Meet the Board
Introducing the dedicated volunteers who make up our esteemed board of industry leaders at Ernestine's. With a shared commitment to our mission and values, these passionate individuals contribute their diverse expertise to steer us towards innovation and success.
Gena Argitis
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Gena is a senior legal and business operations executive with extensive experience in new home construction standards, warranties, and regulated environments. She currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Tarion, where she has built the majority of her career following her early practice as a litigator at McCarthy Tétrault LLP.
Throughout her career, Gena has been guided by a strong commitment to public service and advancing the public interest, bringing together expertise in governance, organizational transformation, and leadership within complex regulatory frameworks.
Her professional perspective is also shaped by a lifelong commitment to learning. Gena holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, where she graduated as a silver medalist, as well as a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Waterloo, and she has continued to deepen her expertise in governance and executive leadership.
That blend of legal, operational, governance, and people-focused experience informs Gena’s interest in advocating for women and children. She is proud to chair Ernestine’s Board of Directors and to support the shelter in delivering its important mission of helping survivors of violence. Gena is also a member of the Passive House Board of Directors.
Tamina Ahmadi
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Tamina Ahmadi is a Senior Manager in Underwriting at Tarion, a non-profit organization providing consumer protection to new home buyers in Ontario. She brings more than a decade of experience across finance, risk management, and underwriting, having held roles at CIBC and Equitable Bank before joining Tarion in 2022.
Tamina holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Law and Business from Toronto Metropolitan University, complemented by leadership certificates from Queen's University.
Beyond her professional work, Tamina is co-founder of Lapis Collective, a women's wellness community in the Greater Toronto Area rooted in her Afghan heritage. Her commitment to building spaces where women feel supported and empowered is what draws her to Ernestine's. She is honoured to serve on the Board of Directors, advocating for women and children survivors of violence as they work to rebuild their lives.
Roza Azizi
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Roza is Head of Talent Management at Imperial Capital, a Toronto-based private equity firm, where she leads talent strategy, recruitment, and organizational effectiveness. She joined Imperial in 2026 from Onex, where she was Director of Talent Management. Earlier, she held HR business partner and global mobility advisory roles at RBC, supporting senior leaders across Capital Markets.
Roza holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, Victoria College, in Diaspora and Transnational Studies and Near and Middle Eastern Studies.
Roza has extensive volunteer experience, serving as an interpreter with Romero House and the Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees, working directly with refugees and asylum seekers. That work shapes how she sees Ernestine's, an organization built to help women and children rebuild after violence. She is honoured to join the Board and to lend her experience to that effort.
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Barika brings over 20 years of experience in the Financial Services industry, having held progressive roles at TD Bank and Royal Bank of Canada. In 2022, she joined the startup team at Tims Financial (a division of Tim Hortons), helping launch its first product. Most recently, she joined Optimus SBR, where she consults with organizations to drive customer experience transformation and operational improvements.
Known for her strategic thinking, client-focused approach, and ability to turn insight into meaningful action, Barika is also deeply committed to advancing women in leadership and fostering inclusive workplaces. She has actively contributed to Women in Leadership and Diversity & Inclusion committees across multiple organizations, championing equity, mentorship, and representation.
Barika’s connection to Ernestine’s began in 2016, when she first volunteered through her employer. That experience sparked a lasting commitment to supporting women and children facing violence. Today, as a board member, she is proud to advocate for survivors, raise awareness about the shelter’s vital work, and contribute to creating safe spaces where hope, healing, and empowerment are possible.
Barika Gada
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Anya Klimbovskaia is the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Diversio, an AI company specializing in workforce optimization. Since 2018, she has helped build Diversio into a trusted partner to leading corporations and public institutions, delivering data-driven insights and solutions that improve team performance, engagement, and inclusion. Anya has led strategic workforce initiatives across sectors including venture capital, financial services, energy, and government. She also served on the selection committee for the Government of Canada’s Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative (VCCI), helping to allocate $50 million through the Inclusive Growth Stream to funds focused on advancing equitable access to capital and opportunity in Canada’s innovation ecosystem.
Earlier in her career, Anya served as Director of Research in the Office of the CEO at the Royal Bank of Canada. There, she led the bank’s national thought leadership on the Future of Work, producing one of the first comprehensive strategies to help Canadian workers adapt to automation and AI. Her work continues to inform both public policy and private sector innovation. Anya has co-authored industry reports with the Canadian Venture Capital Association, BDC Capital, and the Investor Leadership Network, and previously advised Canada’s national K–12 Computer Science Education Framework.
Anya Klimbovskaia
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Denine Das is a highly respected executive leader with a proven track record of advancing meaningful equity, diversity, inclusion, and social responsibility outcomes across multiple sectors. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for championing human rights, accessibility, anti-racism, and belonging initiatives, while helping organizations create more inclusive, equitable, and high-performing workplaces. Her expertise spans strategic partnership development, policy design, organizational transformation, and process optimization that empowers people at every level.
