About GELP

Meet Our Team

The educators, founders, advisors, and partners who build and run every GELP program — across four teams and five countries.

A message from our founder.

We founded GELP to create a platform dedicated to nurturing the next generation of global leaders — individuals who strive for excellence and are committed to making a positive impact in their communities. At GELP, our mission is to guide students and young professionals as they navigate their next academic and career steps, equipping them with practical skills and inspiring them to lead with integrity and purpose.

My journey has always been rooted in youth leadership, community service, and education. I am honored to be recognized as a National TD Scholar and National Millennium Scholar — awards that reflect my commitment to these values. Over the years, I've had the privilege of founding the BC MBA Games, leading the 2017 Canada MBA Games, and serving as National Director and Education Lead for Post-Secondary Engagement with the Moose Hide Campaign in Canada, where our team raised over $1 million to support critical social causes. Through this network, I collaborate with over 120 academic partners across Canada and, through GELP, engage with more than 50 institutions globally. As an MBA professor for Work Integrated Learning at Vancouver Island University, I strive to instill these principles in my students, reinforcing the importance of perseverance, empathy, and collaboration in driving meaningful change.

Having recently completed my Doctorate in Higher Education with a focus on reconciling Indigenous perspectives within co-curricular learning, I am deeply committed to inclusive and impactful education. This focus reflects GELP's dedication to creating programs that empower future leaders to navigate our interconnected world thoughtfully and purposefully. At GELP, we offer participants experiential learning and reflection-based programs, challenging them to forge their own paths forward. I am thrilled to see the impact our programs have on students and young professionals, knowing that each journey here contributes to a shared vision of resilient communities and empowered individuals.

Thank you for joining us at GELP. Together, we're building a generation of leaders who inspire and uplift those around them.

Grounding Our Intentions

As a respected Nakota Elder and Treaty 6 leader, Elder Wilson Bearhead brings invaluable cultural wisdom to GELP — fostering empathy, resilience, and respect for Indigenous knowledge. His presence supports GELP's commitment to reconciliation, while demonstrating for international audiences how inclusive leadership benefits from Indigenous perspectives — promoting interconnectedness, respect for diversity, and socially responsible global leadership.

Wilson Bearhead is Nakota: a member of the Wabamun Lake First Nation in Treaty 6 territory. Wilson has served as Chief in his own community, Grand Chief of the Confederacy of Treaty 6, as well as the Assembly of First Nations Alberta Regional Chief. Wilson was the first Elder in Residence for Edmonton Public Libraries before moving to serve as the Elder for Elk Island Public Schools for four years, and still provides cultural teachings and supports to many schools and organizations across Alberta. Wilson is the recent recipient of the Canadian Teachers' Federation Indigenous Elder Award and is the co-author of the children's book series, Siha Tooskin Knows. Wilson's grandmother Annie was a powerful, positive influence in his young life, teaching him all of the lessons that gave him the strength, knowledge, and skills to overcome difficult times and embrace the gifts of life.

Elder Wilson Bearhead

Special Advisor Team

Senior advisors from across academia, industry, and community leadership who help shape GELP's strategy and programs.

Sobhana Jaya-Madhavan
Associate Vice President, External Relations, Simon Fraser University
David Woodward
Co-op Coordinator — UVic Engineering and Computer Science Department
Dr. Carrie Chassels
Campus Administrator & Associate Dean, Northeastern University
Brock Dykeman
Past President and Vice Chancellor, University of Canada West
Charlene Bearhead
Vice President of Learning and Reconciliation, Royal Canadian Geographical Society
Luke Nixon-Janssen
Director, Marketing & Business Development, Magnet, Ryerson University
Raven Lacerte
Co-Founder, Moose Hide Campaign Development Society
Nneka Otogbolu
Chief Operating Officer, Foundation for Black Communities Canada
Dr. Hazel Brown
Associate Dean, School of Sport, Health and Community, University of Winchester
Patrick Brennan
CEO, Advanced Professional Training Centre · Special Advisor
Tina Belcourt
Development Officer, Faculty of Law, University of Victoria
Cynthia Lange
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Consultant
Dr. Ravi Chandra Raju
Special Advisor — Global Skills Incubator