24Jul2026
Resources for Isolation & Loneliness: GenWell Hub ● Our Social Health Quiz
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Team

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WHO WE ARE

Meet Our Team

Get to know Team Genwell, our Board Members & Scientific Advisors.

Pete Bombaci

Founder & CEO
Pete Bombaci is a visionary business and social‑change leader and the Founder & CEO of GenWell, Canada’s Human Connection Movement, dedicated to empowering workplaces, schools, and communities through proactive face‑to‑face connection. Formerly Canada’s Country Director for Movember, he led the organization to raise over $142 million in five years. With two decades in the for‑profit and non‑profit sectors, Pete blends brand building, strategy, and 360° activation to foster deeper social health. A seasoned speaker, he’s opened conferences across North America and Europe on building happier, healthier, more connected cultures.

Ashleigh Bliss

Director of Workplace Programming
Ashleigh Bliss is a creative, driven professional who loves turning ideas into meaningful experiences that bring people together. As the Director of Workplace Programming she helps businesses and organizations learn about the importance of building genuine connections at work. She’s always curious, always learning, and brings a positive, people-first approach to everything she does, focused on creating workplaces where connection and community can really thrive.

Bobbie Breckenridge

Director of Programming
Bobbie is a registered social worker, mind-body coach, and holistic wellness nerd. Passionate about co-creating a better world, she brings a decade of experience in organizing community initiatives that foster genuine connections and greater well-being for all. A versatile professional, she supports GenWell with her skills in community development, event planning, program development, project management, and workshop facilitation.

Jennifer Broughton

Director of Operations
Jennifer is a dedicated professional, problem-solver and coach. Drawing on her leadership roles in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, Jennifer brings a wealth of diverse personal & professional experience, with a background in education and human resources. Her expertise lies in operations management, administrative functions, strategic planning support, and program development, cultivating a supportive environment for GenWell that is conducive to growth and collaboration.

Emma Burger

Website Manager
Emma brings her eye for detail and problem-solving skills to support GenWell by keeping the website up to date and running smoothly. With degrees in Education and Health Sciences, along with experience in managing communications and websites for educational non-profits, her technical skills and passion for meaningful connection strongly weave together. As a global traveler, she thrives on learning from people of all walks of life. A true believer in the power of human connection—and connection to nature—you can find her outside adventuring with others whenever she has the chance.

Kiffer Card

Director of Research
Dr. Card is an Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University and the Director of Research for GenWell. As an early career researcher, Dr. Card has received numerous national recognitions for his scholarship and participated in projects which have received more than $25 million dollars in funding. This work has resulted in over 200 publications, including approximately 100 academic journal articles. Dr. Card is the principal investigator for the Canadian Social Connection Survey and is leading the development of the first public health guidelines for social connection and health.

Jamie Deans

Comms/PR Manager
An expert in public relations, Jamie has been leading communications for GenWell for over four years. After a long career at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment in Toronto, Canada, Jamie is pleased to be working on a project that is on a mission to make the world a happier and healthier place. By day Jamie and his wife Ivette are the proud parents to four great children, and together, their family has played a role in supporting GenWell to build a more connected Canada.

Lucky Dukuzumuremyi

Masters of Public Health Student
Lucky Dukuzumuremyi is a Master of Public Health student at Simon Fraser University and a recent graduate of the University of Ottawa's Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences program. She is passionate about health promotion, community engagement, and advancing social connection as a key determinant of health and well-being. Through her practicum with GenWell, Lucky looks forward to supporting initiatives that strengthen belonging, foster meaningful relationships, and promote social health across communities.

Kelly & Nat

Digital Engagement Strategists
Oklahoma Marketing is a collaborative studio led by Nat Caron and Kelly Letourneau, built on creativity, trust, and a genuine love for helping people tell their stories well. With a background in photography and design, Nat brings a strong visual sensibility and an ability to capture the heart of a brand. Kelly draws on her experience as an entrepreneur and strategist to shape clear, thoughtful marketing that connects. Together, they bring a practical, people-first approach to their work, believing that great marketing starts with real relationships.

Paul Estey

Chief Strategy & Partnerships Officer
Paul Estey has known Pete Bombaci since before GenWell’s 2016 founding, when Pete was Movember's head mustache man. Blessed with a tremendous network of family, friends, colleagues, and co-conspirators cultivated over a lifetime of executive roles and leadership experiences across many sectors, Paul is acutely aware of the power of human connection as an essential ingredient of any well-functioning business, community, or society. He loves people and, as an avid foodie, sports fan, traveler, and math geek, aims to help GenWell enrich social health and well-being across Canada.