As Executive Lead, Inclusion, Indigenous Relations and Social Responsibility at Metrolinx, Denine provides leadership for the organization’s Inclusion, Indigenous relations, and Workplace transformation portfolios. She is focused on fostering greater alignment and impact across these interconnected areas, advancing enterprise-wide strategies that strengthen employee experience, organizational culture, and meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities and other key stakeholders.
A passionate and visionary leader, Denine is committed to building environments where people feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best. She continues to be a driving force in shaping workplaces that reflect the principles of inclusion, belonging, and social responsibility.
Denine Das
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I am currently working as an Audit manager at KPMG Canada and have been working in the field of Audit and finance for 10+ years. I am a qualified CPA (Canada), ACCA (UK), B.Sc. (UK) and B.Com. (Pakistan). My 10+ years of career involves working as an Auditor and finance professional within Pakistan, Canada and Australia.
While professionally pursuing my goals within Audit and Finance, I am simultaneously working with organizations like ACCES Employment (in the capacity of career coach), ACCA (acting as an Accountant Panel member), TRIEC Mentoring partnership (working as a mentor) and Ernestine’s Women’s shelter (As a Board Member- finance committee). I have had an honor to be invited as guest speaker by ACCES Employment to address concerns faced by new immigrants.
I am grateful to be a small part of these big organizations that help us shape our society in a positive and better way.
Nimra Syeda
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Julia currently works in the mergers & acquisitions tax practice of one of the Big4 firms in Toronto. Over the last decade she held various positions in other tax and assurance-focused practices in the professional services sector. Julia's expertise spans tax compliance, tax advisory, accounting, and financial reporting, and she has been exposed to working with both domestic and international clients of various sizes across a plethora of industries.
Julia holds a CPA, CA designation, a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto, and has successfully completed the CPA In-Depth Tax Program. In her personal life, Julia enjoys spending time with family and friends, getting out of town with her husband, being a good dog mom, and staying true to her foodie self by trying out new recipes at home, as well as discovering new restaurants.
Julia is honoured to sit on the Board of a purpose-lead organization such as Ernestine's. She is passionate about promoting women's rights and helping provide women and children affected by violence with support needed to rebuild their lives. Julia is honoured to contribute her skills to the Finance Committee and help further Ernestine's mission.
Julia Nicoara
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Silvia has been working with survivors of gender-based violence for over twenty-years. This work has ranted from direct service to the management of two Violence Against Women Shelters. She has presented at various national and international conferences on best practices when working with survivors.
She has also served as a board member for several community-based organizations and is her last year as the Co-Chair of PARC.
She has a Bachelor of Social Work from Toronto Metropolitical University and a Honours BA from the University of Toronto.
Silvia is currently the Executive Director at SAVIS (Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Services of Halton), an organization that provides comprehensive, trauma informed programs operating from a feminist, anti-oppressive framework.
Silvia Samsa
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Laverne Blake is the Executive Director of Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter, bringing more than 20 years of experience supporting survivors of gender-based violence and strengthening community-based services. Having served in a range of frontline and leadership roles at Ernestine’s throughout her career, Laverne brings deep institutional knowledge, a strong commitment to equity, and a survivor-centered approach to her leadership.
Before her formal appointment as Executive Director in February 2026, Laverne served as Acting Executive Director intermittently over the previous three years, providing steady leadership during key periods of organizational transition. Her work has helped guide the organization through complex challenges while ensuring that Ernestine’s continues to provide compassionate, trauma-informed support to the women, children, and gender-diverse individuals who rely on the shelter.
Throughout her career, Laverne has been a passionate advocate for survivors and has played an important role in strengthening Ernestine’s programs, supporting staff teams, and advancing the organization’s trauma-informed and anti-oppressive approach to service delivery. She is deeply committed to fostering environments where survivors are treated with dignity, respect, and compassion.
As Executive Director, Laverne works closely with staff, the Board of Directors, and community partners to advance Ernestine’s mission of providing safety, support, and advocacy for those fleeing violence. Her leadership continues to guide the organization as it responds to the evolving needs of survivors and works toward a future free from gender-based violence.
Laverne Blake
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Jennifer is the head of segment marketing at Reckitt Canada, a consumer packaged goods company with powerhouse brands across hygiene, home and health. Jennifer has spent her career leading and building beloved mega brands across an array of categories at Johnson & Johnson and Mars. Jennifer is a strategic marketer, a passionate people leader, and an avid participant in giving back to her community. Prior to joining Ernestine’s, Jennifer sat on the board for another well-respected organization based in York Region supporting youth in crisis.
Jennifer Xu
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