our team

Rowena Veylan - Founder and Lead Instructor

Rowena Veylan is a values-driven fundraiser deeply committed to the social sector. With a rich background that combines her Dunne-za and European heritage, she brings a unique perspective to her work.

Since launching her fundraising career in 2003, Rowena has developed extensive expertise in all facets of the field. Her passion for fundraising led her to establish her own fundraising school, that focuses on uncovering the deeper purpose behind the practice. Rowena believes that effective fundraising is more than raising money; it’s about forming connections between people and the meaningful missions of the organizations they support.

Dedicated to helping others grasp and embrace the true essence of fundraising, Rowena frequently shares insights drawn from her career and personal experiences. She takes pride in knowing that her efforts not only assist organizations in achieving their goals but also contribute to making the world a better place.

Diana Mustafa - Virtual Admin Assistant

Diana is the voice behind admin@nsof.ca! She is a versatile and accomplished professional with a background in business, entrepreneurship, customer service, and administration. She was born and raised in North Vancouver, BC, and obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Saskatchewan. Upon completing her degree, Diana successfully ran a small business in her hometown for several years. After the birth of her second daughter, Diana decided to pivot her career and become a virtual administrative assistant. She recognized the growing need for remote administrative support, and was excited to apply her skills in a new way.

As a virtual admin assistant, Diana works with clients across Canada, providing a wide range of administrative services, including data entry & research, calendar & email management, website management, social media content creation, customer support, and personal tasks – just to name a few! Diana's commitment to excellence, organization, and attention to detail have made her a valuable asset to her clients. She continues to take pride in providing exceptional customer service, and is dedicated to helping businesses succeed.

Emily Cabrera - Indigenous Protocols

Emily Cabrera is a fund development and philanthropy professional with over a decade of experience. She is of Ojibway/Mexica/European ancestry and is a proud member of Fort William First Nation in Thunder Bay, Ontario. She resides as a guest on the lands of the Lək̓ʷəŋən People, known today as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations.

She has a demonstrated history of building meaningful, trust-based, relationships with funders, writing grants and proposals, securing major gifts and leading strategic and organizational planning whether it's been in small shops or large institutions. Creating safe spaces and cultivating Indigenous talent is a passion of hers and she hopes to remove barriers to access through sharing her knowledge with the charitable sector.

Emily works with the First Peoples' Cultural Foundation as their Director, Strategic Partnerships & Communications, uplifting the vitality of Indigenous languages, arts and cultural heritage and strengthening Indigenous-led philanthropy across Turtle Island.

Tessa Danelesko - Communications

Tessa uses her knowledge of justice, equity and anti-oppression to drive systemic change alongside communities who deserve it most. Her expertise in program management, communications and strategic planning originates from a decade working in the non-profit sector, where past roles with the David Suzuki Foundation and Ocean Wise took her offshore and around the globe.

Tessa is the Account Director of Justice and Impact Programming at Yulu Impact Communications, where she leads the Audible Indigenous Writers' Circle. She is also the Co-Executive Director of the Impact Communications Institute, a nonprofit serving communicators who use their craft for good. In 2023 she was a finalist for the YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Reconciliation in Action.

She lives on the unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and sel̓íl̓witulh peoples, with her partner, daughter and very cute rescue pup, Burger. Tessa is a proud citizen of the Métis Nation of BC.

Janet Edmison - Stewardship & Year End Appeal

Janet is a strategic thinker with ten years of experience fundraising for small and mid-sized non-profits including Cystic Fibrosis Canada and Union Gospel Mission. Passionate about sharing the vision and mission of organizations making an impact around the world, Janet excels at developing strategies and materials that change the game for small teams with limited resources.

Janet is a Principal at Fawkes + Holly, a Vancouver-based consulting company that specializes in building and executing effective, well-rounded fundraising programs for small charities with big goals. Equipped with a certificate in Fundraising Management from BCIT, Janet’s asset is her diversity. With substantial skills in programs like InDesign, SquareSpace, MailChimp and more, Janet understands the tools that small non-profits need to succeed. Janet and her husband, Luke, are raising two boys in East Vancouver.

