our board of directors.

Richard Street - chair

After a career in business and the Foreign Office, Richard has established and supported youth business programmes in 25 countries helping 100,000 young entrepreneurs. He is a global authority on youth entrepreneurship and employability and an adviser to international organizations and governments on the development of youth employment. He is also a Trustee of Care International UK and the City & Islington College of Further Education.

Why do I support Street Kids?

“Working with young entrepreneurs is inspiring at anytime, but when it’s young people starting and growing businesses, lifting themselves off the street and out of difficult lives, it’s all the more powerful and meaningful”

Jonathan Cheshire – vice chair

Jonathan is the CEO of Wheatsheaf Trust, a charity running a range of innovative projects to support marginalised people into training and work. He has previously set up Portsmouth Foyer, a housing and employment project for young people, and was Director of Ocean Youth Club, then Europe’s largest sail training organisation. Jonathan has founded a number of other charities for homeless people in London, and has been appointed to various government committees on homelessness, rehabilitation of offenders, and marine safety. He is currently a Trustee of the Association of Sea Training Organisations and a Governor of Southampton Solent University.

Why do I support Street Kids?

“What’s special about Street Kids is its approach to small-scale economic development, the policy of going into countries where we’re invited by a local agency, and the multiplier effect of training the trainers. The combined result of these is an impact out of all proportion to the initial investment.”

Emma Cooper – treasurer

Emma is the Head of Finance of Independent Age, a charity with over 140 years' experience of supporting older people at home. Emma has previously worked as a manager at Mazars, an international business advisory and accountancy group, in their Centre of Excellence for the provision of services to charities. She is a Chartered Accountant and has a Honours degree in Biochemistry.

Why do I support Street Kids?

“What’s great about Street Kids is the leverage they get on the funds that are raised. Their work has such a positive effect on individuals and communities anyway, but when you consider the impact they’re getting for the money spent, it’s very impressive.”

Emma Davies – director

Emma is Chief Investment Office at Big Society Capital. Her previous experience includes being part of the JP Morgan equity research team prior to joining Perry Capital in 2001 as a portfolio manager and partner, and going on to run the Perry Capital London office. Emma has an MA from Oxford University in Economics & Management, and an MSc in Economics at London School of Economics.

Why do I support Street Kids?

"What I love about Street Kids is that by working with local agencies, the benefits of their practical business training continue long after the charity has left the country."

Sophie Livingstone – director

Sophie is Chief Executive of City Year London. She has a background working in the charity sector and with young people, and was previously Deputy Chief Executive at the Private Equity Foundation. Prior to this, Sophie worked at the Foyer Federation, a national charity working with young people between the ages of 16 and 25, helping them with accommodation, support, education and training.

Sophie has also worked for environmental regeneration charity Groundwork UK, at ITV, and for a Member of Parliament. She has appeared on a variety of TV and radio programmes and written for a number of publications in both a personal and professional capacity. Sophie is a former chair of school governors, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Why do I support Street Kids?

“I’ve worked extensively with disadvantaged young people and so I know a vision alone is not enough. The work of Street Kids is practical, sustainable and inspiring - so their vision is one I can stand firmly behind.”

 

Shivani Smith – director

Shivani is Business Development Director at nfpSynergy, a research consultancy that helps non-profit organisations track and measure their performance.  She has spent several years volunteering and working within the not for profit sector in India, Kenya and the UK, and has extensive hands-on experience of working within charity and development organisations. 

Shivani previously worked with Common Purpose, a cross sector leadership development organisation, and helped establish The Twist Partnership, a not for profit consultancy. At Twist she helped to design, develop and deliver peer-to-peer leadership programmes for clients from the public, private and voluntary sectors. She also has experience of working of corporate social responsibility and has managed a number of key client relationships with blue chip companies as well as national and international charities on areas such as partner acquisition, developing fundraising strategies, project evaluation and cross sector partnership management. Shivani has a BSc in Sociology from the London School of Economics and a Masters in Public Policy and Management from the University of York. 

Why do I support Street Kids?

“The positive affect Street Kids has on the young people they help is really inspiring. The street youth themselves are so much more empowered because they understand that they can change their own lives.”

Sarah Betteley – director

Sarah has a legal background having been a competition lawyer with city firm Richards Butler before moving in-house to BT PLC.  Sarah was General Counsel for BT Retail and has since held a number of commercial senior executive roles across the BT Group.  Sarah is a director of Larch Consultants Ltd, providing advice and consultancy services to small and medium businesses, and a Non-Executive Director for Surrey Community Health.  She is also a Governor on the Board of the Richard Reeves Foundation and Legal Counsel for Growth Innovators Group Ltd.

Why do I support Street Kids?

“Showing street youth that whatever life throws at you, you can make positive changes for a better life, is a fantastic mission. One I’m proud to support.”

Stephanie Kaye – company secretary

Stephanie is currently a stay-at-home mother, having previously worked for the Canadian High Commission in the UK and run an independent management consultancy, Cognitive Management Ltd. Stephanie has been very active with the Canadian community in the UK since her arrival in London in 2000, having served as President of Network Canada and as a trustee of the Maple Leaf Trust. She holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Manitoba.

Why do I support Street Kids?

“I like the fact that the work of Street Kids paints a different picture of disadvantaged young people living and working off the street. Yes their lives are difficult in comparison to ours, but these young people are tenacious and full of smiles. We could learn a lot from them.”

