Prepare Her Cohort: Fall 2024
Aditi Loveridge (she/her)
Aditi Loveridge is the Founder and CEO of the registered charity, Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support Centre. She is also the creator of the Microdose™ method, an evidence-based approach to grief processing that focuses on small, intentional steps for healing. Additionally, she is the co-founder of Seeds of Growth, Grief Education Inc., a Grief & Loss Coach Certification program, and serves as Board Co-Chair of Skipping Stones Foundation, a registered charity empowering trans and gender-diverse youth and adults.
As an expert in the field, Aditi has been asked to speak on countless podcasts, and radio and television spots and has advocated for systemic and social change at the government level.
Aditi’s fierce dedication to intersectional restorative social justice and equality for all has made her a trailblazer within the bereavement community. In 2023 Aditi was given the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal in recognition of her outstanding service.
Aditi was also recognized as a finalist for the RBC Women Entrepreneur Social Change–National Impact Award, celebrating her as an exceptional leader of a registered charity, dedicated to her unique brand of social change, at a national level.
Anita Hofer (she/her)
Anita has been privileged to serve the community as a leader in the not-for-profit sector for over ten years, holding a variety of roles in communications and development at leading organizations. In more recent years, her work has also extended into government relations.
Anita has been active in politics as a volunteer and admits to watching debates with a big bowl of popcorn. She values friends, family, meaningful work, a well-written speech and a hand-written card. She loves new restaurants, live music, and sunny days on a bike, in a kayak, or on a mountain.
Courtney Graham (she/her)
Courtney Graham grew up in rural Saskatchewan and is the first university graduate from her family, receiving both her Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science and her Master of Arts in Digital Humanities from the University of Alberta. She is the current Governance Manager at the University of Alberta Students' Union.
Courtney is passionate about advocacy for students and helps support student leader development through targeted leadership programming and relationship building. She is particularly invested in promoting sustainability, walkable cities, affordable housing and building vibrant communities.
Courtney is an involved volunteer in the Edmonton community, dividing her time between such causes and events as the Edmonton Fringe Festival, the Edmonton Food Bank and her local community association.
Outside of work and volunteering, she keeps busy by participating in sports leagues, cheering on the Oilers, skiing, chatting with friends and reading in cafes.
Dinara Mamutova (she/her)
Dinara is passionate about empowering newcomers and helping them navigate employment opportunities in Canada. With a background in career development and extensive experience supporting immigrant communities, she is committed to creating positive outcomes through tailored support programs. Dinara values the importance of community engagement and strives to give back by helping others achieve success. She is also dedicated to furthering gender equality and sees the potential of programs like Ask Her to foster women’s leadership in politics and beyond.
Echo (they/them/he/him)
Echo Keizer (They/Him) is a mixed Inuit transmasculine person from Edmonton, Alberta. In their spare time, you can often find them exploring local markets or at the bouldering gym solving the newest problem. Their passions are many, ranging from a variety of biology topics in their academic pursuits to social advocacy to illustration. Currently sitting on the WAVE committee and chairing the executive board with the QTHC, Echo finds joy in volunteering and helping to amplify the voices of those who often go unheard. With the current lack of queer and trans people in politics, Echo seeks to enact tangible change for the queer community by getting more involved in the political sphere so other queer people can see themselves better represented in government.
Kristine Wilkinson (she/her)
As a dedicated staff officer at the Alberta Teachers’ Association in communications, Kristine brings over 25 years of experience in education to her role. She’s a proud advocate for teachers, committed to representing their voices and interests. Outside of work, she’s a married mom of boys who loves spending time with her family. One of her favorite activities is walking her dog through Fort Saskatchewan’s beautiful river valley. She is 100% an extrovert with a very loud personality, and if you know her, you know it!
Pratiksha Gurung (she/her)
Pratiksha Gurung is a Project Manager at The City of Calgary, where she plays a key role in implementing the City’s new housing strategy. With extensive experience across all levels of government, her work spans diverse issues, including community safety, affordable housing, and health research. Throughout her career, Pratiksha has been committed to fostering collaborative partnerships and leading initiatives rooted in evidence-based research and inclusive policy frameworks.
Pratiksha's immigrant background informs her passion for building vibrant, sustainable communities. She has mobilized regional projects focused on textile sustainability and developing leadership opportunities for newcomer professionals through her work with the Global Shapers Edmonton and the Edmonton Region Immigrant Employment Council (ERIEC). Pratiksha also recently served on the Board of Directors for the Terra Centre, a non-profit organization that provides wrap-around support for teen parents and young families. Her latest passion project is launching Everest Living – a Calgary-based small business offering curated Himalayan rituals for the mind, body, and soul.
Stella Igweamaka (she/her)
Originally from Nigeria, Stella Igweamaka is an award-winning social researcher, writer, and changemaker. Stella is passionate about leveraging research and storytelling to drive meaningful change and was recently highlighted in CBC News for her work with Black Canadian Women in Action (BCW) on the Adultification Bias of Black Girls in Canada. Stella earned her MBA from the University of Lagos, Nigeria and in 2022, collaborated with Pitch Better and the Canadian Women's Foundation on the first national survey for Black women entrepreneurs in Canada shedding light on the funding disparities they encounter. Additionally, Stella has partnered with Sisters in Sync for their pioneering study on Reframing Approaches to Justice for Black Women & Girls in Canada, aiming to highlight the insights from this important research. Most recently, Stella was appointed as a member of the Women's Advisory Voice of Edmonton (WAVE), where she is championing women's involvement in civic responsibilities and municipal government among other strategic goals. In April 2024, Stella was recognized as a Young Impact Leader by Future of Good for her dedication to amplifying marginalized voices and championing meaningful change.
LinkedIn: Stella Igweamaka
Tania Ymbi (she/her)
Tania Ymbi is an Edmonton-based project coordinator with over 10 years of experience in youth and community engagement. She holds a Diploma in Legal Administrative Assistance and a Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Studies from Concordia University in Montreal. Currently working on a youth gang prevention project, Tania is also an avid painter and enjoys reality TV and documentaries. With a growing interest in law, she is excited to be part of the 2024 AskHer cohort as she continues to shape her career.
Ziyana Kotadia (she/her/they/them)
Ziyana Kotadia is a Calgarian anti-violence and gender justice advocate. As the Strategic Communications & Public Relations Specialist at Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, Ziyana applies social justice theories and principles to drive knowledge mobilization projects focused on research findings, policy recommendations, legislative reforms, and practice changes to prevent gender-based violence.
Armed with an MPhil in Multi-Disciplinary Gender Studies from the University of Cambridge, Ziyana was recognized as one of Alberta's 2024 Top 30 Under 30 and a 2023 Rising Star National Finalist with the Women Empowerment Awards. She has served in several leadership roles across not-for-profits, including as the inaugural Chair of the Safe Campus Coalition, Vice-President University Affairs for Western University’s students’ union, and co-author of the “Our Campus, Our Safety” violence-prevention national action plan representing 1.2M+ students across Canada.
Ziyana is currently an advisor to Senator Marilou McPhedran via the Canadian Council of Young Feminists, sits on the Boards of Directors for Plan International Canada and Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre, and recently represented Canadian youth as an official delegate with Young Diplomats of Canada to the 2024 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.