Our Staff
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Jennifer HollettExecutive DirectorJennifer has worked as the head of news and government at Twitter Canada and is the co-founder of the fact-checking Super PAC App, which debuted at number one in the App Store. As an award-winning host, reporter, and producer, she’s covered stories across Canada and around the world with CBC News, CTV News, and MuchMusic. Jennifer has a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School and a BA with a specialization in journalism and communications from Concordia University. Fun fact: her first job after Concordia involved answering emails for Céline Dion. |
Editorial
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Carmine StarninoInterim Editor-in-ChiefCarmine was one of the founding editors of Maisonneuve magazine and a senior editor at Reader’s Digest Canada. He has published eight books, including This Way Out (2009), which was nominated for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry, and two collections of literary essays. Leviathan (2016) is his most recent collection of poetry. He was a finalist for PWAC’s Editor of the Year in 2011. |
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Claire CooperManaging EditorClaire has worked in print and digital publishing for twenty years. She got her start at Toronto Life and then spent many years in the custom content world, writing and editing for brands such as Sobeys, CAA, and CPA Canada. |
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Samia MadwarSenior EditorSamia previously worked at Up Here and Canadian Geographic magazines. In her spare time, she specializes in impromptu travel. |
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Harley RustadSenior EditorHarley is the author of Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas (2022) and Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One of Canada’s Last Great Trees (2018). He has written for Outside, the Globe and Mail, and Geographical, among others. He is a faculty editor at the Banff Centre’s mountain and wilderness writing residency and the founder of the Port Renfrew Writers’ Retreat. |
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Daniel ViolaSenior EditorBefore joining The Walrus, Daniel was the editor-in-chief of Maisonneuve, which, during his tenure, won Magazine of the Year at the National Magazine Awards. His writing has appeared in the Toronto Star, Azure, Motherboard, Chatelaine, and more. He lives and reads in London, UK. |
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Carine AbouseifFeatures Editor (On Leave)Before joining The Walrus, Carine edited news and features for the Globe and Mail. Her writing on health care, mental health, and more has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Maisonneuve, Broadview, and beyond. She has also taught professional writing at the University of Toronto Mississauga. |
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Dafna IzenbergFeatures EditorDafna has worked as an editor at Maclean’s, Chatelaine, Sportsnet, Today’s Parent and Healthy Debate. Her writing has appeared in The Fiddlehead, Hazlitt and The New Quarterly. |
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Monika WarzechaDigital EditorBefore joining The Walrus, Monika Warzecha worked at Postmedia and MSN Canada. She has contributed to the Globe and Mail, TVO.org, Vice, and CBC Radio. |
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KC HoardAssociate EditorKC previously worked at Maclean’s, and his work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Xtra Magazine, and Them. He was named Canada’s Biggest Carly Rae Jepsen Stan by the CBC in 2019 (and hasn’t shut up about it since). |
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Allison BakerHead of ResearchAllison Baker is a fact checker, copy editor, and producer based in Tkaronto. She is a recipient of the 2021 Michener–L. Richard O’Hagan Fellowship for Journalism Education. Since 2016, she has produced Mi’kmaq Matters, a podcast about the Mi’kmaw people, politics, land, and water of so-called Newfoundland. |
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Siddhesh InamdarCopy EditorSiddhesh is a writer and editor. Before joining The Walrus, he worked at HarperCollins India, where he acquired and edited a number of bestselling, award-winning, and critically acclaimed nonfiction books. He has also been with some of India’s leading English newspapers, including Hindustan Times and The Hindu. He moved to Canada in the summer of 2022 and is based in London, Ontario. |
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Ariella GarmaiseAssistant EditorBefore joining The Walrus, Ariella worked at Canadian Journalists for Free Expression and as an editor at the McGill Tribune. |
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Connor GarelThe Justice Fund Writer in ResidenceConnor is an award-winning writer, editor, and twin based in Toronto. Before joining The Walrus as an editorial fellow in late 2020, he served as an associate editor on the Life and Perspectives desks at HuffPost Canada (RIP). His work has appeared variously in the Globe and Mail, The Face, Canadian Art (also RIP), and, among others, Vice, where he was an editorial intern in 2018. Additionally, Connor is a contributing editor at the UK-based Dazed magazine, where he writes long profiles of artists. You can find him haunting little coffee shops or at the library, the Paradise Theatre, or @nopecon on Twitter. |
