Board

Koren Lightning, Blue Thunderbird Woman, is Cree from Samson Cree Nation. She is the Legal Director of Wahkotowin Law and Governance Lodge. She is a Board Member for First Nations Caring Society, Acting Commissioner for Alberta Utilities Commission and Board Member for Peace Hills Insurance. She was President of the Indigenous Bar Association for 6 years. Koren graduated from Law School in 2007 at the University of Alberta. She was called to the bar in February 2009 and had the honour of having her Bar Call in her First Nation Community, Samson Cree Nation. Koren received her Master of Laws in 2018 from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, her concentration was Alternative Dispute Resolution. Koren’s work focuses on working with Indigenous clients and supporting the revitalization of Indigenous Laws. Koren advises in the areas of Indigenous Governance, Indigenous Child Welfare, Indian Act matters. She was recently awarded the “Pringle/Royal sessional teaching excellence” Award from Faculty of Law, University of Alberta for 2021/2022. She was awarded “Tomorrow’s Leader” Award from Women in Law Leadership Awards in 2019. She was also awarded the Alumni Horizon Award from the University of Alberta in 2017. Koren is alumni of the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference, she participated in the 2017 NWT Tour. She is a sessional instructor at Maskwacis Cultural College and University of Alberta, Faculty of Law.

Alana Robert is a litigation associate at McCarthy Tétrault LLP in Toronto, where she practices class actions, public law, and commercial litigation. Her practice focuses on representing Indigenous peoples and nations in their claims against governments. Alana regularly works with Indigenous-led organizations to develop action and implementation plans to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. She has also advised national non-profit organizations on their work to advance gender equity. Alana is on the board of directors for the Ontario Native Women’s Association and the Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto. She has a Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours) in Political Science and Economics from the University of Manitoba and a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. In 2022, Alana was named one of Canadian Lawyer’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers.

Sasha Hart is a lawyer practicing in the areas of human rights, employment, and not-for-profit law. Sasha is passionate about supporting not-for-profit organizations, trade unions, and institutions driven by strong social justice mandates. She provides legal and consulting services with respect to internal matters relating to employment, governance, regulatory compliance, privacy, human rights, policies, and training. In addition, she provides strategic advice for advancing organizational mandates relating to anti-racism, gender equality, and other social justice aims. Sasha also represents individuals in human rights and employment matters.

Sasha’s past roles have included serving as General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer at a large public service union, in-house counsel for a national human rights institution, in-house counsel for a not-for-profit organization engaged in legal advocacy relating to gender-based violence internationally, and Part-time Professor at the University of Ottawa where she taught human rights law. Sasha has appeared before various levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada. She has also intervened at the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.

Sasha earned her common and civil law degrees from McGill University. She holds a Master's in International Human Rights Law from Oxford University, where she graduated with Distinction and where her dissertation explored a legal strategy for pursuing transformative remedies in cases of gender-based violence litigated in regional and international forums. Sasha also maintains a CIPP/C certification (Certified Information Privacy Professional/Canada).

Sasha is a past recipient of the American Society of International Law Helton Fellowship Award, and in 2021 was awarded the Lexpert Rising Star Award recognizing Canada’s Leading Lawyers under forty. She is also currently named to UN Women’s Ending Violence against Women Expert Roster.

Gillian Hnatiw is the principal of Gillian Hnatiw & Co., the Toronto-based feminist litigation firm she founded in 2019. She maintains a broad litigation practice with a particular focus on claims for sexual, physical, and psychological abuse, harassment, and assault. In this capacity, Gillian frequently acts for survivors, conducts third-party investigations for employers, post-secondary institutions, and health-care organizations, and provides organizations with advice on best practices for navigating sexual misconduct allegations. Gillian also practices in the areas of employment law, health law, professional negligence, medical malpractice, defamation, and general commercial litigation.

Gillian has represented clients before all levels of court across the country, including numerous appearances before the Supreme Court of Canada. She has also appeared before a variety of administrative tribunals and Coroner’s Inquests, most notably lending her expertise in gender-based violence to Nova Scotia’s Mass Casualty Commission from 2021 to 2023.

For more than a decade Gillian has been ranked in Best Lawyers, Lexpert, and Benchmark Legal for her expertise in a broad range of areas, including public and administrative law, personal injury, employment law, health care law, medical negligence and corporate and commercial litigation. Canadian Lawyer Magazine named Gillian one of Canada’s 25 Most Influential Lawyers in 2023. In March 2020, the Toronto Lawyer’s Association awarded Gillian the Honsberger Award and hailed her as a “formidable champion of women’s civil rights”. In 2015, Gillian was named to Lexpert’s annual list of “Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers under 40”. Since 2022, she has been named to Benchmark’s annual list of the ‘Top 100 Women Litigators in Canada’. Gillian is frequently sought out by industry and mainstream media for expert comment on issues of gender-based, sexual violence, workplace misconduct, and gender equality.

