Basket Brigade CanadaBasket Brigade Canada
Joanne Chrobot
President & CEO
Joanne is a woman committed to helping others discover their own potential for creating a compelling life. Joanne Chrobot is inspired to be inspiring, to everyone around her. The combination of a dynamic, uplifting individual and a caring, creative vision makes for a unique and impressive life passion.
Joanne has amassed hands-on experience in the events industry since 1992 when she worked, and still works with international, Coach, Strategist and Speaker Tony Robbins and his team, and many other well-known inspirational speakers such as Mark Victor Hansen, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Dr. John Gray, Marianne Williamson, Les Brown, Ross Quinn, etc. Traveling extensively across North America, from Toronto to Hawaii, to be a part of these events, Joanne realized the impact that the presenters were having on her own life. This new awareness ignited a passion. She wanted others to be touched by these life-transforming presenters as she had been and still is to this day.
So impressed by the information these speakers imparted, Joanne made a decision to make their intriguing messages, as well as her own, available to a wider audience. Through focused intention, tireless pursuit for what she believed in, and having the courage to follow her dreams, KnowledgeWorks Global was launched.
“We all seek something more from our lives. It may be improved health, better relationships, success in business or increased spirituality. I have made a commitment to help individuals find more of what they seek to create a deeper, fulfilled life through informed choices“.
Joanne, now a Speaker, Trainer, Personal Coach, Master Extended Remote Viewer, Toronto City Leader for Remote Viewing, International Event Coordinator, and President of KnowledgeWorks Global, President & CEO of Basket Brigade Canada, and she promises to make you sit up and take notice of your life and transform it to fit your dreams!
Joanne was so touched by Tony Robbins’ story of a stranger that delivered food to his home when he was 11 years old, and when Tony made enough money he was able to deliver to 2 families.
Joanne thought “we should do that here”. So the idea of Basket Brigade Canada was created. Joanne started delivering to families in 1993 and has been consistently delivering food to needy families ever since. Basket Brigade Canada became an official Canadian registered charity across the country in 2018.
Over 46,000 deliveries have been made, where individuals and families received one week’s worth of groceries since 1993, due to the tireless efforts of Joanne and her dedicated Volunteer Team.
Joanne enjoys connecting with nature, learning new strategies in personal development, refining her intuitive skills and spirituality, and spending quality time with friends, her children and her grandchildren.
Natasha Questel
Board Chair
Natasha is President of Happy Planet Foods, the Vancouver-based feel good sustainable food company focused on doing right by people and planet. Happy Planet’s range of smoothies, juices, soups, meals and oat plant-based beverages are sold across Canada and the US.
Natasha was recently featured in Forbes Magazine, showcased as a rising woman in leadership and has been recognized with numerous strategy awards including the Canadian Packaging Award, Canadian Marketing Award, and the Johnson & Johnson Global Standard of Leadership Award.
She is a proud member of YPO (including being the first female member of the Canada West Chapter), a graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive LEAD program and holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario, Canada.
Natasha’s greatest passion is being a single mom to her 9 year old son Dylan. During her spare time she enjoys spending time with her son, being on the water or spending time in the sunshine, preferably on a Caribbean island or with her mom and family in her native Trinidad.
Kathleen Lavoie
Vice Chair
Influential Privacy, Security, Information Management and IT Management Executive with 20 years of achievement in leveraging information and technology to drive organizational growth, performance, profitability, and expand intellectual property capital. Acts as a change agent, capable of orchestrating transformative business strategy through data-driven decisions. Champions innovation with a focus on developing flexible, scalable solutions for consumer and organizational problems. Diverse experience in high-growth, startup, and turnaround environments with extensive knowledge of the healthcare industry.
Kathleen has a proven track record in the integration, alignment and implementation of Information Management and Technology processes across healthcare organizations to enable the achievement of the organization’s overall business plan, strategic and operational goals, as well as supporting significant transformation with effective use of change management principles.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management from the University of Victoria, B.C and a master’s in management science, Engineering from University of Waterloo, Ontario. She holds a CIPP/C, CIAPP-P and PMP certification. Kathleen is a regular guest speaker in Health Informatics, Security & Privacy topics.
Kathleen is a Faculty Professor at Conestoga College Institute of Technology for the 4-Year Bachelor of Applied Health Information Science. Kathleen previously worked for Grand River Hospital (GRH) which is one of Ontario’s largest and most unique community hospitals, as a member of the senior leadership team, in the role Chief Information Management Officer (CIMO) and Chief Privacy Officer (CPO). Her portfolio included information technology, information Security, biomedical engineering, telecommunications, clinical informatics, records management, transcription, coding, patient registration, patient scheduling, release of information, privacy & access office, and decision support.
Mike Castiglione
Treasurer
When you help someone less fortunate than yourself, the universe responds in amazing ways. This is an organic charity – people helping people. Come and see for yourself, and be grateful for this gift called life!
Mike met Joanne through the Anthony Robbins Foundation years ago – “I wanted to get involved, and the organization put me in touch with her right away.”
Mike is a father, husband, hockey trainer/coach, life long learner, connector and member of the Canadian Real Estate Association, Oakville-Milton District Real Estate Board, & the Real Estate Council of Ontario where he helps families with their Real Estate needs all over the Greater Golden Horseshoe and surrounding areas. He can be seen waking up early with his favourite green drink and walking in the forest listening to his favourite mentors.
Arvind Krishendeholl
Board Member
Avinash Arvind Krishendeholl is a community youth leader currently pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree at McGill University double majoring in Political Science and Orchestral Flute Performance. Arvind brings with him over eight years of experience in the public administration, governmental relations, and youth advocacy fields. In the 43rd Parliament, Arvind served as a Special Advisor for his local Member of Parliament (MP), where he advised the MP on various legislative and youth matters pending before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights (JUST) and the House of Commons. Prior to joining the Board of Directors at Basket Brigade Canada, Arvind served as President of the Brampton Centre Constituency Youth Council and as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Senior and Youth Empowerment Assistance Centre.
Currently, Arvind is working with the Anti-Black Racism and Systemic Discrimination Collective (ABR-SD) Collective of the Region of Peel, a community-led advocacy group committed to dismantling all forms of systemic racism across the healthcare, policing, and education sectors. Outside of his advocacy work, Arvind enjoys performing music on his flute and spending time with his friends and family in Montreal and Toronto.
Ashleigh Stoesser
Board Member
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