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Emma WilkiePower Corporation of Canada Senior FellowEmma is a journalist with a background in stand-up comedy. She has worked on investigations for Global News, APTN, and the CBC and has performed on stages across Canada. She has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of King’s College and enjoys binging on podcasts on long road trips. |
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Emma BuchananCannonbury FellowEmma Buchanan is a fact checker and journalist. She previously served as the 2021 J-Source/CWA Canada reporting fellow, and her work has appeared in publications like The Local and The Tyee. She holds a bachelor of journalism with a minor in politics from Toronto Metropolitan University. |
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Tobin NgChawkers FellowTobin Ng is a fact checker and journalist based in Ottawa. They’ve fact-checked, written, and copy edited for Maclean’s, Xtra magazine, Broadview, and Maisonneuve, among other publications. In 2022, they won the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s inaugural bursary for graduating BIPOC journalism students. |
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Aysha WhiteThe Walrus Editorial FellowAysha White is a journalist, fact checker, and graphic designer based in Tiohti:áke/Montréal. She is currently working on writing and designing a booklet detailing the history of Montréal smoked meat. Her writing has appeared in This magazine, Broadview, and Readers Digest Canada among others. |
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Michelle CycaContributing WriterMichelle Cyca has written for Maclean’s, the Vancouver Sun, and Chatelaine. |
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Tajja IsenContributing WriterTajja Isen is the author of Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service. She has edited for Catapult, The Walrus, and Electric Literature. |
Art
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Paul KimDesign DirectorPaul is originally from Winnipeg, where he graduated from the University of Manitoba’s school of art. He joined The Walrus in 2005 as an art intern and subsequently held the positions of senior designer and deputy art director. He currently oversees the design direction at The Walrus, including many of the magazine’s memorable covers. |
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Meredith HoligroskiSenior DesignerMeredith has previously worked for the Globe and Mail and Toronto Life, and as a contributing designer on publications for the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Vancouver Art Gallery, and many others. |
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Celina GallardoDesignerWhether it’s through journalism or design, Celina loves storytelling. Previously, she was a reporter for the Toronto Star’s city hall and general assignment desks. She was also the 2019 editor and chief visuals editor of the Review of Journalism and is The Pigeon’s design editor. |
Audience
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Bryan MaloneyDirector of Audience EngagementBryan has worked in book and magazine publishing for fourteen years. |
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Monita MohanMarketing ManagerMonita is a marketer by day and an entertainment writer by night. Previously, she was a copywriter at an ad agency working with brands like Microsoft and BlackBerry. She has also worked as a public relations professional at an international literature festival and a marketing writer at a Canadian nonprofit. She enjoys pop culture and is the TV/movies feature writer at Collider. |
Production
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Maria MusikkaProduction DirectorMaria joined The Walrus in the fall of 2016. Her previous work experience includes Toronto Life, Fashion, Inside Entertainment and IAD. |
Events
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Tracie JonesDirector of Partnerships & SponsorshipsTracie is a passionate revenue driver dedicated to developing collaborative partnerships. Prior to joining The Walrus, Tracie led conference sponsorship for The Conference Board of Canada for many years. She most recently spent a year working with Invest Ottawa as their sponsorship lead, serving the entrepreneurial community in Ottawa. |
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Cailin CooperHead of EventsCailin works to bring people together and create accessible platforms for artists, journalists, scientists, and other compelling thinkers to share their ideas with curious audiences. Prior to joining The Walrus in 2015, she worked in book publishing and literary festival event marketing and programming. |
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Emma Mackenzie HillierEvents ManagerEmma enjoys creating events that engage, challenge, and delight audiences. Prior to joining The Walrus, Emma worked in the performing arts as a producer and dramaturge. She supported the development and production of numerous award-winning plays and acted in a few of them as well. She has worked with such esteemed companies as the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Harbourfront Centre, Soulpepper, Factory Theatre, and more. |
