2022 Dismantling Digital Barriers Summit

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About the event

In 2022, working in the digital world is essential.

It seems like a no-brainer that all social purpose organizations should have the digital tools, capacity and resources to flourish in this new reality. But, over two years into the pandemic that accelerated the pace of digitization and hybridization of every aspect of your work, this just isn’t the case. 

89 percent of non-profits say they are planning to be digital-first and digitize key systems. However, 4 in 5 organizations say they experience internal barriers to becoming data-driven and digital-first.

Whether you work in fundraising, DEI, communications, grantmaking, program delivery, advocacy or community engagement, your work is rapidly digitizing.

The pandemic also exposed and amplified major digital disparities in Canadian society — from helping women find work to helping the elderly access services to keeping kids learning.

Although there has been notable progress in addressing digital inequities and funding digital transformation, the work is far from complete.

The good news is the solutions are out there. There are organizations, funders, and community-led projects that are paving the way for this future of work. 

Join us on November 28th and 29th for Future of Good’s 2nd annual Dismantling Digital Barriers Summit, presented by CIRA and Mastercard Canada.

You’ll be joined by more than 500 changemakers working in diverse roles to learn about how data and technology are shaping the future of work.

The opportunity and potential of data and digital transformation for the social impact world is enormous. From addressing food insecurity to mental health to reimagining fundraising campaigns and delivering humanitarian aid, there are promising examples everywhere.

Featuring plenaries, interactive breakouts, and Braindates peer learning, this summit explores the range of topics — from digital DEI and fundraising to data equity and web3. You’ll learn practical insights and steps for adapting your role and team for a hybrid and digital world.

Summit Themes

Embracing digital-first everything: What’s the progress on digital transformation in the sector?

Much of the social impact sector has moved to digital and hybrid work. What has gained traction? What hasn’t? What are the opportunities of digital and data for the sector? We’ll explore the promising opportunities of data and digital infrastructure among changemakers. 

Canada’s digital disparities: Status check

How big is Canada’s digital divide and who exactly is being left out? Two years after we all needed to be digitally connected, which communities are still cut off? Has the pandemic shifted the world toward an understanding of digital connectivity as a right? What real progress has Canada made?

Web3 and emerging technologies for social good: How can we shape a better future?

New technologies are transforming the way we can create societal change and how we carry out our missions—not dissimilar to what the internet did in the early 1990s. We have an opportunity to harness these technologies to empower communities and create systems transformation. What is web3? Why is it promising? Where is it getting stuck? What are some of the emerging examples that hold potential?

Digital fundraising: What are the trends?

Fundraising has perhaps had the greatest shift to the online world. Digital fundraising has exponentially increased in the past three years and show no signs of slowing. Will online fundraising become mainstream? What are the possibilities and pitfalls? Speakers share a range of digital fundraising experiences and illuminate how this shift is faring for them.

Disability and DEI in a digital world: What are you missing?

Organizations are familiar with what accessibility and inclusion means in the physical world. But what about the online world? Disability and DEI in a digital world are new opportunities and challenges for many social purpose organizations. Speakers illuminate inspiring practices, bottlenecks to watch for, and what you can start doing.

Data for social good: What are the possibilities?

Data is everywhere. It’s used for communications, research, fundraising and impact measurement. The opportunities are enormous but increasingly, data has become complicated. Questions of privacy, ownership, equity, and collection methods are becoming increasingly urgent. Speakers dive into promising opportunities for social good, how analytics works, use cases and important changes in navigating this messy data landscape.

Digital transformation of community programs and services: What have we learned?

Programs and services of all kinds—including training, therapy, incubation, and support have undergone hybrid or digital transformations. This is posing a range of opportunities and challenges for clients and program delivery teams. How can you digitize and hybridize in a way that maintains the integrity and impact of programs and services? Speakers offer practical insights. 

Direct funding for digital equity and digital transformation: How can we mobilize funders?

You can count on one hand how many funders in Canada explicitly fund digital equity and digital transformation. As the digital divide widens, now is the time for corporate, private philanthropy, community and government funders to step up. Technovate has developed new strategy for the sector and CIRA has produced a new how-to guide for funders. How can funders get started?

BRAINDATES

Future of Good is partnering with e180 to bring peer-to-peer learning and purposeful networking to the summit. With Braindates, you’ll be able to connect with and learn from other changemakers in video conversations based on the topics that matter to you. Attendees will receive instructions on joining Braindate upon registration.

WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID

“We need to start talking within the social sector about structural systemic issues in Canada that are perpetuating digital barriers.”
“No matter what your number one [cause] is as a social purpose organization, you need to deliver and you need to know that [digitizing your work is] central to making positive social change in communities.”
“What we’re seeing is an increasingly digital world where the bar is being set higher every day with technology — and then that inability to meet those standards is really holding organizations and people behind.”

Registration

Membership unlocks access to all Future of Good’s summits, session recordings and social impact journalism.

current MEMBERS

If you are a current Future of Good member, access to this summit is included in your membership. Visit this page to RSVP now.

