The 2026 Community Champions are Unsinkable’s ambassadors for mental health—leaders who use lived experience and storytelling to strengthen connection, challenge stigma, and advance mental well-being across communities and workplaces.

Meet The 2026 Champions of Mental Health

  • Young woman with long dark hair smiling, arms crossed, wearing a black sleeveless top, standing against a plain white wall.

    Arissa Roy

    Arissa Roy is an Indo-Canadian youth activist, children’s book author, and student, best known as the founder and CEO of Project Power Global, advancing educational equity worldwide. A 2025 graduate of UWC Adriatic, Arissa is dedicated to transforming education while also leading efforts in youth leadership, mental health, and climate action.

    Learn More About Arissa
  • Young man with short brown hair smiling and wearing a black, gray, and white striped polo shirt.

    Brennan Jackson

    Brennan. Jackson is a high school student with cerebral palsy, who has a passion for talking about mental health. He feels to share your life experiences is to help others.

    Learn More About Brennan
  • A woman wearing a black top and a red blazer standing outdoors with greenery in the background.

    Dancia Kendra Adhiguna Susilo

    Dancia is an award-winning DEI and ESG strategist, recognized nationally for her impactful work in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion across both corporate and nonprofit sectors. Adhiguna Susilo has published two poetry books on psychology and has peer reviewed publications with the British Psychological Society. She holds a double BA in Psychology and Linguistics (uOttawa), Post Graduate Certification in Digital Marketing (Wharton), and MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience (King's UK).

    Learn more about Dancia
  • A young man with dark hair and a short beard in a black suit and shirt, looking at the camera with a neutral expression, against a teal background.

    Farabi Khaleque

    Farabi Khaleque is a young entrepreneur, producer, and mental health advocate most notably known as the founder of CLOUDZILLA, a wellness brand dedicated to empowering Gen Z. He started CLOUDZILLA at the age of 15 and has since earned collaborations with major organizations like Amazon Prime Video and Asian Hustle Network.

    Learn More about Farabi
  • A young woman with shoulder-length brown hair smiling outdoors with a blurred green background.

    Jen Metzlar

    As founder of the Human-Centered Healthcare Movement, Jen draws on her unconventional background in education—including training scuba diving instructors—to champion trauma-informed care and create spaces where people feel safe, respected, and genuinely heard.

    Learn More About Jen
  • A young man with short, curly dark hair, light skin, and wearing a blue suit, light blue shirt, and a small pin on his lapel, standing against a plain white background.

    Joshua Bell

    A dedicated mental health advocate and community leader, Joshua brings a wealth of knowledge and personal lived experience to the mental health sector and to various national and local projects, boards, and organizations.

    Learn More About Joshua
  • A woman with brown wavy hair smiling and speaking into a microphone on stage.

    Liv Miller

    Liv Miller, Mental Health Speaker and Advocate. Co-founder and speaker with Bridges of Hope, a youth-led provincial award-winning movement for mental health storytelling in Ontario.

    Learn More About Liv
  • A woman with shoulder-length wavy brown hair, smiling, wearing a white sleeveless top and a necklace, against a light gray background.

    Lola Thomson

    Lola Thomson is a Registered Psychotherapist and creative who weaves lived experience, clinical insight, and art to help women and care providers thrive with authenticity.

    Learn More About Lola
  • A woman with curly dark hair and earrings smiling and touching her neck while sitting on a cream-colored sofa in a cozy, decorated living room with plants, a window, and a white piano in the background.

    Nina Charley

    Nina Charley, community champion, is a community advocate, speaker, and digital creator focused on equity, mental health, and social justice. She has spoken on national panels for Amnesty International and Unsinkable, serving as Co-Chair of the Ottawa Black Diaspora Coalition. Through both grassroots organizing and her digital platform, Nina amplifies marginalized voices and drives meaningful, community-centered change.

    Learn More About Nina
  • Smiling man wearing a black baseball cap with a Toronto Blue Jays logo, turquoise T-shirt with a CMHA/ACSM logo, standing in front of a banner with Canadian mental health organization information.

    Ryan Forsyth

    Ryan Forsyth is an Award Winning Mental Health Speaker from Ottawa who specializes in mental health at work, men’s mental health and healthy masculinity.

    Learn More About Ryan
  • Close-up of a woman with medium skin tone wearing a white hijab and pink knitted cardigan smiling against a white background.

    Samarah Maqbool

    Samarah Maqbool, Medical Student and Mental Health Advocate, Samarah Maqbool has been a long standing advocate for wellbeing, stemming from her ground work in the classroom to public speaking with over 10000 youth and change-makers across the country. Her passion stems from her lived identity as a south asian muslim daughter of immigrants and older sister. She intertwines culture, pedagogy and equity into all her work both as a learner and facilitator of knowledge.

    Learn More About Samarah

Community Champion Alumni

We are incredibly grateful to have had your time, support, and the opportunity to witness your vulnerability. Each of you played an integral part in helping us become who we are today. Most importantly, you’ve shown our community what it means to be Unsinkable. 

Thank you.

