President and Co-founder

Linda Garcia is a seasoned professional with over 40 years dedicated to enriching the lives of older adults. Beginning as a speech-language pathologist aiding stroke survivors, she later became a university professor, conducting research and advocating for older adults, including those with dementia. Linda's leadership roles include founding a research institute and leading university health sciences programs. As she embarks on this new chapter, she is determined to leverage her expertise and skills to ensure that older adults thrive and flourish.

Secretary

A lawyer by profession, Louise Bélanger-Hardy has had a long career as an academic, specializing in health law, consent and liability issues. She is interested in the human rights of older persons and intergenerational relationships. She advocates for the adoption of an international convention on the rights of older persons, a step that is long overdue to protect people as they age. She has been a member of several research ethics boards and has worked as an adjudicator within the regime regulating health professions in Ontario. She believes ageing is a privilege and is pleased to be part of the work of the MIROIR Foundation.

Treasurer

Catharina spent most of her career working in the financial services industry where she honed her skills of prospecting, presenting and leading teams. After a 40-year career, she retired from BMO Bank of Montreal and found a way to give back to her community through working on projects that benefit older adults. This has been a truly rewarding experience for her.

Director

Amélie Gauthier-Beaupré holds a Ph.D. in Population Health from the University of Ottawa where she focused on policy-making that supports older adults’ self-management of disabilities using information and communication technologies.

Amélie is passionate about supporting older adults to continue to live meaningful lives, as shown through her involvement in numerous scientific publications and research project collaborations, as well as her past entrepreneurial activities. In all her work, she builds on her personal experiences and academic knowledge to deepen the collective understanding on the impacts of aging and, most importantly, to uncover opportunities for diverse groups of older adults across Canada.

Charles Jia is a BSc graduate from the University of Ottawa, and is completing a Master’s in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Western Ontario. His previous and current projects have been related to aging, quality of life in older adults, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, clinical epidemiology, and breast cancer.

Ishika Tripathi is a recent BSc graduate from the University of Ottawa with an interest in aging and health related research. She has been involved in several research projects in the past related to the wellbeing of older adults, people living with dementia and palliative care. She is excited to continue supporting the wellbeing of older adults by promoting joyful programs through the MIROIR Foundation.

Nadim Saadeh (he/him) holds dual degrees in Marketing and Media & Communication from the American University of Beirut and is pursuing a Master’s in Health Communication at the University of Ottawa. His research focuses on how Generative AI can support the health experiences of vulnerable groups, including sexual, linguistic, and ethnic minorities. With a background in multimedia design and education, Nadim aims to apply creative, human-centred design to enhance the lives of older adults by combining academic knowledge with real-world insights.

Following a 17-year career in high tech as an electrical engineer, Robin found her true passion when she started her portrait photography company, Unposed. For the past 18 years she has made a career of having people play and have fun at photoshoots and seen first-hand the importance to us all having joy in our lives. When she met the founders of Fondation Miroir Foundation at a photoshoot, she was so inspired by their passion for bringing joy to older adults she knew she had to become involved.

Ann is an experienced stakeholder engagement and fundraising professional with over 10 years of success in donor relations, corporate partnerships, and international client services. She holds an MBA in International Marketing and a BA in Pacific and Asian Studies. Having lived and worked in Japan, South Korea, and the UK, Ann brings a global perspective to her work and is deeply passionate about cultural exchange and lifelong learning. Her commitment to promoting initiatives that support healthy, happy aging is what inspired her to join the Miroir Foundation.