Jennifer Hufnagel - Artificial Intelligence & ChatGPT

Jennifer Hufnagel is an accomplished corporate trainer, operations consultant, and AI enthusiast. Born in Sointula on Vancouver Island, she embodies the Finnish ethos of SISU—grit, perseverance, and determination. With a BCom in Entrepreneurship, she began her career in the early days of software as a business analyst. With over 25 years in learning and development, instructional design and operations, through her consulting practice, Hufnagel Consulting, Jennifer specializes in operational efficiency, process improvement, operations support, software/digital transformation and corporate training. She has worked with 100s of small to medium businesses, nonprofits, and Fortune 100.

Jennifer is known for her energy, enthusiasm, and strong ability to Get “Stuff” Done. One of her favorite quotes is: "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." – Helen Keller. Rooted in authenticity, integrity, and service, Jennifer balances her professional life with cold dipping, hiking, travel and holds a volunteer board position at a local food security charity in Nanoose Bay.

Morgan Wilson - Indigenous Protocols

Morgan (Kalk) Wilson is a proud member of Lac La Ronge Indian Band located in Treaty 6 territory, the traditional lands of the Cree, Métis, Saulteaux, Dene, Nakota, Lakota, and Dakota peoples and homelands of the Métis. She was raised by her grandmother in the northern community of Buffalo Narrows and later relocated to what is now known as Saskatoon, SK, where she currently resides.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Management with Honours from the Edwards School of Business. Professionally, she works as a Director with DCG Philanthropic Services Inc., a fundraising consulting firm that serves a variety of clients across Turtle Island. Morgan has successfully worked on multi-million-dollar capital campaigns, helping organizations meet ambitious fundraising goals while fostering meaningful donor relationships. She believes that philanthropy should be rooted in reciprocity and mutual benefit, striving to ensure that fundraising serves both the needs of the organization and the broader community.

Amanda Leier - Social Media with Purpose

Amanda is a storyteller with 20 years’ experience growing charities and brands that connect people, including A Better Life Foundation, University of British Columbia, and Kids Market Granville Island. She learned to design for community impact from the world’s best creative practices—designers of cultural brands, buildings, and experiences. She’s one part analytical, one part creative and 100% energy. With 16 years leading brand strategy and content marketing—both in-house and agency side—Amanda knows how to create effective campaigns with small teams. She grows brands that connect people through her impact marketing consultancy, Dawn Creative.

As a strategist and copywriter, Amanda’s role is to advocate for your audience. She helps you find the message, team, and tactics to achieve your vision. With a degree in gender studies and journalism, Amanda brings an equitable lens to communications and activations. In her free time, she loves to stroll or bike around Vancouver with her rescue pup, Jenny.

Jen Love - Storytelling & Legacy Giving

Jen Love is a storyteller. And not in a poetic sense. In an awkward-and-authentic, cryball-in-throat, let's-get-to-the-heart-and-the-emotions sense… Jen has been a fundraising writer for over 25 years, crafting compelling stories that build deeper and more meaningful connections with donors.

Jen is a Partner at Agents of Good, a strategic and creative storytelling firm. Where vulnerability, values, passion and purpose come first and forever. Let’s talk about metrics and meaning, facts and feelings. Agents of Good believe in collective impact, abundance thinking, and we exist to help fundraisers explore and express their own creativity, love their work more, and raise more money. Jen lives and birdwatches in Waterloo, Ontario with her family and two rescue dogs, Tux and Sara J.

