Melissa Millward

Mel is dedicated to bettering individuals and communities and has created a lasting impact through her work as President of Trails Youth Initiatives since 2016. Combining her love of experiential education in nature with her drive to empower vulnerable people, she leads and directs the charity's overall operations of 45 staff, 176 youth, 600 graduates, and 100+ volunteers. Mel's business and entrepreneurial instincts have successfully led an $8 million Vision Campaign and sustainably quadrupled annual revenue.

Mel has spent time travelling and working abroad, most notably implementing a school expansion with Uganda’s School for Life Foundation and turning a private family garden into a public tourist destination at Australia’s Mayfield Garden. Her latest trip was to Bhutan learning about Gross National Happiness vs. GDP, followed by hiking the mountains of Nepal in honour of her late mentor.

Mel holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Child Development from the University of Guelph which serves in her volunteer work with refugees from the Impakt Foundation for Social Change.