Board of Directors

Saravan is a lawyer focusing on commercial real estate and Indigenous economic development. As a partner of MLT Aikins LLP, Saravan advises clients on all aspects of real estate, both on- and off-reserve, including acquisitions, developments, dispositions, leasing, financing and subdivisions and related corporate matters. A member of the Law Societies of British Columbia, Alberta, and Yukon, he has served as a chair of the Canadian Bar Association British Columbia Branch Real Property Subsection and as a director of the Vancouver Bar Association. Saravan lives in North Vancouver with his family.

President and CEO of Central City Foundation since 2006, Jennifer’s 30-year career has focused on non-profit leadership and community resource development. She began as the founding program coordinator with the Whistler Centre for Business and the Arts and since then has held key leadership positions with a variety of organizations that include Vancity Community Foundation, Battered Women’s Support Services, Vancouver Status of Women and Ballet BC. A passionate and committed supporter of social justice and community investment, Jennifer is a past president of the Vancouver chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and currently serves as Board Chair for AFP Canada and as a director for Yaletown House Foundation, A Better Life Foundation and Battered Women’s Support Services. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys baking cakes and hanging out with her awesome nephew the inventor.

Cliff was born and raised in Prince Rupert and is Haida from Old Massett, Haida Gwaii. With over 35 years of management experience, he has worked extensively in Indigenous economic and business development throughout Canada. A strategic thinker and strong financial manager, Cliff’s areas of expertise include leadership development, stakeholder relations, partnership development and the development of programs and services. With a wide variety of experience establishing business mentorship programs for youth, Cliff is one of the founders of YES – Young Entrepreneurs Symposium. For over 15 years, YES has provided entrepreneurship training for youth through an annual conference. Since 2019, Cliff has been Chief Operating Officer of Indspire, a nationally recognized non-profit that supports Indigenous students through scholarships, bursaries and mentorship initiatives.

Cory was born and raised in Coast Salish Territory ‘Vancouver’ and brings over 25 years of local experience in art and architectural design. He is a Squamish Nation member with Haida and Tsimshian ancestry. Cory began his business as a graphic artist and continues to redefine himself as he merges his academic architectural vocation with his innate creativity. Cory is connected to the Squamish Nation through his parents and has been studying traditional Haida form and Formline and Coast Salish design. Cory’s intention is to communicate the cultural history of Canada alongside the development and design strategies through decolonization.

Ginger is a member of the Nisga’a and Kwakwak’awakw Nations and has been bringing forward new perspectives on Indigenous peoples in cities for over 20 years, while breaking down misconceptions about urban Indigenous realities to reframe our understanding of both issues and opportunities. She was the City of Vancouver’s first Indigenous Relations Manager, where she was central to advancing Vancouver as the world’s first official City of Reconciliation and to creating the City’s reconciliation framework to ensure Indigenous identities and worldviews were respected and reflected in all of the city’s plans. Ginger also served as the Project Manager and Public Engagement Director for the Environics Institute’s Urban Aboriginal Peoples Study and is a sought-after speaker at provincial, national and international events.

Maura is Dene from Tulita in the Northwest Territories and works on the unceded and traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. As a registered social worker, Maura is committed to empowering others. She works with people, meeting them where they are to help reduce pain and increase resiliency. She makes use of both her own lived experience and the learnings gained through earning her master’s degree in social work. On her days off, you will find Maura at the soccer field with her five energetic boys, walking in nature and taking care of her own spiritual, ceremonial and healing needs.

Samuel is an investment associate at RBC Dominion Securities. He enjoys his work because of the collaborative nature of client relationships and the opportunity to serve others in financial wealth creation. Prior to RBC, Samuel worked for BC Investment Management where he managed passive and active strategies for North American equities. Samuel was also a member of the UBC Portfolio Management Foundation, a two-year investment program which engages undergraduate students in the management of balanced portfolios. At Central City Foundation, Samuel is interested in serving the investment needs of the organization and acting as a sounding board for new ideas as the organization evolves. Samuel is also passionate about the good work Central City Foundation does on behalf of the inner city and looks forward to opportunities to collaborate and engage.