Announcing the 2026 Leadership Fund Recipients

We are pleased to announce the 2026 recipients of the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security’s Leadership Fund.

Piloted in 2024, the Leadership Fund is a grant program that supports emerging and experienced people leaders working at small-to-medium non-profit organizations addressing food insecurity in Canada. Through this fund, the Centre is committed to building capacity within the Canadian non-profit sector and helping alleviate the disproportionate impact of food insecurity among Black and Indigenous communities.

The Leadership Fund provides recipients with funding to access professional development opportunities that strengthen their leadership skills and support their work in the sector. We recognize that these opportunities can be difficult to access, particularly for leaders working in small and grassroots organizations with limited resources. Creating sustainable impact on systemic issues like food insecurity requires a talented and diverse group of leaders.

In 2026, we are proud to support 11 exceptional leaders who are working to combat food insecurity in communities across Canada. Please join us in congratulating this year’s Leadership Fund recipients:

• Benjamin Feagin Jr. – True Wealth Foundation
• Gabriela Islas – Crowsnest Pass Food Bank Society
• Jennifer Pritchard – SWITCH (Student Wellness Initiative Toward Community Health)
• Joeie Schwartz – Summerlunch+
• Lesa Francis – Black Food Sovereignty Alliance
• Michelle Ruel – Feed the City
• Nicole Davies – Sovereign Seeds
• Rachel Hahn – Food Stash
• Umut Yenmis – Fort York Food Bank
• Veronica Gutierrez – Hope Blooms

We are confident that this year’s recipients will benefit from the Leadership Fund, and we are proud to support their continued leadership in advancing work to address food insecurity in Canada.

Stay tuned to our website and social media channels for updates on the 2027 Leadership Fund. Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest news on food insecurity in Canada and learn more about how we are advancing food security: Newsletter Sign Up – Feed Opportunity