Our Leaders
Guided by Vision. Grounded in Integrity
Susan Namulindwa
Susan Namulindwa is the Founder and Director of Maama Watali. She is passionate about women and girls’ leadership, wellbeing, and development.
Susan is very involved in her community in Canada and Africa, as well as the broader international African diaspora through various community development initiatives which is a tremendous asset in outreach.
She has built a reputation and know-how around building team resiliency, leading consultations among diverse stakeholders with reference to agenda setting, delivering on new change, and project management
The Board Of Directors
Janice Anderson
Janice Anderson is a proud Torontonian who has called the beautiful city of Ottawa home for many years. Janice is graduate of Carleton University and is currently a Manager with the federal Public Service, specializing in equity, diversity, and gender policy and program management. In her free time, Janice is a mentor, musician and a committed ordained Elder with her church community. Janice is also a sought after speaker and dynamic MC. You can always find Janice creating memorable moments for family, friends, and Black women as well as exploring new countries and diverse cultures. One of her greatest joys and life changing moments was spending time in Ghana where she felt the powerful presence of her ancestors.
Dr. Lydia Muyingo
Dr. Lydia Muyingo is a Clinical Psychologist in Supervised Practice, who works with children, adolescents and families struggling with a variety of mental health concerns. She has published research on the partner influences on alcohol use and the healthy immigrant effect on alcohol use. She is passionate about increasing diversity within the field of mental health.
Kahmaria Pingue
Co-Owner, Made With Sankofa; African Dance Instructor, Onyxstasia African Diaspora Productions
Kahmaria Pingue is a Jamaican-Canadian educator, entrepreneur, and cultural advocate with over 15 years of experience in community leadership, Afrocentric arts, and culturally responsive education. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Onyxstasia African Diaspora Productions and Kween Kahmaria Consulting, offering youth mentorship, Afro-Caribbean dance, and trauma-informed mental health workshops for African Caribbean Black women.
Kahmaria brings strong governance and policy experience, having served two terms on the Parents for Diversity Board of Directors and as Chief of Staff at BlackNorth Initiative. An Ontario College of Teachers certified educator, she holds a B.A. in Psychology, a B.A.Ed., and an M.A.Ed. from the University of Ottawa.
Xolani Gumede
Xolani is a Registered Nurse in Ottawa as well as a travel nurse throughout Canada. She studied BScN at Laurentian University & Psychology at Ottawa University. She is passionate about educating other women and girls about the social determinants of health which contributes to high risk of violence towards women.
She is the founder of PASS, a foundation that supports people living with albinism in Zimbabwe. The foundation donated sunscreen lotions, sunhats, sunglasses and reading glasses. Her foundation also caters for tuition for children raised by single mothers. She also donates over the counter medications to her rural clinic in Zimbabwe.
Xolani is passionate about empowering marginalized women as well as those who are victims of intimate partner violence. Being a victim of intimate partner violence herself, she understands how it feels like to move from shelter to shelter with children while pretending to be strong. Maama Watali is the needed safe place for black women to cry, share experiences, support each other, and gain strength to rise and shine again.
Debbie Macharia
Debby Macharia is a globally recognized beauty entrepreneur, educator, and philanthropist. With a background in marketing from Egerton University and professional training in Canada — where she earned both her cosmetology license and the prestigious Red Seal certification — Debby combined her expertise and passion to found Beauty Profs, a company delivering result-driven products now sold worldwide.
Beyond her business success, Debby leads the Beauty Profs Academy, offering specialized courses in textured hair, chemical treatments, and more. Her impact has earned her the African Women Business Leadership Award and a nomination for the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards.
Rooted in purpose, Debby founded the Smiles Foundation, supporting girls' education, youth mentorship, elderly care, and orphanage programs in her home community — now carried forward by her daughters, Imani and Hazina. She is also a founding member of the Network of Black Business and Professional Women in Ottawa.
A wife, mother, traveler, and changemaker — Debby's story is a testament to vision, perseverance, and the power of giving back.
Male Ambassadors/Allies/Champions
Richard Sharpe
Richard Sharpe has been a human rights advocate for 30 years, both at the community and institutional levels. He worked within the Canadian Federal Public Service where he held several national positions representing employees as both a union representative and as a leader in employee-led organizations. He is currently the Director of the Black Equity Branch, Treasury Board Secretariat in the Ontario Public Service. His work regionally and nationally is intended to improve the condition of Black and African diaspora communities in Canada.
Lalith Gunaratne
Lalith Gunaratne is an entrepreneur, leadership coach, facilitator, and business development advisor with over 35 years of international experience across Asia, Africa, and North America. He works with leaders in the private sector, government and multilateral institutions to cultivate ethical leadership in business strategy through self-awareness and inclusive organizational cultures.
Born in Sri Lanka, his work focuses on leadership development, cultural transformation and cross-cultural communication, helping organizations build trust, respect diversity and strengthen social responsibility.
He is a mechanical engineer by training, certified coach in Canada, trained as a facilitator by the British Council, and holds a Master’s in Responsibility and Business Practice from the University of Bath, UK.
John Nelson
Director Innovation Hub, Carleton University
John Nelson is an executive coach, mentor, and higher education leader with over 17 years of experience in business development, entrepreneurship, and international education. As Director of the Innovation Hub at the Sprott School of Business, Carleton University, he builds ecosystems that promote entrepreneurship, experiential learning, and new venture creation for students.
John is deeply engaged in the Ottawa community, serving as an Ambassador with the Ottawa Board of Trade, a member of Kiwanis Ottawa, and a mentor with OCISO supporting newcomers transitioning into the Canadian workforce. He currently serves on the Carleton University Board of Governors and holds a BASc in Electrical Engineering, an MEng in Technology Innovation Management, and an ACC credential from the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Fergus Maclaren, B.A., M.E.Des.
President Emeritus, ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee
Mr. Maclaren is a Canadian sustainable tourism and cultural heritage management professional with more than 25 years of experience in Africa, Asia, North America and Europe.
His background includes a broad range of tourism planning, destination management and development expertise in an industry that is more than 55% staffed by women. His professional experience includes: coordinating international meetings and input from local communities and indigenous groups as the Director of the UN-funded International Year of Ecotourism (IYE); teaching sustainable tourism at Canada’s McGill University and lecturing on the subject at post-secondary institutions internationally; and serving as the co-lead for the development and implementation of the ICOMOS Charter for International Cultural Heritage Tourism (2022).
He currently works in Expert and professional capacities for UNESCO, UN Tourism, UN Habitat, ICOMOS, the Organization of World Heritage Cities, the World Monuments Fund, and the Heritage and Cultural Society for Africa (HACSA).
Abdirizak Mohamud
Abdirizak Mohamud is the Managing Director of Suradway Parents Association of Ottawa, a Black-led organization supporting Somali and East African families through culturally responsive programs focused on child welfare, education, and justice systems. With a background in social services and community development, he works to strengthen system navigation, build trust between communities and institutions, and advance equity for Black families.
He also leads collaborative initiatives across Ottawa, bringing together community organizations, public institutions, and partners to develop prevention-focused, community-led solutions that promote safety, wellbeing, and long-term outcomes for children and families.