蓝莓视频

On May 22 at Federation Hall, TD Wealth and the University of 蓝莓视频 brought together a dynamic group of thinkers, leaders and changemakers to discuss the evolving role of philanthropy in building resilient communities, talent pipelines and a future shaped by purpose.

The event, Women in Philanthropy: Shaping Cities of the Future, was grounded in TD Wealth鈥檚 2023 听and highlighted how trust-based philanthropy, talent development, and collaboration between sectors are essential for real-world impact 鈥� particularly as we confront increasingly complex urban, environmental, and economic challenges.

L-R: Shayan Nikaeein, Leia Minaker, Nenone Donaldson, Vivienne Ojala, Mandy Dennison, Jess Merber.

Nenone Donaldson, Vice President of Advancement and External Relations, opened the evening by framing the purpose of the event: 鈥淭oday is about celebrating the impact we create when community, philanthropy, and collaboration come together. It鈥檚 a moment to recognize the transformative difference made possible through the generosity and vison of our alumni, friends, industry partners, and philanthropic community.鈥�

Moderated by Dr. Leia Minaker, Director of the Future Cities Institute Founded by CAIVAN (FCI) and Associate Professor in the School of Planning, the panel brought together sector leaders: Mandy Dennison, Vice President, Social Impact & ESG at Intact; Vivienne Ojala (BASc 鈥�84), CEO of Brock Solutions; and Jess Merber, Associate Director at TD Wealth鈥檚 Private Giving Foundation.

While often tied to financial giving, 鈥減hilanthropy鈥� at its core means love of humanity. Merber captured it clearly: 鈥淧hilanthropy means love of humankind. Over time, we鈥檝e made it about money.鈥� She stressed today鈥檚 giving is equally about values and agency.

蓝莓视频鈥檚 purpose-driven education and research align with this shift. 鈥淎s trust declines in traditional institutions, trust-based philanthropy becomes more vital,鈥� Merber said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about giving because you believe in the people and purpose behind the work.鈥�

Building the future, talent-first

That belief in people was a clear throughline throughout the evening 鈥� especially when it comes to preparing the next generation of leaders.听 鈥淲e鈥檙e preparing the next generation of STEAM Talent.鈥� Said Minaker, 鈥淲e don鈥檛 just teach skills 鈥� we train mindsets to lead in complex, evolving environments.鈥�

Programs like the Master of Future Cities and the upcoming Master of Engineering (Future Cities Specialization) are tailored to meet the demand for interdisciplinary, real-world education.听 鈥淭his year, for the first time, we ran a capstone symposium with students from across the University where cities brought real problems, and our students brought forward solutions,鈥� said Minaker.听 鈥淚t was inspiring to watch that creativity in action.鈥�

Roger Chan, Karen Eng, Ken Luong, and Grace Zhang. Their i-Capstone project, WaterHive, is rethinking wastewater in the city of Iqaluit by creating an app to streamline water delivery in a city without pipes.

Collaboration is the catalyst

For alumna Ojala, 蓝莓视频鈥檚 co-op model was key to sparking her career.听 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about giving money,鈥� she shared.听 鈥溊遁�视频 helped me combine learning with giving back and applying tech.听 That鈥檚 what unlocked my purpose.鈥�

Ojala also emphasized that leadership and philanthropy should be demystified.听 鈥淚 never thought of myself as a philanthropist 鈥� I just worked with my community.听 Calling it philanthropy can make it sound intimidating, but really, it鈥檚 just about showing up and participating.鈥�

That mindset 鈥� action over abstraction 鈥� was echoed by Dennison, whose work with the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation stems from a deep commitment to impact.听 Intact has been a partner and donor to 蓝莓视频鈥檚 Faculty of Environment for nearly two decades, with investments in the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation and the AI Institute. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want this to be another white paper that sits on a shelf.听 We need visionary leadership that brings the right people to the table to take action.鈥� she said.

Dennison noted that Canada鈥檚 most pressing challenges 鈥� from flood resilience to mental health 鈥� require more than siloed expertise.听 鈥淭hese problems demand a whole-of-society approach,鈥� she said.听 鈥淎nd that means involving students, businesses, governments, communities, and universities in co-creating solutions.鈥�

Leadership that earns trust

The evening was a call to reframe how we think about leadership and impact. 鈥淎s recipients of giving, institutions like ours must be deserving of trust,鈥� said Minaker.听 鈥淲e need to be trustworthy and have impact to earn it.鈥�

That is especially important in a world where social safety nets are under strain and younger generations face complex global pressures. 鈥淟et鈥檚 make it easier for them, not harder,鈥� said Dennison.听鈥淲e have a responsibility to remove barriers 鈥� not create more.鈥�

Whether through mentorship, co-op, applied research, or community partnerships, the University of 蓝莓视频 is committed to equipping future leaders with the tools, networks, and purpose to lead meaningful change.

Research and impact that works for people

Against a backdrop of rapid change, the event brought together philanthropists, partners, and leaders who are driving transformation. Support fuels collaboration and research鈥攅mpowering institutions like 蓝莓视频 to form interdisciplinary teams that turn data into real-world change.

Dr. Leia Minaker, Director of the Future Cities Institute, brought an evidence-based lens to the discussion. Her research examines how city design鈥攆rom housing and density to public spaces鈥攕hapes community well-being. Her current work explores adolescent mental health in high-rises, inclusive design for diverse communities, and the social impacts of urban planning. Her leadership keeps urban innovation grounded in real data, needs, and people.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not here to twiddle our thumbs waiting for cities to evolve,鈥� said Minaker. 鈥淲e鈥檙e here to support cities as they build futures that are resilient, prosperous and grounded in evidence.鈥�

That message resonated. The conversation was practical and hopeful鈥攔eflecting our shared commitment to relevance, impact, and community. Our community knows that lasting solutions come from interdisciplinary work, deep listening, and empowering students to lead. Your engagement ensures research doesn鈥檛 sit on a shelf鈥攊t lives in streetscapes and lives improved.

Building what鈥檚 next

As the panel wrapped, the room buzzed with momentum and purpose. Conversations reflected a shared belief: Canada鈥檚 toughest challenges can be solved鈥攊f we face them together.

For those present, this wasn鈥檛 just a discussion鈥攊t was a call to action. Trust isn鈥檛 built on slogans, but through sustained collaboration by people who show up, listen, and invest with intention to build a resilient, prosperous future.

Closing the evening, Nenone Donaldson reflected: 鈥淭his gathering reminds us that when we come together鈥攄onors, alumni, students, researchers, and partners鈥攚e are not just imagining better futures, we are building them.鈥�

She emphasized that trust and collective action turn ideas into impact: 鈥淧hilanthropy, at its heart, is about love of humanity. And when we align that love with vision, research, and purpose, there鈥檚 no limit to what we can achieve together.鈥