User:Kwalukcsi/sandbox

Tonya Surman is a Toronto based social entrepreneur and the founding executive director of the Centre for Social Innovation.

Tonya has been creating and leading social ventures in Canada for the past 15 years. She co-chairs the Ontario Nonprofit Network, is a founding trustee in the Awesome Foundation Toronto , and has been active within the Ontario Social Economy Roundtable and the Social Enterprise Council of Canada.

In 2009 Tonya was named a Global Ashoka Fellow (Ashoka website, or media link). She was recognized for building a network of local and global shared spaces for social innovators via the Centre of Social Innovation, which has 3 locations in Toronto, and recently announced plans to open a 4th location in New York City.

Previous to CSI, Tonya was the founding Partnership Director of the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment, whose work, in part, led to a new legislative framework to manage chemicals and the banning of BPA in baby bottles.