Arrive, connect, and get ready for the day ahead

Community organizations are facing rapid shifts, from demographic changes to rising community needs. This panel explores what it means to “future-proof” organizations in this context. 

Panellists will discuss current sector challenges, emerging trends, and the capabilities and change agents required to build long-term resilience.

Recharge, reconnect, and get ready for what’s next

The future of the community sector will be shaped by how we connect across regions, sectors, and systems. This keynote explores how stronger provincial and national relationships can unlock new opportunities for innovation, shared resources, and collective impact.

Through real examples and emerging trends, this session will challenge us to think bigger about what is possible when we move beyond silos and activate the full strength of our networks.

Communities across Newfoundland and Labrador are rich in resilience and local expertise, yet often face barriers that limit collaboration and innovation. This panel brings together speakers from across the province and Canada to explore new ways of working together and designing solutions rooted in place.

Panellists will share how communities can strengthen alignment, break down silos, and leverage provincial and national networks to support local innovation. The session will also explore how geography, culture, and community identity shape programs, relationships, and approaches to change.

Sandra Mugford
Community Employment Coordinator, Sandwich Bay 50+ Club

Sandra Mugford

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Community Employment Coordinator, Sandwich Bay 50+ Club

Sandra Mugford is a proud Inuit woman based in Cartwright, Labrador, where she lives with her husband. She is the Community Employment Coordinator with the NunatuKavut Community Council and is deeply committed to supporting individuals and strengthening her community. A devoted grandmother, Sandra is actively involved in local initiatives, volunteering with organizations such as the Sandwich Bay 50 Plus Club, the Residential School Drummers, and the NunatuKavut Membership Committee. She also provides peer support within her community and was recently elected to the Cartwright Town Council. Sandra is passionate about giving back and contributing to the wellbeing of her community.

Priscilla Clark
Community Hub Coordinator, Sandwich Bay 50+ Club

Priscilla Clark

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Community Hub Coordinator, Sandwich Bay 50+ Club

Priscilla Clark is the Community Hub Coordinator with the NunatuKavut Community Council in Cartwright, Labrador, where she was born and raised. After dedicating 37 years to the Northwest Company, she began a new chapter supporting seniors, youth, and community members through inclusive programs that strengthen connection and wellbeing. An active volunteer, Priscilla serves on local boards including the Sandwich Bay 50+ Club and School Council, and is a Mental Wellness Champion. She also supports cultural initiatives such as youth drumming and serves as a Town Councillor. Priscilla is passionate about building strong, vibrant, and age-friendly communities.

Amparo Montoya
Project Coordinator, Collective Interchange

Amparo Montoya

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Project Coordinator, Collective Interchange

Amparo Montoya Quality & Food Safety Consultant | Social Innovation Leader | Community Builder Amparo Montoya is a Colombian-trained bacteriologist, founder of Dinámica Corporativa SAS, and a social innovation leader based in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. With over 20 years of experience in quality management and food safety systems, she has supported agri-food businesses in strengthening operations, ensuring compliance, and improving competitiveness across the value chain. Since arriving in St. John’s in 2013, Amparo has transformed her professional expertise into a platform for community impact. Her work focuses on bridging systems, people, and opportunities to support newcomer integration and regional development. As Project Coordinator at Collective Interchange, she co-led the creation of Newcomer Navigator NL—a place-based digital platform designed to connect newcomers with trusted information, services, and community networks across the province. What began as an idea has evolved into a growing ecosystem that not only facilitates settlement, but also creates pathways for employment, skills development, and community participation through innovative internship models. Amparo’s approach to place-based innovation is rooted in collaboration, inclusion, and systems thinking. She builds partnerships across sectors and communities to design solutions that respond to local realities while unlocking the potential of diverse populations. Her work reflects a clear vision: stronger communities built through connection, shared knowledge, and the meaningful integration of newcomers as contributors to social and economic development.

Connect, recharge, and spark new ideas. Meet peers from across the province and Canada, share experiences, and build relationships that carry beyond the festival.

Still in the lab. Shaping this one with care.

Wendy Reid Fairhurst
Acting ED & Housing Innovation Lead, Reclaim Community CDO

Wendy Reid Fairhurst

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Acting ED & Housing Innovation Lead, Reclaim Community CDO

Wendy is co-founder of Reclaim Community CDO, a social enterprise formed out of the work done to create Killick Ecovillage Co-operative. Reclaim focuses on building capacity, resource-sharing, innovation, and helping groups put into action their place-based, grassroots ideas and initiatives. Killick is a 51-unit mixed income housing co-operative integrated into a 57-acre regenerative farm and focused on community-building, housing equity and distributive economies.

Workshop in progress. Co-creating something good here.

