VIBE Arts is governed by a dynamic Board of Directors to whom the Executive & Artistic Director reports. The members of the Board of Directors are a diverse group of professionals passionate about ensuring young people have access to the transformative power of art. The combined expertise of the current members include education, nonprofit management, human resources development, communication, law, financial management, and community development. The Board supports VIBE Arts with astute financial acumen and governance knowledge.
Clare is a passionate social justice and health care leader. She is the Executive Director of the Choice In Health Clinic where she advances abortion access and advocates for reproductive justice. She is an expert in strategic planning, project management, and has over 10 years of non-profit experience working in both Vancouver and Toronto. In 2014, Clare received the Toronto Community Foundation Vital People Award in recognition of her contributions to not-for-profit organizations.
Nish is a passionate marketer who has spent his career working at the intersection of consumer behaviour, marketing strategy and design.
In his current role, Nish is the Vice President of Strategy at Initiative, a global communications agency, where he works with a wide range of clients including RBC, Amazon, LEGO, Carlsberg, CBC and Destination Canada.
Prior to joining Initiative, Nish held the role of Vice President/Creative Strategy Director at Match Marketing Group where he developed and led the agency’s strategic approach of experience design. He has also held roles at the National Hockey League and Armstrong Partnership along with running his own agency.
Daniel Cappe is a partner in the Litigation Group at Goodmans. He has a broad-based practice with particular focus in the areas of intellectual property and corporate/commercial litigation. Daniel has appeared before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Court of Appeal for Ontario, the Federal Court, and the Federal Court of Appeal. Daniel has an active pro bono practice, including acting as duty counsel at Law Help Ontario since its inception in 2008. He also previously served as a director of the Toronto Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club (including acting as Secretary and Vice-President) from 2008 – 2014. Prior to attending law school, Daniel worked as a software designer in the high-tech industry for several years.
Senior Manager at EY in the Assurance Practice. In his professional role, he conducts financial statement audits on a wide array of clients from NFPs to publicly traded companies. He holds a CPA, CA designation with a deep knowledge of accounting and is well versed in the financial services industry. He is passionate about being involved in his community and has recently served as Treasurer of Operation Come Home, a youth-focused NFP based in Ottawa.
Dwayne Morgan is a writer, performer, and author of twelve books. A Scarborough Walk of Fame Inductee, Morgan uses art to unleash human potential and possibilities.
Eleanor Buxton is a program and project management specialist. Having trained in contemporary dance, her commitment to social and economic justice continues to be shaped by the arts. Eleanor began her career in the UK, working frontline in social housing and in educational outreach. Since relocating to Toronto in 2019, she has driven impact and led teams across a portfolio of non-profit programming and fundraising, research, and community engagement.
Fatima is an entrepreneur and strategy consultant committed to empowering people though businesses development and financial independence. She is Head of Kamenge Ventures Inc., an outfit investing capacity and capital in sustainable impactful business and Executive Director of not-for-profit Mazava. Although she calls Toronto home, Fatima was born in Burundi and has lived and worked in Ivory coast, Cameroon and Zimbabwe, among other places. She is passionate about community engagement, art and social entrepreneurship.
Jaime Shulman is a senior business development and marketing professional who brings a wealth of creativity and experience to every campaign or initiative, having worked in a wide variety of sectors, including: retail, CPG, hospitality, finance, fashion and arts, automotive, alcohol, cannabis, technology and not-for-profits. She has led the successful strategy development and implementation of national campaigns and programs for North America’s largest and most respected brands, garnering top awards from Canadian Public Relations Society, International Association of Business Communicators, the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada, Strategy Magazine and the Canadian Marketing Association. Presently, Jaime is the Director of Corporate Partnerships and Special Events at the Art Gallery of Ontario. In addition, she volunteers as a Board Member for both Street Haven, Toronto’s oldest women’s shelter and VIBE Arts.
Steven is an apparel industry veteran from the United States with over 20 years experience. He relocated to Toronto in 2019 to take on the role of COO for Knix, where he leads the global product and supply chain lifecycle and execution – from initial development through customer experience. Before Knix, Steven lead Sourcing and Supply Chain for US e-commerce brand ModCloth, and spent 8 years at Urban Outfitters Inc prior. Outside the office, Steven has a passion for music and the arts as well as travelling with his husband and their three adopted kids.
Tessa Balaz (Gooden) is multi-disciplinary artist and a fundraising guru with Toronto Artspace Foundation who works from Sudbury. After graduating from MMA an accomplished cellist and attending Laurentian University for Music, she moved onto acting and performing in musicals with YES Theatre (HAIR, Rent, Spring Awakening, Jesus Christ Superstar), Thornloe Theatre (As You Like It) and the Sudbury Theatre Centre (The Drowsy Chaperone). She has now spent almost a decade writing and producing original music for herself and on production teams for major artists including Daniel Caesar, Drake, the Weeknd, Migos, Mariah Carey and more. She has been nominated for 3 Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards and the Sudbury Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. She has had her original music licensed to film and television, most recently to “Kim’s Convenience” season 4. She is currently trying to close the gap and raise the percentage of female identifying producers on the billboard charts.