What impact has your recent work led to that you are most proud of?
I launched the Pinned2Purpose Mental Health Initiative (P2P) at the beginning of 2025 as a project of my company, Impact AND Inc. P2P is focused on helping to remove stigma around mental health challenges and conditions, engaging in conversations about mental health and well-being, and giving people a hand-up on their healing journeys. My own lived experience and hospitalization years ago, combined with lessons from others on their healing journeys, and compassionate people involved in caregiving and many types of healthcare organizations, have informed the initial work of P2P.

I am most proud of the overall reception to P2P so far. The first 20 podcasts we have hosted have been viewed over 40,000 times, and we are being approached by people around the world who want to share their stories, ultimately in the hopes of giving others a hand-up. Among our guests, we have done episodes with people leading mental health organizations in Kenya and Uganda, and we will be hosting another podcast with a guest from Cameroon later in February.

As well as our podcast, the institutional workshops P2P has delivered in Europe and online internationally together with my Ukrainian business partner, Tetiana Petrukha, Founder and Head Trainer with Evolve!, have been highly rated. We look forward to doing many more in 2026, and would love to explore this with CAFIID members.

What challenges and barriers are you working on addressing? 
First and foremost, our goal is to help shatter stigma and contribute to efforts that promote open discussion about mental health and well-being. Historical perceptions of weakness, shame, fear, and cultural taboos remain challenges and barriers in many places.

P2P tries to bring forward the ideas and experiences of many, and a simple recognition of our common humanity through analogies, stories and evidence-based initiatives. Ultimately, everyone around the world has no choice but to live with their brain 24/7, every day of their lives. As Nobel Laureate in Neuroscience, Eric R. Kandel, reminds us: “The brain is the organ of behavior. Every thought, feeling, and action originates there.” It can be argued, therefore, that our brain is our most valuable asset. Given that, it makes sense to prioritize our own well-being and the well-being of others by recognizing that physical health AND mental health are both intrinsic parts of optimal life journeys. Shattering stigma is based on this recognition.

What is your call to action for our membership? 

Please permit me to share a few!

• Take care of yourself!  "You cannot pour from an empty cup" is so true

• Promote cultures of well-being in your organizations, and look out for your colleagues

• Shatter stigma  

• Learn about the Brain Economy movement, which has "a post-SDG agenda for global sustainability in an AI world with focus on flourishing lives for all on a flourishing planet." 

• Also learn about Brain Lens Investing - as promoted by CAFIID member Grand Challenges Canada and many others.

Celebrate the small victories along the way! We are all in a marathon, and enjoying the journey is the real game

What are you looking forward to in the coming months?

I am proud to have recently been appointed as an Executive Ambassador with the REAL Mental Health Foundation which now has close to 1000 Ambassadors (Men) and Allies (Women) in 50 countries supporting their mission to "Improve Men's Mental Health Through Community and Conversation". Achieving their mission is a partnership between men and women, and contributes to the well-being of entire families and communities. I look forward to continuing to actively engage in their work.
As part of my other work with Impact AND, I am very excited to continue representing Symbiotics in Canada and promote their new product initiatives.
Personally, I am looking forward to an excellent season of competitive tennis and plan to play the nationals again in 2026, and spending time with my grown children whenever they are around!