Our Leadership

Board of Directors

The IWC Board of Directors is a group of dedicated community volunteers whose primary responsibility is to ensure that IWC achieves its mission: that newcomers achieve social and economic success as essential partners in Hamilton’s prosperity.

Operating under the Policy Governance Model, the board focuses on outcomes – the difference IWC makes in the lives of the people it serves – by supporting the development of long-term strategic direction, establishing organizational policy, monitoring performance, and building linkages across the community and beyond.

The board acts as civic trustee on behalf of the broader community IWC serves and meets regularly throughout the year to fulfill that responsibility.

Meet the Board of Directors

Daniella Girgenti, Board Chair

Daniella joined the IWC Board in 2024 and was elected Chair in 2026. Born in Hamilton, she lived in several Southwestern Ontario cities – and even South Korea – before returning to her hometown. With a lived understanding of the challenges her grandparents and parents faced as newcomers and first-generation Canadians, Daniella is deeply committed to supporting Hamilton’s immigrant communities and helping them thrive.

A trained journalist turned communications strategist, Daniella has spent 15+ years leading brand, digital media, and public relations work across healthcare, technology, accounting, and sustainability. As Director of Communications, she currently leads national strategies for Canada’s standard-setting bodies in accounting, auditing, and sustainability reporting – specializing in translating complex technical content into messaging that informs, resonates, and drives action. With a lifelong love of learning, she completed an Executive MBA in 2023, collaborating with teammates across the U.S., France, and Colombia.

Outside of work, Daniella is a proud mom and wife – her household runs on live music, with two talented musicians keeping Hamilton’s stages busy. In her own creative corner, she runs Evil B Creative, an art-driven business where design meets storytelling. At home, her rescue cats provide the quieter soundtrack.

Connect with Daniella on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/daniellagirgenti

Zahra Ahmad, Board Vice-Chair

With over 18 years of global experience in business and strategy, Zahra is a dynamic professional making waves in leadership consulting and business transformation. Her tenure as a former Associate Partner at McKinsey and Company has endowed her with a wealth of expertise, enabling her to spearhead national transformation programs across diverse sectors spanning healthcare, education, finance, non-profits, and government services. Zahra’s forte lies in seamlessly bridging strategic planning with practical implementation, as evidenced by her successful project leadership across the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Kuwait, Singapore, and Japan.

In addition to her corporate achievements, Zahra is the driving force behind Authentic Leaders in Canada. She initiates and oversees local and global projects dedicated to change management, leadership development, diversity, and inclusion systemic change.

Driven by her passion for fostering positive change in her local community, Zahra focuses on initiatives aimed at employment, navigating cultural differences, and facilitating the success of newcomers in Canada. Her commitment to these causes stems from her own experiences; originally from Eritrea, Zahra spent her formative years in Saudi Arabia before immigrating to Canada as a first-generation immigrant.

As a mother of three, Zahra balances her professional endeavors with her responsibilities. She holds an MBA from Hult Business School and is recognized as an Executive Coach at the PCC level by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Zahra is pursuing a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership at Columbia International University, further solidifying her commitment to driving positive change and innovation in leadership and organizational dynamics.

Abolanle Alawoya, Secretary

LLB, LL.M
Abolanle Alawoya is a Corporate Legal and Governance Professional with over a decade of experience in litigation, corporate compliance, and board leadership. Called to the Nigerian Bar in 2012, she began her career as a litigator before transitioning to corporate law, spending eight years advising multinationals on governance frameworks, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
As a Legal Services Consultant, she supports Canadian tribunals in delivering efficient proceedings, while her role as a Court Reporter with Array Canada ensures meticulous legal documentation. A Certified Corporate Governance Professional (ICSAN) and LL.M graduate from the University of Aberdeen, Abolanle has designed compliance policies that reduced regulatory risks by 30% for multinational organizations. Her expertise includes inclusive governance, data privacy, and stakeholder engagement.
Passionate about equity and immigrant empowerment, Abolanle draws on her lived experience as a foreign-trained lawyer and newcomer to Canada. Her journey fuels her commitment to IWC’s mission of fostering opportunity, inclusion, and systemic change. She is honoured to serve on the Board and contribute to building a more inclusive, community-led Hamilton.

Mickey Mi, Board Member

Mickey Mi joined the IWC Board in 2025. Originally from China, he has lived and worked in China, the U.S., and the U.K., and has been based in Canada since 2024, actively contributing to the country’s innovation ecosystem. His career has spanned social impact investing in the U.K., global deep-tech investing at a leading venture capital firm in Asia, and renewable energy M&A with a publicly listed company in China. Before entering the investment world, Mickey founded an education technology startup that deepened his understanding of entrepreneurship and community resilience.

Mickey currently works as an investment professional at McRock Capital, a Toronto-based venture capital firm focused on industrial technologies that drive sustainable innovation. His work is guided by the belief that technology should solve real-world challenges with positive externalities, in line with the firm’s ESG and responsible investment principles.

Mickey holds a Master’s degree in Enterprise Risk Management from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Washington. Outside of work, Mickey believes in the power of compound growth, inclusive progress, and building a future where everyone belongs.

Nastaran Haghani, Board Member

Natalie Charette, Board Member

Natalie Charette, is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of work experience in business administration and compliance for profit and non-profit sectors. She exhibits exceptional leadership, management, and business transformational skills. Her diverse expertise spans across areas such as corporate governance, contract management, policy analysis, conflict resolution, negotiations, and much more.

Natalie was born Ontario, Canada and is proud to call the City of Hamilton her hometown. Natalie pursued her Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities with a concentration in Philosophy, Labour Studies and a minor degree in Environmental Studies at McMaster University as well as a Social Service Diploma from Mohawk College. Natalie continues her educational pursuits through a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Phoenix.

Natalie’s proficiency extends to humanitarian efforts, through her commitment to family mediation, and legal advocacy work. Natalie’s strong dedication and achievements have made her capable of excelling across diverse industrial sectors and her extensive background is a testament to her commitment.

Noor Akhtar, Board Member

Noor is a legal enthusiast who is determined to use her legal skills and knowledge to facilitate people and businesses into their day to day affairs to help achieve their short term and long term objectives in the best possible way.

Noor pursued her law degree from University of London, UK and graduated with Honours. Noor acquired her primary education in Lahore, Pakistan.

Noor was called to the Ontario Bar as a Barrister and Solicitor in September, 2020 and joined Vellani Law Professional Corporation soon after as a Lawyer.

Being an immigrant herself, Noor understands the challenges that immigrants may face on their day-to-day basis and is motivated to assist her fellow immigrants to integrate into the Canadian society smoothly.