Bill Richardson, Partner
Baker & McKenzie LLP

Frank Vettese, Canadian and Global Managing Partner,
Financial Advisory, Deloitte

Michael Howe, Partner,
KPMG

Rochelle Mathias (Chair)
PPP Corp.

Steve Yuzpe CFO
Sprott Resource Corp

Michael Howe (audit committee)
KPMG

John Brimmer (audit committee)
CIBC

Steve Creswell
Coalcorp Mining Inc.

Bindu Dhaliwal – Chair (Canada, US)

Bindu is a lawyer with the Bank of Montreal. She has been active in a number of non-profit organizations including The Students Commission and Girls Action Foundation. Her work has focused on the issues of youth engagement, community mobilization, racism and gender. Bindu joined the board in 2003 and is the current chair of the Resource Development Committee as well as overseeing recruitment of new Board members.

William (Bill) Richardson – Past Chair

Bill is a lawyer exclusively engaged in civil litigation, specializing in intellectual property, commercial disputes and medical malpractice with McCarthy Tetrault in Toronto.  He is a member of the International Commission of Jurists and the Dalhousie Law Alumni Association. Bill is a member of the Fund Development Committee and has been with the Board since 1999.

 

Paul Pathak – Vice Chair

Paul is a partner of Chitiz Pathak LLP. He practices principally in the areas of corporate, securities, mergers, acquisitions and commercial law. Paul has developed particular expertise in advising issuers and investors in connection with public and private financings and securities law compliance. As a result of his extensive experience in the aforementioned areas, Paul has developed strong relationships within the investment community as well as an excellent familiarity with the securities regulatory landscape. Paul was called to the Ontario Bar in 1994, having completed his LL.B. at Osgoode Hall Law School. He has sat on the boards of several private and public companies listed on both the Canadian and American stock exchanges. Paul joined the board in October 2005.

Stephen Yuzpe – Treasurer

Steve is Chief Financial Officer of Sprott Resource Corp. Mr. Yuzpe has over 10 years of financial administration management experience with public and private corporations. Over his career, Mr. Yuzpe has developed specific expertise in financial and internal reporting, strategic development and business planning, corporate governance, investor relations, regulatory compliance, treasury, financings and restructurings. Mr. Yuzpe holds a Bachelor of Science, Engineering (Mechanical) degree from the Queen’s University along with the Professional Engineering designation (P. Eng.), an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business in London Ontario and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder.

Warren Coughlin – Director

Warren Coughlin is a business coach with ActionCOACH who works exclusively with entrepreneurs to help them build their businesses and find satisfaction in their lives. He has been recognized as one of the top 10 coaches internationally among the 1000+ coaches in ActionCOACH and has been named Canadian Coach of the Year and Top Performing Coach in Canada. Warren serves on the Global Training Team responsible for training new coaches. He is also a recovering lawyer, serial entrepreneur, college professor, actor and theatre director. It was, in part, to help build an expanded entrepreneurial training program for street youth that brought Warren to Street Kids International when he joined the board in spring 2007.

David S. Grant – Director (Canada, US)

David Grant is Executive Chairman and Founder of Affinity Express, an international digitizing, document creation, and multi-media services company which evolved from one of the world’s largest embroidery firms. David has an undergrad in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters from MIT in Management. After fifteen years of building a family business in embroidery to a leading position globally operating in four countries, David decided to evolve the company from its core competencies in mass customization of apparel wear, into the full range of digital services for print related companies. He has been involved with Street Kids International since the early 1990s as a board member and co-chairman. He was VP of the MIT Club of Canada, and Chair of the New York Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization.

Ganendra Nikhil – Director

Ganendra Nikhil is a Principal in the Toronto office of McKinsey & Company. Ganendra serves North American and international retailers and other consumer-facing companies on a range of issues, including merchandising and marketing, pricing, strategy, transformation management, and organization effectiveness. Ganendra is a leader in McKinsey’s North American Retail Practice and one of the Firm’s experts on retail pricing. He has also held leadership roles in Recruiting and External Relations for the Toronto office. Ganendra joined the Firm in 2003. Ganendra has a BASc in Engineering Science and a MASc in Biomedical Engineering, both from the University of Toronto. Before joining McKinsey, he worked for a start-up, which provided logistics services to retailers and consumer goods companies, and a large US financial services company.

Noella M. Milne – Director

Noella Milne is a partner practising in the law firm of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, and is the Toronto Regional Leader for the Real Estate Practice Group. Noella practises in the Commercial Real Estate area with an emphasis on asset and share acquisitions and dispositions, mixed-use developments, joint ventures, 'public-private' transactions, financings, ground leasing, land development and other commercial real estate matters. Noella was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1988. She received her B.A. with a major in Law at Carleton University and received her law degree from the University of Toronto Law School in 1986. Noella has three children. Noella is Past Chair of the Children’s Aid Foundation. Besides sitting on several Not-For-Profit Boards, Noella is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Panel at the University of Toronto Law School, an Honourary Life Director of the Canadian Club, a recipient of the Children’s Aid Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award and a 2010 recipient of the YWCA Women of Distinction Award.

Prea Grover – Director

- bio to come -

 

David S. Grant, Director, (Canada, U.S.),   Founder, President Affinity Express

Liz Merry, Director

Paul Battaglia, Secretary, Treasurer