WAYS TO GIVE
Make a Donation
GivingPages
Charity Gift Cards

Staff

Click on the names below for bios of each member of the CanadaHelps staff team.


Marina Glogovac, President & CEO

Marina joined CanadaHelps in 2013. Marina Glogovac is a seasoned leader and visionary, with over 20 years experience in setting business and marketing strategy, acquiring and nurturing customers, scaling growth, and launching new products. Marina has deep expertise in eCommerce, multi-channel marketing, brand building, advertising sales, and content development.

From 2006 to 2009, Marina served as the Chief Executive Officer at Lavalife Corp. one of North America’s most recognized providers of services aimed at “singles”, including diverse communities and products across several consumer channels (web, mobile, phone,) as well as online magazine and offline events and programs. Lavalife became one of the top five dating sites world-wide.

Prior to her role as CEO, Marina was Lavalife’s Chief Revenue Officer and was responsible for product strategy, and sales and marketing. During her tenure at Lavalife, she expanded the brand to include new consumer channels such as mobile and content, and launched services such as a successful online magazine, “Click”, and a social dating community aimed at Baby Boomers, called LavalifePrime.

Most recently Marina was Chief Marketing Officer at Kobo Inc., a leading global online e-Reading service, and Chief Revenue Officer at Dealfind, North America’s third largest “deals and coupons” internet retailer. As an independent strategy consultant and interim executive, she worked with a number of other clients helping their businesses to accelerate performance and to develop and implement effective growth strategies.

Marina immigrated to Canada in 1987 from her native Belgrade where she worked as a journalist and writer, and began her career in the advertising industry - selling ads to local retailers for the successful alternative newsweekly, NOW Magazine, in Toronto. As her career grew, she oversaw the development of a number of successful local and national media brands. Most notably, she served as Group Publisher at St. Joseph Media and Key Media in Toronto, where she was publisher of their flagship Toronto Life Magazine.

She sits on the advisory board of The Walrus Magazine Foundation. Her past involvements with not-for-profit organizations include serving on boards or advisory committees for Magazines Canada, Interactive Advertising Bureau Canada, Ontario Media Development Corporation, Bridgepoint Health Foundation, Give Girls a Chance, and Big Sisters Toronto.

Marina has been a featured speaker at online media, social networking and cultural industry conferences. In 2007, she was nominated for the Woman of the Year Award by Canadian Women In Communications.

A graduate of the University of Belgrade, Marina also holds a Masters degree in Education, specializing in Organizational Learning and Change, from the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE).


Patrick Banville, Chief Operating Officer & Interim CEO

Patrick joined CanadaHelps in 2011. Prior to joining the team, Patrick worked in the media industry where he oversaw the financial and operational activities of an educational television network, a comprehensive news website, a merchandising division and various television productions. He holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, York University, where he has mentored new students. He also has volunteered with various organizations, such as the Untied Way, local schools and children's sports leagues.


Kirstin Beardsley, Marketing & Communications Manager

Kirstin joined CanadaHelps in 2006. Prior to joining the team at CanadaHelps, Kirstin worked in other projects and programs in the non-profit/voluntary sector including Vartana, Developing Human Resources in the Voluntary Sector-HRVS (precursor to the HR Council) and Community Foundations of Canada. She has volunteered for a number of non-profit organizations including women’s shelters, a small credit union and a crisis line. Kirstin holds a B.A. Honours in Women's Studies from York University.


Dina Bilenkis, Database & Systems Administrator

Dina joined CanadaHelps in 2010. Before coming to CanadaHelps, Dina spent 6 years working for BCE companies, specializing in data analysis, database support and BI (Business Intelligence). Prior she worked in Telecommunications sector as a software developer and data analyst. She began donating to charities regularly upon her first job and is excited to join the nonprofit sector. Dina holds a B.A. Honours in Computer Science from University of Ottawa.


Marco Dezi, Executive Assistant

Marco joined Canada Helps as Executive Assistant in November 2012. Before joining the team, Marco managed the constituency office for a Member of Parliament. He has international experience having worked in Italy, the UK and the USA in different capacities in the advertising and communications sector where he was involved in project management, event and ad campaign planning. Marco holds a Master degree in Foreign Languages from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, Italy, where he also studied media communications. He is fluent in six languages. Marco is interested and involved in social and environmental issues both locally and internationally.