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Simran SinghEvents ManagerSimran comes most recently from the Toronto Star, where she worked in the radio room, and has also worked at the Globe and Mail. |
Digital
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Christopher WangDigital DirectorChris has led digital projects for some of Canada’s best and biggest brands. He was previously an editor at McGill’s arts-and-culture magazine and has also contributed articles to South China Morning Post and Time Out. |
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Abeer KhanSocial Media ProducerAbeer is a graduate from Toronto Metropolitan University’s journalism program. Most recently, she was the Editor-in-Chief of the Eyeopener and a freelance digital producer at the Toronto Star. |
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Dmitry BeniaminovDigital ConsultantDmitry is a web guru and technology consultant specializing in digital transformation, technology education and all things web. |
Operations
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Karl PercyChief Financial OfficerKarl is a professional accountant (CPA-CGA) with over twenty-five years of experience in the media and entertainment sectors. |
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Tina Love ChoHead of Logistics and ProductionTina is a native Torontonian and an experienced tour manager who has travelled Canada with the Vinyl Cafe, Paul Brandt, and many more. |
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Jacqueline FaucherOffice ManagerJacqueline is captivated by all things writing—from proofreading to screenwriting. |
Development
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Laura LavieDevelopment DirectorLaura has been fundraising for a diverse range of nonprofits in the Middle East and Canada since 2005 and loves connecting individuals and organizations to causes they care about. Laura is formally trained in fine arts and completed her CFRE in 2017. She has led several fundraising efforts and campaigns at organizations including the Peres Center for Peace, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto, Child Development Institute, Luminato, and the Aga Khan Museum. |
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Vilayath AliDonor Relations OfficerVilayath enjoys helping writers, musicians, and other artists create. He has worked as a grant writer and arts organizer and cofounded an artist collective that provides arts education to learners from around the world. |
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Katarina KaneffDevelopment Research OfficerBefore joining The Walrus, Katarina was a practising artist focusing on analog photography and print making. She has previously worked with Artscape as a prospect researcher. She has a passion for the written word and is an avid reader. Her mission is to make art accessible to everyone and to challenge the idea of what art can be. |
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Rose DanenDevelopment Officer, Annual GivingRose is a purveyor of community building—whether that be through reporting the news or forwarding important causes and issues. Rose previously worked as a journalist and her work has appeared in CBC North, the Globe and Mail, CTV Ottawa, the Ontario Grain Farmer, and the Wimot-Tavistock Gazette. She has contributed to initiatives to promote and fundraise for organizations she’s passionate about, including the Canadian Cancer Society and 4-H Ontario. |
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Soraya AmiriJournalists for Human Rights FellowSoraya Amiri is a former current affairs producer at Tolo Nws, Afghanistan’s top 24/7 news and current affairs TV channel. She has more than five years of media and journalism experience, organizing a number of exclusive interviews, 6 o’clock newscasts, town halls, and debates. She moved to Canada in January 2022 after leaving Afghanistan once the Taliban took control of the nation. Soraya holds a master’s degree in international relations and a bachelor’s degree in political science. |
The Walrus Lab
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Mihira LakshmanDirector of The Walrus LabMihira is the director of The Walrus Lab, the client-services division of The Walrus. Mihira has nearly twenty years of experience in media, having worked at large and small companies in web, mobile, social media, television, radio, and print platforms. He has performed a variety of roles including editorial oversight, sponsor integration, custom content and partnerships, staff management, digital strategy, and investigative journalism. |
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Alana HamiltonCreative Lead & Project ManagerBefore joining The Walrus, Alana worked on the agency side of the media sector for over a decade, with global brands such as Apple, Coca-Cola, and more. |
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Paul JaramilloAdvertising & Sales ManagerPaul has worked in the media sector for sixteen years, both on the agency side as the print buyer at the Procter & Gamble print agency of record, and on the sales side as a national account manager for Canadian Living, Elle Canada, and Style at Home. |