Christine Snow
Project Manager, Community Sector Council NL

Christine Snow

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Project Manager, Community Sector Council NL

Christine Snow has dedicated more than 40 years to community and economic development in Newfoundland and Labrador. During this time, she has honed her expertise in youth and seniors' engagement, education, business and community development, investment attraction, strategic planning, and immigration support. A recognized leader, dedicated to positive change, Christine currently plays a pivotal role in driving the organization's HR planning initiatives for senior leaders within the province's community sector.

The community sector is being stretched in ways we cannot ignore. Declining volunteerism, rising burnout, and ongoing workforce challenges are not isolated issues. They are signals that the systems supporting our people are under strain.

This keynote confronts a critical question: what will it take to sustain the people who sustain our communities?

Drawing on emerging insights and tools, this session will explore how well-being, leadership, and organizational culture must evolve to meet this moment. It will challenge assumptions, surface hard truths, and open up new ways of thinking about what meaningful support really looks like.

People are the driving force behind every strong community, and right now, that foundation is being tested. This panel brings together leaders who are actively responding to the realities of today’s sector, from shifting volunteerism to workforce challenges and burnout.

Grounded in real experience, this conversation moves beyond theory to explore what is actually working. Panelists will share how they are moving from consultation to true community leadership, rethinking how organizations attract and support people, and creating conditions where teams can thrive.

This is a space to learn from what is being tried, what is changing, and what is possible when we invest in people as the core of community impact.

Mary Walsh
Executive Director, End Sexual Violence NL

Mary Walsh

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Executive Director, End Sexual Violence NL

Mary Walsh (she/her) is the Executive Director of End Sexual Violence NL and a leader in trauma‑informed, community‑based research and practice. She brings more than a decade of experience in frontline service delivery and community work, grounding her approach in harm reduction, intersectional feminism, and the meaningful inclusion of marginalized voices. Mary holds a Master of Science in Medicine (Clinical Epidemiology) from Memorial University and has dedicated her career to advancing evidence‑informed strategies that support survivors and strengthen systems of care. Her work focuses on centering lived and living expertise, improving access to services, and fostering collaborative approaches to ending sexual violence across Newfoundland and Labrador. Mary is recognized for her commitment to creating safer, more equitable communities and for championing practices that honour the dignity, autonomy, and resilience of those most impacted.

Anouk Bertner
Executive Director, Future of Good

Anouk Bertner

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Executive Director, Future of Good

Anouk Bertner is the Executive Director of Future of Good, an award-winning social purpose media organization that equips changemakers with the insights they need to drive impact. She oversees day-to-day operations, strategy, and key programs. Anouk was the former Board Chair of Common Approach to Impact Measurement, a key infrastructure for the social purpose sector. Previously, she led EcoEquitable, a social enterprise supporting newcomer women through skills training and employment, including the acclaimed Sewing for Jobs program. Under her leadership, the organization pivoted during the pandemic to produce protective masks. Anouk is passionate about systems change and is committed to reshaping the world. She is a mom to two humans and one dog, and believes there is no bad weather, just bad clothes.

Sean Wiltshire
Chief Executive Officer, Avalon Employment Inc.

Sean Wiltshire

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Chief Executive Officer, Avalon Employment Inc.

Sean Wiltshire (he/him) Sean Wiltshire is a national and international leader in inclusive employment and community-based workforce development, with more than 35 years of experience supporting people, organizations, and systems to work better together. He is the CEO of Avalon Employment Inc. in Newfoundland and Labrador and the author of the Autism@Work national employment program. Sean is best known for helping design and scale inclusive employment models that centre people, foster strong partnerships, and create lasting system change. Through Autism@Work and related initiatives, he has worked across provinces and internationally to strengthen employment outcomes for people with disabilities while supporting employers, staff, and community organizations to build capacity and resilience. Sean also developed a large Social Enterprise developing a Electronic Payroll Service that he has managed for 28 years. A sought-after speaker and panelist, Sean brings a people-first leadership lens, practical insight, and lived experience to conversations about supporting staff and volunteers and future‑proofing the community sector.

Recharge, reconnect, and get ready for what’s next

How would building a culture of greater inclusion and belonging benefit your nonprofit organization? This session will explore the characteristics of inclusive organizations and why they excel. Participants will come away with tools nonprofits can use to gain insights into their organization's sense of belonging & inclusion and how to turn these insights into practical change.

Liz Dennis
Executive in Residence, Capacity Canada

Liz Dennis

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Executive in Residence, Capacity Canada

For most of Liz’s over 20 years in the nonprofit sector, she has been dedicated to capacity-building organizations and programs in and around the Greater Toronto Area. Since joining Capacity Canada in 2018, Liz has used the lens of human-centred design to stimulate new thinking and approaches to challenges and opportunities faced by social good organizations. In addition to an Honours BA in English, Liz earned a Certificate of Management and Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector from Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario. Liz also runs a healthcare business and is actively involved in the theatre community in her region.