Stefan Fylak, Quality Assurance/Build Engineer

Stefan joined CanadaHelps in February 2013. In his previous role as Quality Assurance Manager, Stefan has developed Quality Assurance procedures and test plans for corporate clients such as Royal Bank, MDS, and Canada Post. Along with his York University degree in Computer Science, he brings a wealth of experience in web development practices, analysis and usability to the table. Not a stranger to the not-for-profit world, (Stefan has worked with Digital Opportunity Trust, a current client of CanadaHelps) he prefers to work in an environment dedicated to helping and fostering growth in the charitable sector and is pleased to be working with the CanadaHelps team.


Lyne Girizina-Kabwa, Charity and Donor Services Associate

Lyne joined CanadaHelps in May 2012. Prior to joining CanadaHelps, she briefly worked in the public sector. She has participated in three recruitment cycles within the Federal Student Work Experience Program in her last year at school, working as a Human Resources Assistant at Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. A recent university graduate, she holds a B.A. in Political Science and Bilingual Certificate from Glendon College, York University. She is fluent in French and English.


Amy Huynh, Marketing & Communications Coordinator

Amy first joined CanadaHelps in the fall of 2008 as Communications Assistant. After a wonderful year at CanadaHelps, Amy left to join MyThum Interactive, a mobile marketing agency. In the fall of 2010, Amy re-joined CanadaHelps as Marketing and Communications Coordinator. She has volunteered for community programs such as the Ontario Early Year Program and Doorsteps Neighbourhood Services. Amy holds a B.A. Honours in Anthropology and Communications from York University, and an Ontario College Graduate Certificate in Corporate Communications from Seneca College. She loves crossword puzzles and Sherlock Holmes.


Nadine Gutmann, Charity & Donor Services Team Lead

Nadine joined CanadaHelps in March 2012. Before coming to CanadaHelps, she worked in the not-for-profit and public sectors and in electoral campaigns where she was involved in volunteer recruiting, training, and management as well as project and special events coordination. Nadine holds a M.Ed. from the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education and a post-graduate degree in arts administration and cultural manage ment from Humber College. She volunteered for various charitable organizations such as the Toronto Arts Foundation and Arts Etobicoke. Nadine loves helping people and is excited at the opportunity of assisting our donors and charities!



Shaneeza Nazseer, Business & Program Development Manager

Shaneeza joined CanadaHelps in 2013. Shaneeza began her career in the private sector in product marketing and project management roles at Canadian Tire and in market research consulting at Nielsen. Upon leaving the private sector in 2009, she spent two years developing programs and engaging communities for NGOs in Switzerland, Ethiopia and Bolivia. Most recently, Shaneeza developed a skill-based volunteer engagement program and resource development strategy at For Youth Initiative, a United Way agency in Toronto’s West end. Shaneeza has volunteered for a number of local and international non-profit organizations committed to poverty alleviation and serving at risk youth. Shaneeza holds an Honours Business Administration degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business and is excited to develop new programs at CanadaHelps to simplify and ultimately increase giving for Canadian donors and charities!


Konstantin Rakitine, Web Application Developer

Konstantin joined CanadaHelps in the summer of 2012. Before coming to CanadaHelps, he was a student at Ryerson University where he completed a B.Sc in Computer Science. Joining the team at CanadaHelps marks his introduction to the nonprofit sector. Konstantin is honoured to have the opportunity to help donors and charities.


Ren Ramkhelawan, Systems Architect

Ren joined CanadaHelps in May 2003. Prior to joining the team, Ren worked for a software company (now a division of Brascan/Royal LePage) where, amongst other things, he developed Web and QA applications. Through his consulting company, he has worked on commercial software projects in the military medical and automated security fields, and several network infrastructure projects. He also volunteers at the Oakville Speed Skating Club as an instructor. Ren holds a B.A.Sc. in Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto.


Ken Waugh, Technical Director

Ken joined CanadaHelps in November 2012. He has been working in the software development field for over fifteen years. During this time, he has held a number of leadership positions working as an architect, an information technology manager, a consultant, a developer and as a trainer. Ken has held senior positions with Chapters Online, Cancer Care Ontario, SickKids Foundation, Herbal Magic and Navantis Inc. He also holds a university degree from Carleton University. He brings his depth of experience in both the private and not-for profit sectors, as well as, technical skills and management capabilities to his current position to aide in the fulfillment of the CanadaHelps mission.


Adeline Wong, Software Engineer

Adeline joined CanadaHelps in February 2012 as a Software Engineer. Prior to joining the team, Adeline was a software developer at IBM where she worked on software applications for financial institutions and in-house custom automation tools and utilities. She has volunteered as a Teaching Assistant at DEEP (DaVinci Engineering Enrichment Program) Summer Academy organized by the University of Toronto. Before coming to Canada, Adeline often participated in her hometown’s community service projects such as beach cleaning and donation drives. Adeline holds a B.A.Sc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toronto.