Andrew Laufer

Creative Director
Andrew Laufer is a “WHY” person combined with a storyteller, explorer, creative addict, designer, and Human Connection Catalyst. He is a curious creative with twenty years of experience in strategic branding, art direction, and design for some of the largest CPG, retail, and entertainment brands. Andrew has been a part of GenWell’s mission long before they posted their first event. As Creative Director, he believes in the power of human connection to expand the moment, spark change, and build a happier healthier society one face-to-face interaction at a time.

Carolyn Marrelli-Dill

Campaigns Manager
Carolyn is a natural connector passionate about bringing people together through shared experiences that spark belonging and positive change. At GenWell, she leads initiatives that help people connect in meaningful ways and strengthen the social fabric of communities. Her impact-focused background spans outdoor education, beekeeping, business, and sustainability. As a problem solver and creative thinker, she breaks big challenges into small, digestible actions and practical systems - guided by the belief that small actions, taken together, can create lasting change.

Angela Stathakos

Director of Municipalities & Partnerships
Angela Stathakos brings a strong background in operations, partnership development, and service delivery, and is known for building collaborative relationships that translate ideas into meaningful impact. Through GenWell’s workshops and initiatives, she helps educate, empower, and catalyze leaders to prioritize social health and create environments where individuals and communities can thrive. Angela believes that meaningful relationships are foundational to our collective wellbeing and to building more resilient, compassionate societies.

Reagan Zuzarte

Digital Growth
Reagan Zuzarte is a Toronto-based technologist and growth marketer, known as a self-professed data geek. As an original board member of GenWell in 2016, Reagan advises on growth marketing, digital transformation, conversion optimization, and data strategy for the growth of the movement. Passionate about the power of human connection, he combines tech, data, and marketing to help scale meaningful social impact.
ABOUT

Board Members

We are thankful for the leadership and commitment of our Board Members, whose governance and strategic oversight help guide the growth and impact of our organization. Through their diverse perspectives and experience, they provide thoughtful direction that strengthens our ability to advance the importance of human connection in communities everywhere. Their dedication ensures that we remain focused on our mission, operate responsibly, and continue building partnerships and initiatives that address the challenges of social isolation, disconnection, and loneliness.

Click on name or picture to read bio.

Sharon Broughton

Chair of the Board

Scott Cameron

Chair of the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee

Shelli Baltman

Chair of the Fundraising Committee

Joel Alden

Board Member

Mubashira Nusrat Farooqi-Raza

Board Member

James Hughes

Board Member

Nancy MacKay

Board Member

Dr. Kwame McKenzie

Board Member

Kim Saunders

Board Member
ABOUT

Scientific Advisors

We are deeply grateful to our Scientific Advisors for their guidance, expertise, and dedication to advancing our mission. Their leadership ensures that everything we do is firmly grounded in the science of human connection — from understanding the individual and societal challenges of social isolation, disconnection, and loneliness, to developing evidence-based strategies that help people and communities thrive. Their insight helps us translate leading-edge research into practical, impactful action, ensuring that our work is not only inspiring, but also credible, measurable, and effective.

Dr. Sandra Allison
Public Health and Preventive Medicine Specialist, Family Physician

Dr. Kiffer Card
Assistant Professor for the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University

Dr. Frances Chen
Associate Professor and Area Coordinator for the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia

Dr. Allison Crawford
Chief Medical Officer for 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline, psychiatrist and researcher at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto

Dr. Beverley Fehr
Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Winnipeg

Dr. Troy Glover
Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo and Director of the Healthy Communities Research Network

Dr. Steve Joordens
Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough and Director of the Advanced Learning Technologies Lab

Dr. Kwame McKenzie
Director of Health Equity, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH); Full Professor & Co-Director, Division of Equity, Gender and Population, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto; CEO, Wellesley Institute; Member, Mental Health and Addictions Advisory Council to the Minister of Health

Dr. John Oliffe
Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Men’s Health Promotion for the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia

Dr. Heather Palmer
President and CEO of Maximum Capacity Inc. and Strategic and Innovative Aging, Dementia, and Cognitive Rehabilitation Specialist

Loretta Ryan
Chief Executive Officer for the Association of Local Public Agencies of Ontario

Dr. Frank Russo
Professor of Psychology and Media Design Innovation at Toronto Metropolitan University and Chief Science Officer at LUCID Therapeutics

Dr. Gillian Sandstrom 
Associate Professor at the University of Sussex

Dr. Shayna Skakoon-Sparling
Social Psychologist: Loneliness and Social Isolation at the Toronto Metropolitan University

Dr. Eileen de Villa
Former Toronto Medical Officer of Health