Meet Our Team

We are a small and mighty team of individuals with experience in strategy, intersectional gender equity, human resources, research, program development, and marketing.
Chanel Williams
she/her
Human Resources Lead
Chanel is a Recruitment Consultant with a passion for helping women of colour…

Chanel Loves
Coffee
Cooking
Marvel Movies
Old school R&B
Trying new restaurants
Dana with a pink circle in the background
Dana Carriere
she/her
Indigenous Engagement Lead
Dana Carriere is a proud Swampy Cree/Métis woman from Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation…
Dana Loves
Buttered popcorn
Sewing
Road trips
Dancing powwow (fancy shawl)
Watching reality TV
Photo of Deborah with a purple circle background
Deborah Eliezer
she/her
Research & Digital Marketing Assistant
Deborah Eliezer recently graduated from the Bachelor of Commerce program…

Deborah Loves
Fashion
The colour pink
Sanrio
Baking
Cats
Golnaz with a pink circle in the background
Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi
she/her
Founder
Recognized as a Globe and Mail, ROB Changemaker and a Future of Good New…
Golnaz Loves
Red lipstick
Nature walks
Challenging the status quo
Cooking Iranian Food
Pomegranates
Jessi Sau Voong
she/her
Social Media Coordinator
Jessi is a recent graduate from Toronto Metropolitan University…
Jessi Loves
Iced matcha/coffee
Dancing
Exploring new music
Romcoms
Collecting sonny angels
Natasha with a purple circle in the background
Natasha Sidi
she/her
Operations & UX Lead

Natasha Sidi is the Operations and UX Lead at Accelerate Her Future…

Natasha Loves
Chai
Boxing
Creating beaded jewelry
Hindi movies
Pranking the AHF Team
       

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Chanel Williams
she/her
Human Resources Lead
Chanel loves
Coffee
Cooking
Marvel movies
Old school R&B
Trying new restaurants
About
Chanel is a Recruitment Consultant with a passion for helping women of colour grow personally and professionally. After completing her BA in Communications, Chanel pivoted into Human Resources to become an ally for employees’ by helping to create new opportunities and assist with building a sense of belonging. Leading with her heart, she strives to foster safe spaces within every room she enters. As the Human Resources Lead at AHF, Chanel will continue to engage, encourage, and support women of colour at every step in their journey.
Influences
“bell hooks has taught me to celebrate and honour Black sisterhood.”
Dana with a pink circle in the background
Dana Carriere
she/her
Indigenous Engagement Lead
Dana loves
Sewing
Road trips
Buttered popcorn
Dancing powwow (fancy shawl)
Watching reality TV
About

Dana Carriere is a proud Swampy Cree/Métis woman from Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation with a strong connection to her Cree culture, values, and worldview. She received her BA, MA, and MBA from the University of Saskatchewan and has worked in various roles in higher education throughout her career.

Using the knowledge gained from her educational journey, Dana has played a leading role in many Indigenous engagement and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) strategies and initiatives and advocates for building more inclusive practices and processes in post-secondary environments and in workplaces. Her passion and goals are to give back and contribute to the prosperity of Indigenous people and communities, and advance reconciliation, Indigenous engagement, and EDI priorities and goals.

Dana is currently a faculty member with the Department of Management and Marketing at the Edwards School of Business, with a focus on teaching COMM 347: Indigenous Business and Canada as well as collaborating with senior administrators, faculty, and staff on Indigenous initiatives and priorities. In her spare time, she is an artist and entrepreneur, making creations through beadwork and sewing, and enjoys hunting and fishing, dancing powwow, and participating in gatherings and ceremonies on the land.

Influences
“Carol Ann HIlton. She is committed to increasing the visibility and inclusion of Indigenous business and economic growth and has led the establishment of a line of thought called #indigenomics, which is a movement that focuses on rebuilding and strengthening Indigenous economies.”
Photo of Deborah with a purple circle background
Deborah Eliezer
she/her
Research & Digital Marking Assistant
Deborah loves
Fashion
The colour pink
Sanrio
Baking
Cats
About
Deborah Eliezer recently graduated from the Bachelor of Commerce program at MacEwan University with a focus in marketing.

