The Board of Directors at Right To Food

Dr. Kwame McKenzie is CEO of the Wellesley Institute. He is an expert on the social causes of illness, suicide, and the development of effective, equitable health systems. As a physician, researcher, and policy advisor, Kwame has worked to identify the causes of illness in cross-cultural health for over two decades. He is a researcher of social, community, clinical, and policy issues with nearly 200 academic publications including five books.

Kwame is also the Director of Clinical Health Equity at CAMH and a full Professor and the Co-Director of the Division of Equity, Gender and Population in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto. He sits on the Boards of the United Way Toronto & York Region and the Ontario Hospitals Association. He is a Senior Fellow at Massey College.

Kwame is a member of the Ontario Government’s Mental Health and Addictions Leadership Advisory Council and sat on the Expert Advisory Group for Ontario’s Homelessness Strategy alongside numerous other committees. Kwame completed his medical training at the University of Southampton and was trained in psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital and Institute of Psychiatry and Harvard University.

Vas Rao is a global financial services transformational leader with 25 years of expertise across technology, finance, treasury, operations, retail, and small business. A trusted senior executive advisor who builds consensus and accelerates progress across multi-disciplinary teams, Vas is a pragmatic visionary driven to undertake business changes with a large IT dependency.

In addition to his role as Vice President & Head of Operations at ivari Canada, Vas is the Treasurer and Chair of the Finance, Pension, and Audit Committee at Victoria University, part of the University of Toronto, and is a Board Director and National Committee Member at the Arthritis Society of Canada. Vas has always had a passion for academia, sciences, and equality.

Vas and his wife Dr. Myura Rao reside in the Greater Toronto Area and are proud parents to three young men, Arjun, Vishnu, and Karna. Myura and Vas enjoy travelling while continuing to support their children’s academic pursuits. Vas holds a B.Sc. (Math) from Dalhousie University and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business in Finance and Strategic Management.

Ana Lopes, born in Lisbon, Portugal, is a Toronto-based social innovator and entrepreneur who has led numerous not-for-profit transformations with a focus on corporate governance and philanthropic strategy. She has worked for 25 years in senior positions in both the private and public sector, and is Corporate Director of The Tapscott Group Inc, a privately held think tank focusing on the digital revolution in business and society.

In addition to being a Director of Right To Food, she is a Director of the Toronto International Film Festival and The Toronto Symphony Foundation. She is a former Chair of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors. Ana has served on the Board of numerous organizations including The Writers’ Trust of Canada, the World Wide Web Foundation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Foundation, Women’s College Foundation, Trent University, and Business for the Arts. She is a Member of the International Portuguese Diaspora Council in Lisbon. In addition to being a Governor of Trent University, Ana served on the executive of the capital campaign cabinet to establish Peter Czowski College.

Ana holds an Honours BA from the University of Toronto and has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) of Greater Toronto Fundraising Volunteer of the Year in 2009 and was listed as one of WXN 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada in 2013.

Ana and her husband Don Tapscott reside in Toronto and are the proud parents of Nicole and Alex. They have four grandchildren. Don and Ana travel extensively and enjoy their family cottage on Lake of Bays where they are involved in supporting the local community. For the past three decades Don and Ana have collaborated alongside early pioneers such as the late Honourable Michael Wilson in awareness-raising for mental health and addiction research and services. Don and Ana endowed the Tapscott Chair in Schizophrenia Studies at the University of Toronto.

Ana is the recipient of the Order of Merit with grade of Commander – Republic of Portugal. She was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2011.

Phil is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Precision Nutrition, the largest private nutrition education and research company in the world. Precise Nutrition has advised top organizations like Apple, Nike, Titleist, the Seattle Seahawks (as Super Bowl champions), the San Antonio Spurs (as NBA champions), and numerous Olympic teams. Its work and research have been widely cited in the media, from the New York Times to the Harvard Business Review. Fast Company named Precision Nutrition one of the most innovative companies in the world. Personally, Phil advises young Canadian entrepreneurs and leaders, and he and his family have been long-time donors and supporters of Right To Food.

Judy Pfeifer is retired after a career in senior public affairs leadership across the private, not-for-profit, and public sectors. A Chartered Director (C.Dir) from the DeGroote School of Business and former Professor at Seneca College, she brings expertise in public engagement, stakeholder relations, branding, and communications.

Kelly has worked as a registered dietitian for over 20 years, focusing on community wellness.

Kelly is Kanyen’keha (Mohawk) and a proud mother of two energetic teenagers. A graduate from McGill University, she has strived to use her experience and knowledge to support well-being within Indigenous communities. Currently, Kelly works with McMaster University as the Associate Director at the Indigenous Health Learning Lodge.

Previously, she worked with Six Nations of the Grand River at the Department of Well-being in various health leadership roles, and as a community dietitian, she has also worked with Toronto Public Health, Davenport Perth Community Health Centre, and continues to work with various Indigenous and health organizations.

Kelly is a lecturer at Toronto Metropolitan University, currently teaching Indigenous Food Systems in Canada. For her volunteer work Kelly is director on the board at Nourish and also co-chair of the Nourish Indigenous and Allies Advisory, supporting work to increase access and availability of Indigenous foods within healthcare settings. Kelly has presented and advocated to a variety of audiences speaking to how “food is a pathway towards reconciliation,” looking towards Indigenous food and foodways in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s calls to action.

Kelly’s work focuses on honouring Indigenous knowledge and how it can be foundational in her everyday work, supporting community members on their journey towards their own wellness.

Sahba Fotovat is a co-founder and the Manufacturing Director at Riverside Natural Foods. In addition to her background in alternative medicine, Sahba has over 15 years’ experience in the food processing industry.

Sahba and her two siblings made the decision in 2013 to combine their expertise and launch a family-centric, purpose-driven company that would take health food manufacturing to the next level: Riverside Natural Foods.

Under the label MadeGood Foods, they produce organic, gluten-free, and top-eight-allergen-free snacks that don’t just taste good, they do good. Beyond their B Corp certification, Riverside Natural Foods is also a proud TRUE Zero Waste business (they divert a minimum of 90% of waste for reuse, recycling, composting, and recovery for use in nature or the economy).

Additionally, they support organic farmers and a range of community-based non-profits.