Paula Sahyoun has worked on some of Canada’s seminal social finance initiatives and is currently serving as the Manager of Systems Change and Social Finance at SVX, an impact investing firm. As a daughter of Palestine and Hong Kong, Paula has always been motivated by an inner sense of justice and is passionate about using art, economic and social finance tools to empower people within communities facing injustice. Paula has spent the last few years deeply engaged within Canada’s social innovation ecosystem. She has previously worked within the Government of Ontario’s Social Enterprise Unit as a Policy Advisor, and as a Social Innovation Fellow at the McConnell Family Foundation where she worked within their Re-Code (post-secondary social infrastructure), youth and climate, and public interest journalism teams. She also has extensive experience in international development and is recently back from Lebanon working on the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent's innovative finance strategy and sits on the Board of Plan International Canada. Paula is recognized as a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, Climate Reality Leader and United Nations SDSN Local Pathways Fellow.
