policy and Administration, an M.A. in Economics from Queen’s University and a B.A. (Honours) in Economics from the University of Alberta.
Savraj Syan
Savraj is Vice President of Finance and Social Enterprise Strategy at WoodGreen Community Services, one of Toronto’s largest social service agencies.
He has over a decade of experience in finance, strategy and policy in both the private and NGO sectors and has a proven ability to drive transformational change.
In addition to completing a fellowship with CivicAction, Savraj also sits on the boards of the Wellesley Institute, a prominent Toronto think tank, and Blueprint, a data policy consultancy. He has the experience, passion and leadership to connect finance and policy and create new tools that can be leveraged for both purpose and profit.
Savraj is a CPA and holds an International B.B.A. from the Schulich School of Business at York University.
Kaylie Tiessen
Kaylie is an economist and policy strategist working in the research department at Unifor.
Prior to joining Unifor, Kaylie held positions in sales, strategy and research. She focuses her research efforts on questions relating to inequality and fairness and supports bargaining committees to develop effective and innovative collective bargaining strategies.
She has contributed to wide-ranging policy initiatives, such as advancing efforts to make wage fixing illegal in Canada, supporting pay equity committees to get women the pay they deserve and studying the potential impacts of new technology on workers.
Kaylie holds a Master of Development Economics from Dalhousie University and a B.Com. in International Business from Lakehead University.
Aleeya Velji
Aleeya is the Founder and CEO of Enfin Impact, where she uses design and impact investing practices to help organizations—both large and small—transition to a more responsible economy.
She understands complex systems and their dynamics and specializes in regenerative real estate, innovation, strategy and measurement.
Her experience includes working as a Business Lead at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation where she developed Capital Connect, a platform connecting impact investors to housing projects, and underwriting various housing deals across the mixed and affordable housing projects.
She has worked in leadership and policy writing across all levels of government and aims to build a future where prosperity is inclusive and accessible to all. In her spare time, she enjoys cycling, skiing, tennis, dogs and art.
Aleeya holds a graduate degree from the Judge Business School at Cambridge University specializing in Social Finance & Impact Investing.
Rachel Wasserman
Rachel is a seasoned corporate lawyer with a diverse background spanning multiple industries. She has worked for two of Canada's most prestigious law firms, Stikeman Elliott LLP and McCarthy Tetrault LLP, where she advised clients across a range of industries for mergers & acquisitions, strategic investments, complex commercial transactions and corporate governance. Rachel later joined the investment banking industry as a Senior Vice President at KPMG Corporate Finance, the most active M&A advisory firm in Canada, where she advised business owners on selling their business to strategic and financial buyers and managing the process throughout.
Troubled by the state of the consolidating Canadian economy, Rachel was motivated to start her own law firm and advocate for a more sustainable economy. Utilizing her Bay Street experience, Rachel now provides affordable and practical legal advice to entrepreneurs looking to start, scale or exit their businesses. As a fellow for the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project, Rachel wrote "The Private Equity Playbook: How buyout firms extract rather than build value and what to do about it," in which she advocates for a less extractive and more productive economy that will benefit all Canadians.
Prior to her work in finance and law, Rachel started her career in B2B marketing for two global consumer goods companies, Unilever and Reckitt.
She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics and a Juris Doctor from Queen’s University.
Silas Xuereb
Silas is a Researcher and Policy Analyst with Canadians for Tax Fairness, an advocacy organization focused on progressive tax issues in Canada.
He has worked with a range of academic and non-profit organizations that aim to better understand and raise awareness about socioeconomic inequalities, including the World Inequality Lab, the UBC Housing Research Collaborative, Oxfam Canada and UBI Works.
A member of the Progressive Economics Forum, he holds master's degrees in economics from the University of British Columbia and the Paris School of Economics.
Silas is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in political economy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, supported by a SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship, where he is aiming to understand how orthodox economic ideas became dominant.