New members

An annual individual or team membership is a top professional resource for more than 2,500 changemakers from coast-to-coast-to-coast, helping you stay current and knowledgeable, and do more impactful work everyday.

Memberships enable our summits and social impact journalism, including Canada’s only dedicated coverage of all things data, digital transformation, and technology for social change.

How a membership helps you become a better changemaker:

• Discover news, solutions, analysis and insights shaping the social impact world through in-depth features, special reports, and deep dive interviews  
• Stay knowledgeable with full access to all summits and events, with access to all session recordings on demand
• Get expert perspectives on fundraising, philanthropy, DEI, and future of work from changemakers through personalized content recommendations
• Learn from and connect with your peers with Braindates and at communities of practice

Registration

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• If financial barriers exist to your participation at this event, we encourage you to self-identify and purchase this ticket to the event only (Future of Good membership is not included.)

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GROUPS

All team plans include access to all our summits, session recordings, social impact journalism, and personalized content recommendations so your team can do their best work everyday.

For public sector teams and groups please email katrya@futureofgood.co.

Future of Good has created accessible memberships for small grassroots, volunteer-run organizations with financial constraints. Groups can self identify for the accessible membership price at $250+ tax, annually. 

For more information on this plan please click here.

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AGENDA

DAY 1

11:00 AM ET

Conference Opening

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM ET

Canada’s digital disparities: 
Status check

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM ET

Embracing digital-first everything: What’s the progress on digital transformation in the sector?

1:30 PM – 1:45 PM ET

Lightning talk with Special Guest

1:45 PM – 3:00 PM ET

Braindates

3:00 PM – 3:15 PM ET

Lightning talk with Special Guest

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM ET

Disability and DEI in a digital world: What can you start doing?

DAY 2

11:00 AM – 11:15 AM ET

Opening words from
Mastercard Canada

11:15 AM – 12:00 PM ET

Direct funding for digital equity and digital transformation: How can we mobilize funders?

12:15 PM – 1:15 PM ET

Web3 and emerging technologies for social good: How can we shape a better future?

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM ET

Concurrent sessions:

(1) Digital transformation of community programs and services: What have we learned?

(2) Digital Fundraising: What are the trends?

2:30 PM – 2:45 PM ET

Lightning talk with Special Guest

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM ET

Data for social good: What are the possibilities?

3:45 PM – 5:00 PM ET

Braindates

SPEAKERS

Sasha Krstic

President of Mastercard in Canada

In her role as President of Mastercard in Canada, Sasha is responsible for all aspects of the company’s Canadian operations and leads the regional strategy to continue growing Mastercard’s brand and business in Canada.

Vass Bednar

Executive Director, Master of Public Policy Program in Digital Society

Vass Bednar is the Executive Director of the Master of Public Policy Program in Digital Society where she is also an Adjunct Professor of Political Science. Vass is a Public Policy Forum Fellow, a Senior Fellow at CIGI, and writes the popular newsletter “regs to riches.”

Charles Buchanan

Founder and CEO, Technology Helps

Charles spent nearly three decades in corporate technology leadership, management consulting and entrepreneurship with senior roles at Suncor Energy, Deloitte, Oracle, MNP, and Royal LePage. He currently serves as a founding board member of Calgary Black Chambers; a member of the GAIN Team at United Way of Calgary and Area; grant committee at Calgary Foundation; and more.

Jennifer Corriero

Co-founder,
TakingITGlobal

Jennifer is dedicated to supporting youth across Canada and around the world through co-designing and delivering programs that leverage the power of their voices, creativity and technology for impact. She leads the Connected North program, which currently serves over 20,000 Indigenous students in over 140 schools in northern, remote Indigenous communities throughout Canada.

Liz Forsberg

Partnerships Lead – Impact, Ontario Trillium Foundation

Liz develops strategic partnerships to build capacity and infrastructure at a systems level across Ontario’s nonprofit sector. She was a recipient of Toronto Community Foundation’s Vital People Award and was named an inaugural fellow of the Toronto Arts Council’s Cultural Leaders Lab. Her writing has appeared in “The State of the Arts: Living with Culture in Toronto,” and GreenTOpia: Towards a Sustainable Toronto.”

Katie Gibson

strategy and partnerships, CIO Strategy council

Katie is a lawyer by training and an activist at heart. She’s passionate about using entrepreneurial tools for social impact. Currently, Katie leads strategy and partnerships at the CIO Strategy Council, a nonprofit focused on Canada’s digital transformation. In this role, she cofounded the Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resilience. 

Maureen James

Community Investment Program Manager, CIRA

Maureen James manages CIRA’s Community Investment Program which funds community-led internet projects across Canada in rural, Northern and Indigenous communities. Her background is in fundraising, grantmaking and strategy development with non-profits internationally and in Canada. With the recent release of CIRA’s ‘How to Fund Digital Equity in Canada’ guide, her current obsession is working to build community and commitment around funding digital equity.

