Category: Toolkit Team – Advisory

Christian Alicpala has been a basketball clinician/marketing and events specialist since 2014 and worked with numerous organizations including Basketball Ontario, Toronto Raptors, NBA India, and NBA Canada. During his time with NBA Canada, Christian was responsible for travelling and connecting with communities across Canada, from Haida Gwaii, British Columbia to St-John’s, Newfoundland to increase basketball participation and active living through authentic experiences tailored to every city.

Some of the major events Christian worked on include the NBA Canada Series (in Vancouver and Montreal), NBA Cares Court Refurbishments and a number of community outreach programs. Prior to joining NBA Canada, Christian worked for NBA India as their International Head Coach. During this time, he helped develop grassroots basketball infrastructure through instructional seminars and coaching clinics that he spearheaded across the subcontinent. Christian led community outreach programs training over 5,000 local PE teachers and reaching over 500,000 students leveraging the Jr. NBA curriculum. Christian always brings his energy, passion, and enthusiasm to anything he does, and he thoroughly enjoys working with kids to help them grow, not only into great basketball players but into great individuals as well. Christian currently works part-time for the Toronto Raptors Community Development team conducting clinics around the Greater Toronto Area and also works in Marketing and Sales full-time in the tech industry.

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Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu is a dedicated community advocate and accomplished athlete with a strong commitment to inclusivity and anti-racism. She holds a Master’s of Science in Management with a concentration in Entrepreneurship from the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa. Brigitte currently serves as the Community Relations Coordinator at RVS (Recreational and Varsity Sports) at the University of Ottawa. In this role, her primary focus has been on community engagement and outreach, striving to build stronger connections and foster inclusive environments within the university community.

Throughout her academic and athletic career, Brigitte has demonstrated a passion for equity and representation. As a founding executive member of the Black Student-Athlete Advocacy Council (BSAAC) at the University of Ottawa, she has played a pivotal role in fostering an environment of racial accountability and support for BIPOC student-athletes. Her efforts have led to the creation of scholarships and numerous events celebrating Black excellence. Her achievements extend to the basketball court, where she has excelled as a varsity athlete and professional player, earning multiple accolades for her performance and leadership.

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Asya Bartley is currently the Marketing Manager at Swimming Canada. Her role includes managing account services for Swimming Canada partners and providing marketing and communications support on national and international events. Asya is also on the board of directors for the Inclusion in Canadian Sports Network which focuses on celebrating and empowering Black, Indigenous and People of Colour in the sport community through celebration, advocacy through allyship, and networking.

Asya was also an Advisory Committee member for Rugby Ontario with the goal of making rugby more welcoming, inclusive, and representative of our diverse communities. Asya has played for the National Senior Women’s Rugby team and is currently an assistant coach for the University of Ottawa women’s rugby team. Asya holds a Bachelor of Arts in human kinetics from St. Francis Xavier University as well as a postgraduate degree in Sport and Event Marketing from George Brown College.

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Humaira Sedu is a passionate advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), with a deep commitment to fostering anti-racism initiatives. As a Muslim female athlete, she brings a unique perspective to her work in the sports industry, where she champions inclusivity and strives to break down barriers for underrepresented communities.

With a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources with a concentration in Organizational Change and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), complemented by specialized education in sports management, she possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience that informs her efforts to create a more equitable and welcoming environment within sports organizations.

As the Founder and Executive Director of Muslimah Athletic Club, Humaira has spearheaded transformative initiatives to provide inclusive opportunities for Muslim women and allies in sports. Through innovative programs, impactful events, and strategic partnerships, she has created safe spaces where individuals from diverse backgrounds can thrive. Her leadership in this capacity underscores her ability to initiate change and foster a sense of belonging within marginalized communities. Driven by the principle of intentionality, Humaira has consistently demonstrated her commitment to driving positive change within organizations and communities. Her Human Resources and DEI background provides her with a nuanced understanding of systemic issues and the strategies needed to address them effectively. Combining this knowledge with her sports management education, she leverages her expertise to advocate for inclusivity and equity within the sports industry.

