About Us

Preparing youth to succeed
in a global economy

Mission

Our Story

EMPOWERING YOUNG PEOPLE TO SHAPE THE FUTURE

Here at JA Central Ontario, we envision a world in which young people have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities. 

We want to make sure all young people are economically empowered with the skills, confidence and networks to shape their future in a way that works for them and those around them. 

Start a local business? Set up a community food bank? Land the job of their dreams? Save for that trip of a lifetime to Asia? Buy their grandma a Ferrari? No matter what they dream of, through JA Central Ontario they will build the skills, practice the thinking and meet the people who will help them get there.

Together with a dedicated network of volunteers, partners and educators, we deliver immersive learning experiences for students in grades 3-12, focusing on work readiness, financial health, entrepreneurship and more. JA students benefit from real-world work experience and know-how, transforming their knowledge, skills, attitudes, and aspirations as they build their futures.

As young Canadians plan a future in the wake of a global pandemic and a rapidly changing world, JA learning experiences are more important than ever. By building a wide range of skills and nurturing self-belief, JA prepares young people for the future of work, teaches them how to think entrepreneurially, and ensures they have the tools to be financially capable adults.

Our work covers Halton, Peel, Toronto, York, Durham and Simcoe regions. We are part of the world’s largest and most-impactful youth-serving NGOs – JA Worldwide – and work closely with our national network, JA Canada.

We are proudly accredited by Imagine Canada.

about-us-book-head

Our Purpose

Our Mission

JA Central Ontario inspires and prepares young people to succeed in a global economy.

Our Vision

A world in which young people have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities.

Our Values

  • Believe in the boundless potential of young people
  • Advocate for relevant, hands-on learning
  • Teach principled, market-based economics and entrepreneurship that build a more sustainable world
  • Approach our work with passion, honesty, integrity, and excellence
  • Seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and talents in our staff, volunteers, and boards to reflect the geographies and communities we serve
  • Nurture the power of partnership and collaboration
Our-Purpose

Our Team

Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Anthony Boright

Chair, Board of Directors

Technology Entrepreneur and Financial Services Executive

Board of Directors

Rhonda Klosler

Vice Chair, Board of Directors

National Chief Operating Officer & Toronto Office Managing Leader
RSM Canada

Board of Directors

Chris Cornell

Treasurer; Chair, Operations Committee; Chair, Audit Committee

Partner, Audit, National Sector Lead, Insurance
KPMG

Board of Directors

Stephanie Brown

Secretary

VP, Transformation Management Office
TD Bank

Board of Directors

Naveen Balakrishnan

Director

Vice President, Head of FICC Strategic Initiatives
TD Securities

Board of Directors

Nicole Court

Director

Vice President, Corporate Affairs
Aecon Group Inc.

Board of Directors

Michelle Cowan

Director

Regional Vice President, North Toronto Region
RBC

Board of Directors

Amy Flood

Director

Director, Corporate Partnerships ON & NU, Heart and Stroke Foundation

Board of Directors

Stephen Jurisic

Director

Creative Director Consultant

Board of Directors

Vivian Leung

Director

Senior Principal, Taxation
CPA Canada

Board of Directors

Chris Manning

Past Chair, Board of Directors

Senior Vice President, Global Business Payments
Scotiabank

Board of Directors

Prashant Matta

Director

Partner
Panache Ventures

Board of Directors

Kelly McInenly

Director

Chief Marketing Officer
Cerebelly

Board of Directors

Jamal Pascall

Director, Emerging Leader

Senior Strategic Manager
RBC

Board of Directors

Dean Percy

Chair, Golf Committee

Finance Executive

Board of Directors

Hitesh Peshavaria

Director

Partner, Government & Public Services
Deloitte

Board of Directors

Steve Tyers

Director

SVP National Sales & Effectiveness
CIBC

Board of Directors

Cindy Wahler

Chair, Governance & Nominations Committee

President
Cindy Wahler Psychology Professional Corporation

Senior
Leadership

Senior Leadership

Jennifer Holmes Weier

President and CEO

Senior Leadership

Simone Cowdery

Senior Director, Programs

Senior Leadership

Katherine Dalziel

Senior Director, Finance and Operations

Senior Leadership

Erica Stone

Senior Director, Fund Development

Governors

Meet our Governors
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Our Team

JA Central Ontario team photo
The JA Central Ontario Team (August 2022). Clockwise from top: Shain Lambert, Erica Stone, Jennifer Holmes Weier, Olga Korpalo, Nichole Quan, Lucia Ly, Stephanie Kipfer, Lesley Tulipano, Mysha Raida, Yvonne Yuen-Kei Leung, Simone Cowdery, Theodora Doukas, Katherine Dalziel, Jenny Early, Hamdi Kalifa, Daniela Cuhna. Not pictured: Michelle Stone, Karen Sun, Maleeha Mujib, Maxine Webster, Sheri Neill

Our Partners

Become a Partner

We couldn’t empower a new generation without the support of our generous partners – thank you!

Changemakers

  • Community Services Recovery Fund

Champions

Innovators

  •    

Accelerators

  • AEO Foundation
  • Aecon
  • ADP
  • Albourne Partners Limited
  • AMEX
  • Avanade
  • Berkshire Hathaway
  • Broadridge
  • Burgundy Asset
  • Capital One
  • CNA
  • Community Trust
  • Environics Research Group Ltd.
  • Export Development Canada (EDC)
  • FactSet Canada Inc.
  • Fairfax
  • F. K. Morrow Foundation
  • Franklin Templeton
  • Google
  • Jones DesLauriers Insurance Management Inc. (JDMI)
  • Invesco Canada Ltd.
  • Liberty Mutual
  • National Bank
  • No Fixed Address
  • New SRO (formerly IIROC)
  • PaceZero
  • Raise (formerly Ian Martin) Meaningful Work Foundation
  • RBC Capital Markets
  • RBC Insurance
  • Rogers Media
  • State Street
  • Sutter Hill
  • TC Energy
  • TELUS
  • theScore
  • Thomas, Large and Singer
  • Torys LLP

Our Donors

Become a Donor

Our Donors

We couldn't impact our students without the support of generous individual donors. Thank you to everybody who has helped us raise funds to empower a new generation.

You can find a full list of our donors in our Annual Report