RABIA KHEDR

National Director, Disability Without Poverty |
CEO, DEEN Support Services

Rabia most recently served as a Board Member of Accessibility Standards Canada and the Minister’s Disability Advisory Group. A founder of Race and Disability Canada, she is also a board member of the Muslim Council of Peel and a board member of the Federation of Muslim Women. Rabia has received numerous awards for her humanitarian services, including Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Metal. 

Amy MacFarlane

Founder and CEO, Recreational Respite

Recreational Respite promotes inclusion, encourages community participation, and nurtures social health and connectivity for children, youth and adults who face barriers to participation because of disability, mental illness, disease, or other vulnerabilities, across Canada. Her work has been extensive in both Canada and internationally.

Jeffrey Normore

Manager of Digital Operations, CCRW

In the organizations Jeffrey has worked in, he has led digital transformation projects from ecommerce setup, website redesigns, intranets, customer portals, automations, and online learning. Jeffrey lives in Newfoundland and Labrador and proudly works for CCRW, a national nonprofit who’s mission is to make employment more inclusive for workers with disabilities.

Suzi Oram-Aylward

Safe Space Coordinator and Program Coordinator, Northside Rising

Suzi plays a key role in designing, delivering and evolving programming designed to build leadership,capacity and civic engagement on the Northside. They are also a visual artist living in Unama’ki-Cape Breton. Suzi has worked at various organizations across the Maritimes including Welcome Housing and ACAP Cape Breton. When they are not working, they can be found in the studio, or combing the beach looking for inspiration for their next project.

Ikem Opara

Director of National Learning Partnerships, Rideau Hall Foundation.

Ikem is a Nigerian immigrant to Canada, where he spends his time in the public and non-profit sectors building relationships and partnerships for social impact. His career has included hyperlocal projects across Canada to leading or supporting international development programs in Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Nepal, and Cuba. His focus is on belonging, identity, social cohesion and redefining citizenship as action instead of a classification.

Krista Pawley

Founder of Imperative Impact

Krista brings together diverse stakeholders in conversation and collaboration toward a better future. She is the Founder of Imperative Impact, the co-Founder of Wavemakers, and the co-Chair of IdentityNORTH. Krista’s work focuses on designing inclusive experiences and reputation strategies for current and future leaders to understand, prepare, and shape a more sustainable future.

Jason Shim

DIGITAL DIRECTOR, ONTARIO SCIENCE CENTRE​

Jason is the co-author of Bitcoin and the Future of Fundraising and also serves as an editor at Ledger, a peer-reviewed scholarly journal at the University of Pittsburgh that publishes full-length original research articles on the subjects of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. In addition, Jason has also previously served on the board of NTEN.

Leila Toplic

Head of Emerging Technologies Initiative, NetHope

Leila leads strategic efforts focused on enabling the nonprofit sector to design and use emerging technologies to tackle poverty, displacement, education, and climate change. She’s currently leading a global landscape assessment focused on ‘digital for climate adaptation and resilience of vulnerable communities’. She was selected as Top 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021 and serves on the Expert Committee for the Digital Trust Label in Switzerland.

jennifer sloan

vice president of public policy, Mastercard Canada and Executive Sponsor, Mastercard Changeworks™

As the vice president of public policy at Mastercard Canada and and Executive Sponsor, Mastercard Changeworks™ Jennifer leads the development and management of the company’s public affairs and government relations programs. She is a member of Mastercard Canada’s business leadership team. Jennifer is also the Chair of the Board of the Canadian American Business Council (CABC) and the current and first independent chair of Music Canada’s Board of Directors. 

Abid Virani

COO, Fable

Informed by experiences spanning the non-profit sector, international development initiatives, film and digital product development, Abid is a strong advocate of accessibility and inclusive design. Abid has been celebrated as one of Forbes’ Top 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs and an Emerging Innovator in North America by Ashoka Changemakers.

Marika Warner

Director of Research and Evaluation for community engagement and social impact initiatives, Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment

Marika’s portfolio includes program evaluation, academic research partnerships, and technology and innovation. She is an invited author of a chapter in the Routledge Handbook of Sport and Sustainable Development and has authored papers in publications such as the International Journal of Sport & Society, Advances in Physical Education, and the Journal of Sport for Development. 

SHELLEY ZUCKERMAN

special advisor, North York Community House

Shelley has been the Executive Director of North York Community House (NYCH) for the past 30 years. During that time, she led the growth of NYCH from a newly established small organization to one with a wide range of high impact programs and services throughout northwest Toronto and a budget of over $8 million. In August 2022 Shelley retired as Executive Director and is currently a special advisor to NYCH.

Karly Mortimer

Director, Artist and Program Development
National accessArts Centre

Michelle Baldwin

Senior Advisor, Transformation at Community Foundations of Canada

Nicki Lamont Cholfe

Director, D2C Marketing, CanadaHelps

Marco Campana

Communications & Digital Strategist

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