From 2019-2021, Gillian served as Chair of LEAF’s nation board before stepping down to fulfill her commitment to the Mass Casualty Commission. She is delighted to return to the Board and renew her commitment to LEAF’s ongoing work to advance substantive gender equality through litigation, law reform and public education.

Mel Hogg is a lawyer and an experienced senior executive with background in human resources and other corporate support functions.  Prior to joining the LEAF Board, Mel spent eight years in progressive roles on the Board of the Barbara Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, an organization providing legal, counselling and interpretation services to marginalized and racialized populations of women and gender diverse people who have survived violence.  Mel is an ardent feminist committed to the fight against gender-based violence.  Mel holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of Toronto and a law degree from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.

Molly is a partner at Alexeev Attorneys LLP, based in Montréal, Québec. She practices civil and commercial litigation, public and constitutional law, and defamation and media law. In this regard, Molly has represented clients before all levels of court in Quebec, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Courts, and various administrative tribunals. She has notably acted in litigation matters involving gender equality and other Charter rights. Molly has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada – Ones to Watch since 2023. She received a B.A. (First Class Honors with Distinction) from McGill University in 2010 and an B.C.L./LL.B. (Dean’s Honour List) from McGill University in 2014. She was called to the Quebec and Ontario bars in 2015 after clerking at the Supreme Court of Canada.

Anna Matas (pronounced “May-tas”) is a partner at St. Lawrence Barristers, a boutique litigation firm in Toronto. In her varied law practice she represents survivors of sexual violence, defends regulated professionals in civil litigation and regulatory matters, and conducts workplace investigations. She has appeared before courts at all levels. She is known for her work on precedent-setting cases, including Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia, where she acted as counsel for an intervenor at both the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada to advocate for the recognition of a tort of family violence.

At the outset of her career, Anna clerked for judges of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania, and the Special Court for Sierra Leone in Freetown, Sierra Leone. She then practised at a Bay Street firm, a regional firm, and a litigation boutique before joining St. Lawrence Barristers. These early experiences shaped her belief in the importance of a justice system that responds meaningfully to inequality and gender-based violence, and reinforced her commitment to applying a feminist and trauma-informed lens to ensure that women, girls, trans, and non-binary people can access justice on equal terms.

Anna is committed to giving back to her profession and community. From 2016 to 2024, she served on the Board of Directors of the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, including four years on the executive and, in her final year, as Chair. She continues to support the Clinic’s work through contributions as pro bono legal counsel, as the Clinic advocates for systemic change and improved access to justice for women and gender-diverse individuals who have experienced violence. She is also actively engaged in mentoring young lawyers inside and outside her firm.

In 2024 Anna was the recipient of the President’s Award from the Women’s Law Association of Ontario, which recognizes leadership and excellence in the legal community. She has also been ranked repeatedly in Best Lawyers and Lexpert for her work in a range of areas including Personal Injury Litigation, Professional Malpractice Law, Medical Negligence, Health Care Law, and Administrative & Public Law. She holds degrees in both civil and common law from McGill University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Winnipeg.

Mante Molepo is the founder and CEO of Mante Molepo Consulting where she advises organizations on board governance and change management, including law societies, justice departments and other legal institutions.

Mante spent the first part of her career practicing international trade law. She represented the Government of Canada in the negotiations of some of its most ambitious free trade agreements, including the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement. She also practiced international transportation law at one of Canada’s oldest administrative tribunals.

From 2022-2023, Mante served as the Innovator in Residence for the Ontario Bar Association. She developed a Career Accelerator program to provide Indigenous, Black and other racialized lawyers with professional knowledge and skills to advance their participation in three emerging areas of law: Artificial Intelligence, ESG, and Fintech.

As an award-winning leader, Mante serves on the Board of Governors of the Ottawa Hospital and the Residence Corporation. She is a founding member and former Chair of Parents for Diversity, a former representative of the Ontario Bar Association Council, and a former Director of Amnesty International Canada, EcoEquitable, and the Parkdale Food Centre.

