INTRODUCING OUR 2025-2027 BOARD OF DIRECTORS!

Girls Forward Foundation is excited to welcome Corinne Lortie to our Board of Directors!

Corinne Lortie is a bilingual (French and English) lawyer with over 10 years of experience in the sport sector. Corinne currently serves as Senior Counsel at League One Volleyball (LOVB), where she leads the organization’s legal operations and risk management functions across its professional league and national youth club and tournaments network. Her work spans governance, athlete safety, insurance and risk strategy, commercial operations, and organizational design. Having built her career across Australia, Canada, and the United States, Corinne brings a global perspective grounded in her J.D. from the University of Sydney and her Honours B.A. from York University.

Corinne has seen firsthand the transformative impact that sport and physical activity can have- both in her own life and the lives of athletes and communities she serves. A lifelong mover, she plays tennis, practices Pilates, and lives in Westmount, QC (though originally from Ontario) with her partner and their two cats. She is passionate about helping girls build confidence, connection, and leadership through sport and physical activity, and is proud to support the mission of the Girls Forward Foundation to ensure more young women have access to those opportunities. 

I am thrilled to welcome Corinne to our Board of Directors. Her professional expertise, combined with her deep commitment to safer and more inclusive sport spaces, aligns powerfully with our mission. We are excited to learn from her and grow alongside her as we advance this important work!”

Gabriella Estrada, Executive Director 

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Girls Forward is also proud to welcome back and continue working alongside the following members of our 2025-2027 Board of Directors, whose leadership and expertise strengthen our mission nationwide:

Fahreen Kurji, Chair

Fahreen Kurji has served as the Chair of the Board of Directors since July 2025. She first joined the Board of Directors in 2023 and has played a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s next chapter, including supporting the rebrand in April 2025 and celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Foundation in 2025. She is passionate about the impact sports have on girls, particularly in bringing the skills and empowerment off the field/track/court/pitch. She is a VP, Legal Services for the regional transit agency in the GTHA. 

Soph Dhrolia, Past Chair

A strategic culture and organizational transformation leader specializing in building diverse workplaces where people experience belonging, inclusion, and purpose. Soph designs and implements enterprise strategies that embed equity into governance, leadership, decision-making, and employee experience—with measurable impact on culture, trust, and performance. Experienced in advising executives and Boards, leading cross-functional change, applying data-driven insight, and co-creating sustainable systems where diverse perspectives and innovation thrive.

Candace Moody (CPA), Treasurer

Candace, a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), has spent over 20 years in the public accounting industry as an auditor, university instructor, academic program director, and currently is Director, CPA Certification & Future Talent at KPMG. Candace is passionate about gender equality and healthy living and enjoys mentoring young professional women and strives to be an active role model to those around her. She lives in Calgary, AB with her husband and three daughters (all who love attending/ volunteering at Girls Forward events!) Her family enjoys being active and can be found skiing, playing basketball and flag football, working out, biking, curling and hiking.

Allison Swelin, Director at Large

With over 18 years in tech, Allison has led strategic initiatives for Garmin, My Normative, SMART, and Motorola, including launching Garmin Health and growing it to a multimillion dollar division within three years with 100+ global API partners. For nearly a decade, she has also been a Board member and startup advisor—helping early-stage companies in health, wellness, equity and longevity from 0 to 1 with clarity and impact. When she is not deep in product, partnerships, or growth strategy, she is the mom of three young kids and endlessly curious about anything that helps us live longer, healthier lives.

Ayesha Ali, Director at Large

With a professional background in financial operations and governance in the non-profit sector, Ayesha has a strong commitment towards supporting the community. Currently working for a library resource & education organization, she is an advocate for equity, literacy & accessibility. As a mother of two young girls and a strong advocate for sports, she is passionate about the goals and objectives of Girls Forward Foundation. Residing in Vancouver, BC with her family Ayesha spends her free time playing soccer, running a local book club, and spending time with friends & family.

Beje Melamed-Turkish, Director at Large

Beje is a community builder, equity advocate, and sport-for-development leader committed to creating inclusive spaces where girls and young women can thrive. As a member of the Girls Forward Foundation Board of Directors, she brings deep expertise in fundraising, program development, and strategic partnerships. Beje currently serves as Director of Fundraising, Partnerships & Donor Procurement at Scadding Court Community Centre, where she leads organization-wide fundraising strategy and multi-sector collaborations that support diverse communities. She is excited to bring both strategic vision and frontline experience in girl-centred programming to her role with Girls Forward.

Olivia Oldfield, Director at Large

Olivia is a philanthropy professional who specializes in donor relations and fund management. Over the past number of years, Olivia has worked in post-secondary Advancement at Trent University and Fleming College. With a passion for sport and the impact it has on Canadians’ lives, Olivia spent a number of years with the Canadian Olympic Foundation. During her time with the Foundation, she led philanthropic communications where she supported the launch of various initiatives such as the Team Canada 50/50 and “A Conversation with” webinar series. Olivia earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Ottawa as well as an Advanced Diploma in Public Relations at Durham College. Olivia resides in Peterborough, Ontario where she spends her free time enjoying cottage country, golfing and spending time with her family.

Stefan Underwood, Director at Large

Stefan has spent over two decades helping individuals, teams, and organizations unlock their potential and perform sustainably. As Senior Vice President of Methodology at Exos, an evidence-based coaching company, he leads a transdisciplinary team spanning neuroscience, psychology, sports science, nutrition, and data analytics to develop whole-human performance solutions.

Stefan is deeply passionate about the mission of the Girls Forward Foundation and the role mentorship and empowerment play in shaping future leaders. He is an active coach in his local sport community and a proud parent.  

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For any questions related to our Board of Directors, please e-mail us at info@girlsforward.ca.