Deborah joined Accelerate Her Future as a Research Assistant in 2021. Currently, she is the Research and Digital Marketing Assistant at AHF. Deborah has robust experience with research including survey development, literature reviews, qualitative and quantitative analysis and data reporting.

In addition, Deborah has experience with various digital marketing and content creation projects such as video production, newsletter development, and social media content creation and management.

Outside of work, Deborah is focused on further developing her graphic design and digital marketing skills and also enjoys engaging in creative and relaxing activities such as painting and colouring.
Influences
“Activists such as Angela Davis influence me to seek out work in which I can contribute to creating positive social impacts and fostering change to challenge and disrupt the status quo.”
Golnaz with a pink circle in the background
Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi
she/her
Founder

Golnaz loves

Nature walks
Pomgranates
Challenging the status quo
Red lipstick
Cooking Iranian food
About
Recognized as a Globe and Mail, ROB Changemaker and a Future of Good New Founder to Watch, Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi is an award-winning social entrepreneur and leadership, equity and inclusion expert. On a mission to advance corporate representation and leadership of Indigenous, Black and racialized women at all levels in workplaces, she is the Founder of Accelerate Her Future™, a leading career accelerator offering tailored programs by and for Black, Indigenous and racialized women.

With an MBA from the UBC Sauder School of Business and a DBA from Athabasca University, Golnaz held a successful 15-year marketing management career with large multinational service firms. She then pursued a 15-year career as a professor of leadership at the college and university levels. During this time, she co-created a new model for leadership development education that bridged the classroom to the boardroom so that students could do leadership.

A frequent public speaker and facilitator, Golnaz has been engaged by Accenture Canada, EDC, Mackenzie Investments, Mother Parkers, WSIB, among other organizations. A TEDx and Walrus Talks speaker, Golnaz is a trusted media expert whose commentary has been featured on CTV News and whose work has been published internationally in books and journals including The Oxford Handbook of Diversity in Organizations.
Influences

“Dr. Chandra Talpade Mohanty. Distinguished Professor and Director of Gradute Studies at Syracuse University. Her books and work on postcolonial and transnational feminism have been deeply impactful on me as a social entrepreneur, researcher, author and racialized immigrant woman.”

Jessi Sau Voong
she/her
Social Media Coordinator
Jessi loves
Iced matcha/coffee
Dancing
Exploring new music
Romcoms
Collecting sonny angels
About
Jessi is a recent graduate from Toronto Metropolitan University with a background in Sociology and a minor in Family Supports and Community Practice. Throughout her time at university she has further developed her passion for social justice through an intersectional lens. Being Chinese-Canadian, Jessi aims to use her experiences of gender and race based discrimination to make a positive impact on women like her in the workplace.
Influences

“Don Miguel Ruiz has taught me that you can change your life by making small commitments to yourself daily.”

Natasha with a purple circle in the background
Natasha Sidi
she/her
Operations & UX Lead

Natasha loves

Chai
Boxing
Hindi movies
Creating beaded jewelry
Pranking the AHF Team
About
Natasha Sidi is the Operations & UX Lead at Accelerate Her Future, and the Founder of Chasepixel. An advocate for gender and racial equity, she began her career as an educator and further pursued her advocacy work in the non-profit, for-profit, tech, and social enterprise sectors. Her entrepreneurial spirit comes from her ancestors, drawing inspiration from her grandmothers to bring compassion, joy, and creativity in her leadership.

At Accelerate Her Future, she is co-creating programs that centre the voices of Indigenous, Black and racialized women in business and STEM across Canada. As the Founder of Chasepixel, she provides design expertise to values-aligned organizations that are making a social impact. Born and raised in Tanzania, Natasha spent her childhood going on safari trips, and has survived an elephant charge twice!
Influences
“I am influenced by artists who use art for activism. I am drawn to the illustrator, Shehzil Malik. She brings in a justice lens to her artwork and speaks to feminism, particularly within South Asian communities.

As I’m learning more about Truth and Reconcilliation, I’m following Indigenous artists and learning through their artwork, including, Chief Lady Bird, Luke Swinson, and Morningstar Designs.”