A portrait of Stephen Rae with glasses, a beard, and a plaid shirt, in front of colorful artwork including a portrait and graffiti, with not fully visible text and art in the background.
A middle-aged woman with short curly hair in workout attire, holding her hands behind her head, looking determined. Text overlay: Lynne Keane, Community Champion Alum.
A young man with short dark curly hair smiling, wearing a black V-neck shirt, against a plain light background.
A young man with glasses and black hair standing in front of a brick wall, wearing a black hoodie that says 'LOVE'. The text overlay reads 'Zafir Zaman, Community Champion Alum'.
A woman with long wavy brown hair and blue eyes wearing a black hat and a striped beige and white shirt, holding the hat with both hands, looking at the camera with a slight smile.
Portrait of a smiling African American woman wearing an off-the-shoulder pink dress, with a gray background and a caption that reads 'Mama De-Heer, Community Champion Alum'.
A young man in red shorts performing a mid-air martial arts kick on a beach with a pier and city buildings in the background.
Smiling young woman with long hair holding a bouquet of colorful flowers outdoors, wearing a white jacket and a graduation stole, with greenery in the background.
A young woman with long brown hair smiling and leaning against a wall, wearing a white shirt and a necklace, with text overlay reading 'Hannah Alper, Community Champion Alum.'
A young man with short dark hair, wearing a white paint-splattered shirt and large headphones, smiling while holding a paintbrush in front of colorful abstract paintings.
Close-up of a woman with long blonde hair and a white shirt, smiling, with a name and title overlay reading 'Amanda Bernardo, Community Champion Alum'.
Headshot of Pamela Fitzgerald smiling, with blonde wavy hair, wearing a white sleeveless top, against a dark background, with a label indicating she is a community champion alum.
A young man with blue eyes and light brown hair smiling at the camera, wearing a black cap with 'Broncos Strong' embroidery and a dark gray shirt.
Black and white portrait of Wynnikka Matthews, a community champion alum, with curly hair, wearing a butterfly T-shirt and a necklace, looking at the camera.
A black-and-white portrait of Mikaela Brewer with wavy hair, smiling, with a caption indicating she is a community champion alum.
Woman with long dark hair and tattoos smiling at the camera, with art and framed posters on the wall behind her.
A woman with glasses and hoop earrings smiling in a room with windows and light blue curtains. Caption reads 'Maria Estrada, Community Champion Alum.'
A smiling man with a beard and curly hair, wearing a black jacket, standing outdoors with a concrete wall and greenery in the background.
Photo of Lorelei Williams with face paint, wearing a black shirt with a printed image, holding a paper, against a dark background.
Portrait of Jenille Patrice, a community champion alum, with short dark hair, wearing floral top, in indoors with neutral background.
A young woman with long wavy hair smiling outdoors during daytime, wearing a sleeveless orange dress. Text overlay: 'Kelli Chu, Community Champion Alum.'
Portrait of Keosha Love smiling with hands on her cheeks, wearing a light blue off-the-shoulder top, with braided hair and jewelry, against a gold background.
A woman with blonde hair smiling and sitting on a gray couch with a cream-colored pillow with brown writing, in front of a wooden wall.
Portrait of Jacob Grosberg, a young man with glasses, beard, earrings, wearing a gray t-shirt, sitting indoors with a modern background, titled 'Jacob Grosberg, Community Champion Alum'.
A woman with long, curly blonde hair smiling, wearing a beige blazer over a white top, with a name tag that reads 'Giustina D'Elia' and 'Community Champion Alum'.
Photograph of Dave Boddy, smiling, wearing glasses and a black shirt, with a white background, with the text "Dave Boddy, Community Champion Alum" at the bottom.
A woman with long dark hair smiling at the camera, sitting with her knees drawn up, wearing a patterned long sleeve top, in a cozy indoor setting. Text overlay reads "Barbie Liss, Community Champion Alum."
Man smiling and holding a microphone, wearing a light blue suit jacket and a checkered shirt, standing outdoors near a glass brick wall, with a blurred person in the background.
A woman with shoulder-length brown hair and light skin, smiling, wearing a blue top, with text overlay that reads 'Jennifer Elia, Community Champion Alum'.
A young woman with light brown hair, wearing a blue blazer with a small pin and a necklace that says 'Selin', smiling at the camera against a dark background. Text overlay identifies her as Selin Özünaldım, Community Champion Alumni.
A smiling man wearing glasses, a gray beanie with 'KARBON' written on it, and a black jacket with 'KARBON' branding, standing against a light gray background. The overlay text reads: 'Kenny M'Pindou, Community Champion Alum.'
Professional portrait of Jason Finucan wearing a blue blazer and a checkered shirt, smiling, with a gray background and a yellow pocket square.
A woman with blonde hair wearing a blue graduation gown standing outdoors in front of trees and smiling.
A young woman with brown hair and blue eyes smiling, wearing a teal satin blouse, standing against a plain white background. Text overlay states her name, Hala Arefeh, and her title, Community Champion Alum.
Portrait of Raffaela Mancuso with dark wavy hair, earrings, and a nose piercing, resting her head on her hand, wearing a maroon long sleeve top, against a plain background.