Jessica is an Assistant Deputy Minister in the Office of the Premier of British Columbia. She was Chief of Staff to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould. During her time in Ottawa, Jessica worked on a number of issues directly impacting gender equality rights, including the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and sexual assault law reform. Jessica began her career on Bay Street as a litigator at two different boutique law firms. During her time in Toronto, she volunteered as duty counsel at Pro Bono Law Ontario’s walk-in clinic and served as member-at-large for the Toronto chapter of LEAF. Jessica has a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University and a law degree from the University of Oxford. In 2016, she was named one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyers’ Magazine. In 2021, she was named one of Business in Vancouver's Top Forty Under 40.

Sharon Tse holds a designation as a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and is a Senior Manager in the Accounting Advisory Services group of BDO Canada LLP, specializing in assisting not-for-profit and public sector clients. An underlying theme in her professional career has been an unwavering commitment to upholding the quality and ethical standards of the accounting profession. She has spent over 25 years in various facets of public accounting (assurance, professional standards) and in the regulatory side of the profession. Sharon had previously served as Treasurer at the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic and is currently a member of LEAF’s Finance and Audit Committee. 

Yola Ventresca is the Managing Partner at Lerners LLP, practicing in London Ontario. She received her B.A. (Honours) from Huron University College, her LL.B. from Western University and her LL.M. from the University of Toronto. She was called to the bar of Ontario in 2006. 

Ms. Ventresca is engaged in a diverse litigation based practice. She is a member of the firm’s education, health law, and labour and employment practice groups. To this end, Ms. Ventresca has represented clients at all levels of court in Ontario. Ms. Ventresca is also the founder and chair of the firm’s workplace investigation team. In this capacity, she is called upon to investigate highly complex and contentious matters arising from conflicts in the workplace, both unionized and non-unionized. 

Both peers and members of the London community recognize Ms. Ventresca as a leader. Some of her accolades include: Top 20 under 40 award (Business London, 2016), Lexpert Rising Star designation (2017), Inclusion in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (professional regulation) (since 2017) and Best Lawyers in Canada (since 2018). Ms. Ventresca is also a two time awardee of the “Female Trailblazer Award” (Canadian Lawyer). Ms. Ventresca was also recognized by her local Member of Parliament through inclusion in the North London Honour Roll. This honour recognizes Londoners whose actions have inspired others to a build a strong, supportive and inclusive community. Ms. Ventresca’s inclusion on this list reflects, among other things, her significant advocacy to support, mentor, sponsor and retain women in private practice. 

Outside of her practice, Ms. Ventresca is engaged in a myriad of activities and initiatives aimed at bettering the profession, and, specifically, championing female lawyers. Ms. Ventresca is a past Chair of the 10+ Standing Committee of the Advocates’ Society. In this capacity, she represented all mid-career advocates across Ontario. She is also the founder and Chair of the Advocates’ Society mentoring dinner for women in London. She is a prolific speaker and writer on a variety of topics, frequently contributing to peer reviewed publications. Committed to legal education, Ms. Ventresca has chaired numerous conferences and has held the role of adjunct professor at the Faculty of Law, Western University (Civil Procedure). At Lerners LLP, Ms. Ventresca has supported a variety of initiatives aimed at supporting women in private practice. She is a member of the firm’s Strategic Planning Committee and founded the Lerners Women’s Symposium, an initiative aimed at promoting collaborative and supportive networks for professional women. 

Ms. Ventresca is also committed to a variety of community initiatives. She is the current Chair of Handbags for Hospice, in support of palliative care at St. Joseph’s Hospice in London. She is also a member of the Huron University College Board of Governors and the Dean’s Advisory Council at Western Law. 

In her spare time, Ms. Ventresca enjoys musical theatre, travel, spinning and spending time with her family. She is also a long suffering member of #LeafsNation. 

Patti is Human Rights Counsel at the University of Prince Edward Island, where her work involves the prevention of and response to sexual violence, harassment, and discrimination. Her early legal career included working in a large regional law firm, where her litigation practice focused on labour/employment law (including workplace human rights) and criminal law. During that time, she appeared at every level of court in Prince Edward Island. Prior to becoming a lawyer Patti worked with the United Nations in their Eswatini office.

Patti has 15 years of experience working on boards of directors, provincially and nationally, for organizations with equity seeking objectives. Currently she sits on the board of directors for Family Violence Prevention Services PEI, and the Learning Disabilities Association of PEI, and is a coach for a national program that places women and gender minorities on boards of directors to build equitable boardrooms across the country.

Patti holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Human Rights and Sociology from St. Thomas University and a law degree from the University of New Brunswick.