In the works. Designed to be useful.

Pause, connect, and refuel. Join fellow participants from across the province and Canada to share ideas, continue conversations, and build relationships that carry beyond the festival.

Sustainability in the community sector goes far beyond finances. It is about the systems, structures, and resources that allow organizations to operate, adapt, and thrive over time.

Yet many organizations are being asked to do more with less, navigating funding uncertainty, operational pressures, and growing community needs. At the same time, conversations around financing and sustainability can feel complex, uncomfortable, or out of reach.

This keynote expands the conversation. It explores what it truly means to build sustainable organizations across financial, operational, and strategic dimensions. From revenue diversification and shared services to new approaches to financing and resource sharing, the session will challenge assumptions and open up new possibilities.

Building a sustainable organization today requires more than diversifying revenue. It calls for rethinking how we operate, how we make decisions, and how we approach growth and impact.

This panel brings together leaders who are actively navigating these shifts. From social enterprise and new revenue models to operational changes and mindset transformations, speakers will share what they are testing, what is working, and what they are learning along the way.

Terri Byrne
Manager, SABRI Innovation, St.Anthony Basin Resources

Terri Byrne

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Manager, SABRI Innovation, St.Anthony Basin Resources

Terri Byrne - B.A., C. Cr., M.C.W. - Terri leads SABRI Innovation at St. Anthony Basin Resources on the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador. She brings a wealth of experience grounded in over 2 decades of leadership in both private business and public service. Her expertise in community stakeholder engagement, project development, and strategic planning across business, health, and education sectors provides comprehensive insight into multi-stakeholder environments and diverse rural community dynamics. Terri is passionate about contributing to meaningful social enterprise, and brings strong interpersonal, organizational, and research skills, alongside a commitment to continued learning and collaboration.

Jeffrey Young
President & CEO, Mi'kmaw Cultural Foundation

Jeffrey Young

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President & CEO, Mi'kmaw Cultural Foundation

Jeffrey Young is a Franco-Mi’kmaw professional originally from New Brunswick, now based in Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador. Raised on the Port au Port Peninsula, he has been actively engaged in both volunteer and professional roles across the province since his youth, with a steadfast commitment to cultural preservation and community development. Jeff’s leadership within the Mi’kmaw Cultural Foundation (MCF) began with his appointment as a Director, followed by his service as Secretary. In 2021, he made history as the organization’s first Executive Director and now serves as President & CEO. His tenure has been marked by the strengthening of relationships within Indigenous communities across Newfoundland and Labrador and the expansion of MCF’s cultural and educational initiatives. Professionally, Jeff brings extensive experience across multiple sectors. He is the owner of Bayside Consulting Inc., offering strategic consulting services and short- and long-term housing solutions. His previous work with the Federal Government enhanced his expertise in federal governance, compliance, and financial operations. Guided by the principle of Etuaptmumk—the Mi’kmaw concept of "two-eyed seeing"—Jeff integrates Indigenous knowledge systems with Western frameworks to foster culturally grounded yet operationally effective solutions. This balanced approach enables him to support non-profits, businesses, and community organizations in aligning cultural values with strategic planning and organizational sustainability. With a robust academic foundation in business studies, Jeff excels in strategic development, organizational management, and sustainable community planning. His interdisciplinary expertise and deep cultural commitment reflect a vision for transformative, long-term change that empowers Indigenous communities and advances reconciliation through action. With a deep-rooted commitment to cultural integrity, community empowerment, and responsible leadership, Jeff brings both lived experience and professional expertise to the table. His understanding of local needs—shaped by years of service, listening, and collaborative action—positions him to be a strong and effective voice for the region. He is ready to advocate with integrity, lead with compassion, and work tirelessly to ensure communities are heard, respected, and supported at every level.

Gillian Morrissey
Manager, Centre for Social Enterprise

Gillian Morrissey

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Manager, Centre for Social Enterprise

Dr. Morrissey guides the activities of the Centre for Social Enterprise as it strives to cultivate a new generation of socially-minded business leaders, strengthen social enterprise and drive social innovation in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Under construction. Building something impactful here.

Putting the blocks together. Big ideas are in the works.

Hands-on. Collective. Action-oriented.

This interactive session brings participants together to synthesize the insights, challenges, and opportunities surfaced throughout the festival. Working collaboratively, attendees will map the current realities of the community sector and identify key levers for change.

Together, we will begin to shape a shared pathway toward a more resilient and future-ready ecosystem, grounded in real experience and collective insight.

Reflect, reconnect, and carry the momentum forward