For Kara Golani-Tran, a famous quote by Jane Goodall has always felt like the perfect way to describe how she feels about the need to give back to her community: “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” With a commitment to advancing equity, access, and empowerment — especially for historically marginalized groups — Kara has used this idea to drive many of the decisions she’s made in her professional life and how she’s shaped her career.
Currently a member of the HR Center of Excellence at Celestica, Kara explains that she found her way into talent management because it’s about guiding individuals to uncover their strengths, develop and grow, and design a unique, fulfilling career for themselves. And when it comes to volunteer efforts, working with organizations that also focus on empowerment and equity has always been a key priority for her. “As a mother of two, you have to be very thoughtful with how you manage your energy and protect your time,” Kara says. “I’m very selective about where I choose to dedicate my time and attention, and it has to really line up with my personal values.”
Joining the board at Nellie’s in September 2024 was a perfect fit, according to Kara. In addition to emphasizing the importance of our empowerment and equity work, Kara tells us that she’s a huge admirer of Canadian activist June Callwood, one of the co-founders of Nellie’s. “She’s been such an impactful person in Toronto as a civil libertarian that even decades later these organizations she founded are still making an impact on thousands of people’s lives,” Kara explains. “When I saw the posting for Nellie’s, it immediately called to me because of the June Callwood connection.”
During her time on the Nellie’s board, Kara hopes to use her HR experience to bring strategic insight and practical support to improving our employment culture. As part of our 2023-2026 strategic plan, one of our core priorities is to foster a healthy, vibrant organization with a stable, skilled, and engaged workforce. Kara’s expertise in talent management will help us in creating a strategy that supports employee recruitment, retention, development, engagement, and well-being.
“We’re very thoughtful about some of the unique challenges and barriers that are faced by those who work in the non-profit sector,” says Kara. “People are an organization’s greatest asset and if you can tap into them in a way that is meaningful, it unlocks the full potential of your organization, the work that you can do, and the impact you can have for the people you serve.”
When it comes to supporting Nellie’s, Kara wants potential donors to understand that by donating to Nellie’s, you’re not just changing the lives of the women and children we serve, but that you’re also helping to create a pay-it-forward chain of impact that she believes can be infinite. “What makes Nellie’s really special is that the work we do goes far beyond just helping women and children in their time of crisis,” Kara explains. “Whether that’s in the education and advocacy piece or disrupting cycles of violence, this work is vital and it makes a lasting impact in someone’s life. By empowering them to take that control back, they are then able to go on and amplify your impact by helping others.”
Thank you, Kara, for sharing your story and for your time and service to Nellie’s.