Ligia Peña - Legacy Giving

Ligia Peña, CFRE has been working in the nonprofit sector for over 22 years. Having spent much of her career as a small shop fundraiser, she authored the ‘Small Shop Fundraising’ chapter in the 2nd volume of Excellence in Fundraising in Canada. She has been working in legacy fundraising for the past 15 years and is a Legacy Consultant and President of GlobetrottingFundraiser where she specializes in helping nonprofits with their legacy fundraising strategy.

Being a self-professed 'legacy nerd', she's also a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Kent, researching how impact reporting can enhance legacy conversation and help secure more legacy gifts. As an AFP Master Trainer and sought-after presenter who enjoys sharing her knowledge and empowering nonprofit professionals to think about legacies differently by daring to be creative and innovative. On her time off, she loves to go for walks with her rescue dog Leo, traveling, knitting, and enjoying her new life in the countryside.

Laura Ralph - Grant Seeking

Laura is a grant seeking guru with over a decade of experience in higher education and healthcare fundraising.

After her graduate degree in English, Laura fell into fundraising through a writing position with the UBC Faculty of Medicine’s development office. She caught the fundraising bug and has contributed on various teams that have raised money from individuals, corporations, and granting foundations.

She also had the pleasure of working as fundraising consultant for Grant Advance, where she developed grant seeking resources for Canadian nonprofits.

Currently, she works as a freelance writer and Co-Founder of Fundraising Fix, a strategic and relational grant seeking agency that helps charities secure grants more efficiently and effectively.

Leigh Schumann - Stewardship & Year End Appeal

Leigh is a creative communicator with over a dozen years of experience sharing the heart of non-profit organizations across cultures and continents. From Swaziland to Ethiopia, Mozambique to Vancouver, her asset is the ability to powerfully connect donors and sponsors to the impact they are making in the world. With a diverse skill set and unique global experience, Leigh is passionate about equipping small charities with the tools and strategies they need to extend their reach and increase their revenue.

Leigh is a Principal at Fawkes + Holly, a Vancouver-based consulting company that specializes in building and executing effective, well-rounded fundraising programs for small charities with big goals. She also sits on the Board of International Justice Mission Canada and she volunteers locally with the District of Sechelt as a part of their Community Investment Program Grant Review Committee. She has a BA from Trinity Western University and an MBA from Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business. Leigh and her husband, Rob, live with their two kids on the Sunshine Coast.

Nicole Taylor-Sterritt - Indigenous Protocols

Nicole Taylor-Sterritt is a heart-centered leader who is committed to building and strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities across the country. She currently works as the Lead for Indigenous Partnerships at Interior Health supporting Engagement with Indigenous communities across the region. Nicole joined the New School of Fundraising to help fundraisers deepen their understanding on working with Indigenous communities.

In 2018, she co-founded and managed the Indigenous Women’s Leadership Summit (IWLS) while she completed her Bachelor of Business Administration. Nicole has utilized her education and experience to build and collaborate on numerous projects across the country and has been continuously inspired to learn and collaborate with Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island.

Nicole is mixed heritage, a member of the Kispiox Band (Gitxsan Nation) and mixed European and calls the territories of the Syilx peoples (Kelowna, BC) home. She is known for fostering meaningful connections and credits her success to many positive, personal and industry relationships.

Joanne Veltri - Sponsorship

Joanne Veltri works on all sides of sponsorship: as a sponsorship rights holder and on behalf of beneficiaries and corporate sponsors. She has helped non-profit organizations and corporations redefine their strategic priorities and bring their operations to a world-class level.

She specializes in non-philanthropic (earned) revenue streams, and boasts a $13 million fundraising record, with $9 million raised from non-philanthropic revenue platforms. She has an ahead-of-the- curve analytics acumen, and a stellar portfolio that includes the Sponsorship Chief position for Canada’s Paralympic Team supporting the 2008 Beijing and 2010 Vancouver Games.

Joanne is one of a small group of professionals in North America who lecture at post-secondary institutions and under the National Training Center , she has been delivering Canada’s #1 sponsorship, earned revenue workshop training for sport and charities to cities across Canada since 2018.