Jennifer Chan (she/her)
Founder, CEO & Story Caretaker
Jenn is second-generation Chinese-Canadian, a Mama, a partner, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a struggling idealist, a pandemic-induced extroverted introvert, and a recovering perfectionist aka super Virgo.
Jenn’s thinking was partially shaped by her Bachelors in Architectural Science from Ryerson University, her Masters of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation from the Ontario College of Art and Design and her life MBA of running her own design-driven community engagement consultancy since 2007
Jenn finds joy in starting new crafty hobbies, gets a bit obsessive doing it as much as possible until she becomes bored and moves on. (She is also a fan of run-on sentences)
Erica Wright (she/her)
Director of Operations
Erica’s education and career started with a brief stint in Healthcare, followed by Business Management, Immigration and Settlement, research on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and eventually consulting on the same. This meant consulting with organizations and governments on creating equitable strategies, and leading community consultations on addressing oppressive policies and instances of racism.
Now, she has a fancy title at the DIA which, in practice (she thinks), translates roughly to “figuring out what needs to be done, to get to where we want to go.” The first part comes from data – collecting, organizing, evaluating and responding to it. The second part comes from people – caring about them, and listening to what they have to say.
P.S. Erica was born and raised on the land named Tkaranto (which you might colonially know as Toronto). She is the child of immigrant parents from Jamaica and Philippines, respectively. She is a Capricorn and is told that that means she works too hard, and her current artistic hobby is photography.
Mathura “Temwa” Mahendren (she/her)
Story Caretaker, Minister of Memes & Meditation, previously Program Manager of The Stories of Us
Mathura is a storyteller by nature and design researcher by nurture. As the daughter of asylum-seeking refugees fleeing state-sanctioned genocide in Sri Lanka, now residing on stolen land on Turtle Island, the desire to reconcile the dissonances within her lineage often manifests in her work.
Her parents’ love survived oceans of distance across indefinite periods of time, the poverty of starting anew in a foreign land, and the sudden and premature loss of their firstborn, and she is intimately aware of the ways in which our ability to move through difference, discomfort, grief, change, and growth is deeply intertwined with how and how deeply we were taught to love. To that end, love is both the method and the madness that underpins all of her bodies of work.
Her practice is rooted in a commitment to designing and sharing tools, frameworks, and brave spaces that can hold relationships through difference, discomfort, grief, change, and ultimately, growth.
Our Board of Directors
Trevor Haldenby (he/him)
President and Secretary
Trevor Haldenby is an imaginative Canadian futurist with 20 years of experience in strategic foresight, business innovation, and digital storytelling. He leads by transporting knowledge and ideas across different domains — from immersive experience design to strategic challenges spanning high-tech, life sciences, and social innovation.
Trevor’s graduate research at OCAD University (2012) demonstrated the value of adapting scenarios and trend forecasts into immersive ByoLogyc experiences where people emotionally and intellectually “prehearse” the complex decisions they could face in various futures.
He has been a special keynote presenter at TED, CBC, Autodesk University, 21st Century Ideas Festival, and Ars Electronica. Professionally, he has held titles including Interactive Producer at Canadian Film Centre (2004), Habbo Hotel (2006), and Earth Rangers (2008); Director of Business Transformation at Syntegrity (2017-2021), Facilitator with SURGE, and Principal at Wierd(A)dvisory
Alicia Richins (she/they)
Treasurer
Alicia is a climate justice advocate, sustainable impact
strategist and writer, called to imagine beyond the plausible.
She is the founder of The Climateverse, a transformation lab and
multimedia studio focused on radically imagining and co-creating
climate just futures. There, she leverages storytelling and futures
methods to articulate and inspire action towards better futures for
all.
As a consultant-facilitator, they help organizations and community
groups to develop futures-oriented impact strategies and systems, and
to unpack the intersecting issues of climate, social and economic
justice, in order to navigate challenges while building towards their
desired futures (outcomes).
A proud Trinbagonian-Canadian, her offerings are underscored by her
active engagement in the youth climate movement in Canada and across
the Caribbean, as well as her graduate education and research in
ecological economics, international development and urban planning.
Alexandra Tamiko Da Dalt (she/her)
General Member
Alexandra Tamiko Da Dalt is a lawyer and former communications professional with a background in education. She has lived and worked with organizations in Canada, the United States, Argentina, Japan, and Timor-Leste.
Alexandra received her law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, where she was involved in the Osgoode Hall Law Journal as an Associate and Senior Editor and served as the Managing Editor in her final year. During her legal studies, Alexandra worked with Aboriginal Legal Services’ Giiwedin Anang Council, the Barbra Schlifer Clinic, and was a Fellow of the Ontario Justice Education Network. She was the 2021 winner of the Canadian Bar Association’s Writing Them In essay contest and was the recipient of the 2023 Aird & Berlis LLP and Women’s Law Association of Ontario Equality Award. She clerked at the Federal Court of Canada and now is an Associate at a firm in Toronto.
Alexandra received her JD from Osgoode Hall Law School, her MA in Peace & Human Rights Education, and her BA with honours in Social & Cultural Analysis from New York University.
Samar Mudawi (she/her)
General Member
A motivated development practitioner with a postgraduate MSc degree in Development Practice from Trinity College Dublin. An Avid learner with a passion for research and demonstrated knowledge of data collection methods. An analytical and critical thinker with meticulous attention to details and keen problem-solving abilities. Dedicated and focused, with over 3 years of experience in management, planning and research in various social development settings. Research interests include EDI, health, poverty, education, and gender.
Jennifer Chan (she/her)
Staff Member
Jenn is the CEO & Co-Founder to the Department of Imaginary Affairs and now on our Board of Directors. Jenn’s extensive background designing, developing and implementing participatory and co-design based programming within the nonprofit and social innovation sector has given her a unique set of skills to lead this organization.
Mia George (she/her)
General Member
Mia George is a strategist with over a decade of public sector experience in communications, project management and strategic planning. A lifelong learner, Mia is a designated Project Management Professional, Program Management Professional, and Certified Professional in Talent Development. She has an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, a Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing from Humber College, a Certificate in Human Resources Management from Centennial College and a Certificate in Adult Education and Staff Training from Seneca College. In addition to being a public servant and near-constant student, she is a realtor, a travel agent, a yoga teacher, an aromatherapist, and a published author. Finally, as a Masters of Design candidate in OCAD University’s Strategic Foresight and Innovation program, Mia found foresight at the intersection of her passions for learning, public service, and innovation. Mia’s combination of work, volunteer and educational experience gives her a unique perspective into how foresight can be leveraged to improve matters of democracy and governance. She is particularly interested in how futures techniques can be used to benefit communities. Today, Mia’s mission is to democratize futures work through integrating personal and community futuring, empowering individuals and enhancing collective well-being.