Board of Directors

Katherine Knowlton, Co-Chair

Katherine is Managing Director of the Accounting Standards Group at RSM Canada, where she provides accounting expertise and leads initiatives to enhance financial reporting practices. Prior to joining RSM, Katherine served as an Associate Director with the Canadian Accounting Standards Board, supporting the development and improvement of accounting standards, including standards for not-for-profit organizations. Her earlier career includes experience in public accounting in both Toronto and Sydney, Australia, where she provided audit services and advised clients across a diverse range of industries.

Lindsey Walton, Co-Chair

Lindsey works at the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) as their head of Canada. The PRI aims to bring responsible investors together to work toward sustainable markets that contribute to a more prosperous world for all. Before the PRI, Lindsey worked to accelerate gender equity in the Canadian finance industry as a director at Women In Capital Markets (WCM).

Charrissa Klandler, Secretary

Charrissa works as a government relations consultant, representing corporate clients and associations on legislative and regulatory proposals, and identifying and helping secure government funding and grants. Prior to becoming a consultant she worked as a senior policy advisor to the Minister of Finance, where she advised the government on policy and funding pertaining to social services, children and youth, and poverty reduction.

Maria Belfon is a Toronto lawyer practicing family law at Maleki Barristers. She has worked at the Office of the Children’s Lawyer, representing children’s legal interests, as well as in family courts across the GTA, assisting unrepresented litigants in navigating the court system. Prior to her career in family law, Maria was a research assistant for the Healthy Coping Project  at York University, working with community agencies providing therapy to children and their caregivers who had experienced abuse.

Tarini Chandak is a Senior Manager at Deloitte, where she collaborates with leading Canadian and global organizations to tackle complex challenges and deliver on their most strategic opportunities, enhancing how they deliver products and services to people. She holds a Bachelor of Accounting and Financial Management and Master of Accounting from the University of Waterloo. Tarini is deeply committed to community improvement, focusing on the arts, mental health, and diversity & inclusion.

Kara Golani-Tran is an award-winning Human Capital and Change Management leader with deep expertise supporting large-scale transformations at Fortune 500 companies. She holds an Honours B.A. in English and Communications Studies from York University and is a certified PROSCI Change Leader and Six Sigma Green Belt. Kara is currently a member of the HR Center of Excellence at Celestica Inc., where she designs and leads innovative, people-first talent solutions to support Celestica’s mission to enable the world’s best brands. She also leads the Celestica Women’s Network (CWN) Employee Resource Group, whose mission is to support and enable women across the organization.

Freshta Karimi is a Senior is a human rights and women’s rights advocate, and an Afghan lawyer with extensive experience advancing access to justice, gender equality, and the rule of law. She has spent over a decade promoting women’s legal rights in Afghanistan, fearlessly representing marginalized women, survivors of gender-based violence, and victims of forced marriage. Freshta’s work has received international recognition, including the prestigious Ludovic Trarieux International Human Rights Prize—one of the world’s most respected awards for human rights defenders—as well as the MDG3 Torch, a global symbol of commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Since resettling in Canada, Freshta has continued her advocacy and community leadership. She currently works as a Settlement Counsellor, Project and Volunteer Coordinator at the Afghan Women’s Organization in Toronto.

Morgana Kellythorne is a lawyer with almost 20 years of experience as an advisor and advocate, with a focus on public and administrative law. She has worked at the province’s medical regulator for over a decade, where she has had the opportunity to take a trauma-informed approach in complex professional misconduct cases involving vulnerable witnesses.

Shagun Malhotra currently works as a Relationship Manager with RBC Commercial Banking. In this role, she supports the Not Profit clients across GTA for their daily banking, advice and growth needs. Prior to this role, she worked with CIBC within the diversified industry. Before moving to Canada (from India) in 2019, Shagun worked in the banking & financial services industry for close to 10+ years covering various sectors. She holds a master’s degree in finance.

Maja Saletto is a seasoned philanthropic leader with extensive experience in the not-for-profit and public sectors. As Director of the Youth Opportunities Fund at the Ontario Trillium Foundation, she led the design and delivery of a $17M annual granting program focused on advancing equity, justice, and community well-being, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and racialized youth and families facing systemic barriers. Maja recently joined the Canadian Race Relations Foundation as Director of Community Investments, where she continues her commitment to equity-focused, community-led change at the national level. She currently serves on the Board of the United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes and volunteers as a Youth Restorative Justice mediator with the BGC and the John Howard Society.

Liveleen (Lynn) Singh is an innovative and accomplished health leader with over 30 years of experience in Ontario’s healthcare system. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Lumacare, a community support services organization dedicated to empowering and supporting older adults in North York, Ontario. A Registered Nurse with a Master’s in Health Administration from the University of Toronto, Lynn has held senior leadership roles in hospitals across the Greater Toronto Area, the Local Health Integration Network, and Ontario Health. She is the recipient of the prestigious Alan Hay Award, recognizing outstanding leadership and academic excellence.

Equally passionate about social justice, Lynn is a committed advocate for women’s rights and gender equity in healthcare leadership. Her work reflects a people-centered approach that champions inclusion, empowerment, and community resilience. With her blend of operational insight, strategic foresight, and values-driven leadership, Lynn brings a unique and impactful voice to Board of Directors.

Lyndsay Tchegus-Veiga is a seasoned health care leader with over 15 years of experience working in the community-based primary care sector, with a particular focus on delivering programs and services that advance health equity for equity-deserving communities across Toronto. She holds a Certificate in Advanced Health System Leadership from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and is completing a Master of Health Administration at the University of Regina.

Ingrid Graham, Executive Director

Ingrid is an experienced manager in the not-for-profit sector, increasingly taking on more leadership positions throughout her career. 

Since joining Nellie’s in 2016 as Director of Development, she has grown Nellie’s fundraising to over $1 million annually to support programs and services that help women and their children reclaim their strength and resilience. She built a comprehensive marketing and communications program to build awareness of the work Nellie’s does and lead the capital redevelopment of Nellie’s current location. Since July 2024, Ingrid has been acting co-executive director.

In 2024, Ingrid lead the rebrand of the agency’s new mission, vision and values, along with a new visual identity including logo and website launch to coincide with the agency’s 50^th anniversary.

Ingrid began her fundraising career at the United Way of Greater Toronto. She then joined the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Ingrid later joined Women’s College Hospital Foundation as Director of Leadership Giving & Special Initiatives, one of several positions she held while at the foundation.

Jiin Yiong, Program Director

Jiin rejoined Nellie’s as program director in 2021, having worked with us for nine years as a frontline worker earlier in her career. She has worked in various frontline and management roles in the gender-based violence (GBV) sector since 1998, helping women who have fled violence rebuild their lives. She brings her extensive knowledge and experience to Nellie’s as the organization focuses on breaking cycles of violence and homelessness.