Humaira’s professional journey extends beyond her community work, as she has actively engaged in various roles within the sports industry. Her experience as a consultant and DEI leader has equipped her with the skills to navigate complex organizational landscapes and implement inclusive practices. With a focus on intentionality and purpose-driven action, she strives to create environments where all individuals feel valued, respected, and empowered to succeed.

Passionate about creating opportunities and encouraging community engagement, Humaira is dedicated to leveraging her knowledge and experience to drive meaningful impact. Whether advocating for anti-racism measures, promoting diversity in sports, or championing inclusion initiatives, Humaira remains steadfast in her mission to create a more equitable and inclusive world.

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JT is a passionate and service-oriented Coaching Professional with over 20+ years of leadership and management experience in education, athletics and business. JT currently serves as a Human Potential and Success Coach, Speaker, Author and Podcaster. Outside of his leadership coaching practice, JT also currently serves as the Director of Culture and Sport with Football Ontario which is the largest (Football) Provincial Sport Organizationin Canada.

Prior to his current work, JT served as a high school Health & Physical Education and Student Success teacher for 15 years with the Thames Valley District School Board in London, Ontario. JT has also written an Amazon best-selling book, You Are Greatness, that went #1 in three countries: Canada, United States and Australia.

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Billie resides respectfully as a visitor on the unceded ancestral and traditional Quw’utsun lands and waterways of the Hul’q’umi’num’ speaking people. Billie is a mixed-race Afro-Caribbean and European cisgender woman with academic training and practice in human rights, social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) devoted to this long-term complex work.

The seeds of this complex work started as an athlete for 15+ years in a LSO to NSO in athletics as a sprinter. Organized sport was the first introduction to how important it is for everyone to feel a sense of belonging, as an athlete herself and as a sprint coach. Fast forward to Billie’s professional career where she has driven organizational goals of EDI, people, and culture throughout the 10+ years of combined experience managing people, portfolios, and projects. Informed by her family, community, and the sectors she has worked in including financial services and social-purpose organizations in sports administration and immigration services. Billie is committed to uncovering business opportunities and measuring success to show the community’s impact on long-term growth and sustainability. Billie thrives in stakeholder engagement, storytelling through data, and resolving complex organizational challenges with a dedicated, collaborative, and inquisitive mindset.

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Koren is a dedicated individual who has devoted over three decades to fostering the growth of basketball at the grassroots level in Ontario and Prince Edward Island (PEI). With a wealth of experience, she has coached players of all ages and skill levels, from grassroots initiatives to post-secondary teams. Her passion for basketball extends beyond the court as she actively contributes to the development of the sport as a member of the PEI basketball board, a member of the University of PEI Athletics and supports Sport PEI. Her commitment lies in ensuring that basketball is accessible and enjoyable for all players, working tirelessly to create opportunities for growth and participation.

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Nick’s background in sport includes more than 15 years as a high performance coach, a nationally accredited official, and an NCCP learning facilitator, along with many volunteer roles on boards of directors at various provincial and national organizations, most recently at the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC).

Since late 2021, he has worked at Sport Nova Scotia as the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Lead. This role was established to help support the growth of sport across the province through working with community and provincial sport organizations on creating and implementing inclusion plans with a community first mindset. With a background in law, project management, policy development, safe sport and EDIA Nick has helped create policies, best practices and culture change initiatives at many different organizations. He has helped establish connections and a community-first mindset when pushing beyond the “traditional” sport system. This includes creating partnerships with non- traditional sport organizations, building the capacity of communities to run sport in their own way, and advocating for Anti-Racism, Trans Inclusion, and Newcomer Sport initiatives at all levels. At Sport Nova Scotia he oversees the EDIA Community Funding program, created an EDI in Sport Conference Series and leads a provincial EDIA Strategy for Sport.

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