Meet The Team

Co-Founder & Executive Director

Tyjana Connolly

Tyjana Connolly is an Executive Director and Co-founder of Black Eco Bloom. Together with Leila Cantave, she founded BEB with the goal of promoting sustainable development with a focus on environmental education and empowering Black women and gender-diverse individuals in climate leadership. An alumna with a BA in Political Science, her work is rooted in political ecology and systems design.

Tyjana has experience with the United Nations Association of Canada, guiding youths in community projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. She advocates for including Black and Afro-Caribbean voices in environmental discussions and aims to reimagine community development through local and culturally informed approaches. She developed the Roots, Stems, Seeds, and Flowers methodology to drive local change and conducts workshops on innovative design and storytelling in activism, leveraging her background in labor organizing.

Co-Founder

Leila Cantave

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Director & Research Manager

Emelia Connolly

Emelia is a highly educated and passionate woman with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Calgary. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Security Studies with a focus on the global South, particularly Eastern Africa. Emelia is the Director of the African Indigenous Knowledge Research Project and works closely with the research team to study the sustainability and spirituality of Eastern African Indigenous groups. As a Caribbean woman, Emelia understands that sustainability equals survival, making the African Indigenous project one of her passions. Her activism is driven by the desire to explore, learn, and research Afro-Caribbean Indigenous sustainability, a privilege she is excited to share. During her undergraduate studies, Emelia delved into the socio-political and environmental realities of Indigenous peoples. She is proud to play a role in making their struggles visible, as well as highlighting their creativity and ecological intelligence.

Communications Lead, Website

Shanelle Weir 

Shanelle Weir, our Communications Lead from Toronto, Canada, specializes in developing emotive language to convey meaningful messages and inspire positive action. She aims to craft compelling narratives that engage our audience and incite inspiration.

Strategy and Development Volunteer

Rema Tavares

Rema is a parent, educator and intersectional environmentalist of Jamaican (Yoruba, Fulani, Sephardi) and Irish (Celtic) descent. She is the former Executive Director of Sky’s the Limit Youth Organization, a national registered charity that provides refurbished laptops and STEM training to youth across Canada.

Rema is the founder of Mixed in Canada, a national resource centre for racialized mixed-race identified Canadians. She is also the Manager, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Seneca College. Rema has been invited to speak on CTV Canada AM, CBC News The National, CBC Radio Metro Morning, the University of Toronto, York University Centre for Human Rights, OCAD, Ontario Public Services, and more. She is a native plant, quantum physics and Star Trek enthusiast.

Operations Coordinator

Tsion Kebede

Tsion Kebede, our Operations Coordinator, pursued a Bachelor’s of Health Sciences at Western University. Her passions lie in health and economic justice to ensure the well-being of marginalized communities. She has held many roles in community service work and non-for-profit industries focused on development and health. All of which she hopes to utilize, to contribute to fostering and creating more accessible spaces that focalize intersections with social determinants of health and well-being.
Outside of education and career pursuits, her passions include travel, storytelling, aromatherapy, fitness, social advocacy, reading, and entrepreneurship.

Project Coordinator- AIK

Esther E.

Esther is a dynamic and impact-driven Project Coordinator. She brings a strong foundation in law and business, possesses a unique blend of skills that enables her to foster positive change in community. Her journey has led her to collaborate on complex projects, organising, managing, and leading diverse teams effectively. Passionate about environmental conservation and community engagement, she leverages her communication and organizational skills to manage and execute projects in alignment with Black Eco Bloom's mission. Her commitment to making a positive impact and her ability to coordinate research efforts and manage projects make her a valuable asset to any organization.

Project Coordinator Volunteer

Sola Longe

Sola has been working in the human service sector for a long time advocating and coordinating different services. Passionate about finding solutions for policies, processes, and procedures that benefit humanity and is always eager to learn and grow in her career

Research & Policy

Sandra Gamiño

Sandra Gamiño, is an environmental consultant passionate about nature and sustainability, She believes these two words define us as human beings. Her projects begin with thorough research, followed by creative thinking and the development of ideas. She also loves reading fiction novels and long walks in nature.

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Keltyn Matthews

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Researcher

Seyi Ade-Ojo

Seyi Ade-Ojo works as Researcher for the African Indigenous Knowledge (AIK) project. Her research explores the Indigenous ways of learning and knowing in the African context, in particular - West Africa. Her current work examines the roles spirituality and indigenous agriculture practices play in preventing and addressing climate change in West Africa. Beyond the relationship between indigenous practices and sustainability, her research also examines the entanglement of these practices with politics and gender