Dr. Glynnis Lieb (she/her) is the Executive Director of Fyrefly, housed in the Faculty of Education. She identifies as a 2SLGBTQIA+ community member. Dr. Lieb holds a PhD from the University of Manitoba, and has received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Award (2022) for her activism for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights. Prior to her role at Fyrefly, Dr. Lieb served in a number of direct social service provision roles, as well as with Alberta Federation of Labour. 

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Fyrefly Institute for Gender and Sexual Diversity

Gin Marshall is the Project Manager for the 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (REKH Hub) at the University of Alberta, working with a team that supports diverse communities within the entrepreneurship ecosystem. This includes providing targeted resources and opportunities for 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs, particularly those from intersectional, rural, and northern backgrounds, to help create more inclusive and equitable business environments, resources and research. Gin co-founded a Small Business Support organization in the 1990s, helping entrepreneurs access vital resources and build networks. They have a long history of advocacy, including serving as Treasurer for Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health and co-chairing York University’s Sex Gen Committee for many years. As an educator, writer, artist, and PhD student in Social Work at York University, Gin is conducting research on allyship and queer/trans cultural production through an anti-racist, feminist lens. With over 20 years of experience in Information Technology, Gin combines their technical expertise with a strong commitment to social justice and equity.

Jared Wesley is Associate Dean (Graduate Studies), a professor of political science, and member of the Black Faculty Collective at the University of Alberta.  He leads the Common Ground research team, which is examining the intersection of public opinion, political culture, and public policy in Western Canada.  He has co-authored two leading textbooks in Canadian politics and public administration.

​Randy is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. At the graduate level, he teaches in the area of adult and higher education in the Faculty of Education, in Health Sciences, and law and ethics for teachers at the undergraduate level. As a researcher, Randy works alongside marginalized communities including Indigenous, international, and gender diverse educators. He is also affiliated with the Fyrefly Institute for Gender and Sexual Diversity and with the Centre for Research in Teacher Education both at the University of Alberta.

Gillian Robinson (she/her) has been a social studies and French immersion teacher for 16 years and is a doctoral candidate in educational policy studies at the University of Alberta, where she is an instructor and educational coach. Her research encompasses anti-oppressive education, with a focus on queer and trans theory and sexual violence. Her research  aims to improve queer-inclusive policy frameworks for better educational outcomes, while mobilizing the work of Black, Indigenous, and people of color theorists to understand how institutional whiteness blocks transformative change in schools.

Danielle Gardiner Milln (niit'takii; she/her), of settler ancestry and residing on Treaty 6 territory, is a dedicated advocate for equity and Indigenization in higher education. She is an educator and researcher at the University of Alberta in addition to working alongside institutions across Canada to uplift equity-centered policies, procedures, and practices. Her doctoral scholarship focuses on the educational praxis of higher education student affairs professionals as they work towards advancing reconciliation in their everyday work.

Lydia Christine Nabunya aka Luda is an advocate for LGBTQI+ rights and mental health awareness, drawing from my

lived experience within these communities.I share stories of my journey to inspire others to embrace their authentic

selves and prioritize mental health.With a major in Public Relations,my goal is to gain more experience working with

diverse Communities and getting to know their needs because I am a believer and practitioner of making the world an

inclusive and safe space for all people experiencing barriers or discrimination.

Yasmine Abdel Razek (she/her) is the Communications and Events Coordinator at the Fyrefly Institute. Her work entails managing the Institute's communication channels and organizing University of Alberta's Pride Week and the Institute's annual Mayor's Pride Brunch. Besides her role at the Institute, she is currently a Master of Arts Student in Gender and Social Justice at the University of Alberta. In 2021, she completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) degree in Psychology at the University of Alberta. Yasmine's interests include social justice, activism, media, and art, which are all areas that she engages in through her work and that are informed by her identity as a QTBIPOC individual

Dr. Michael Lounsbury (he/him) is A. F. (Chip) Collins Chair and Professor in the Alberta School of Business. He is the Academic Director of the eHub Entrepreneurship Centre, and Chair of the
Department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Management. Dr. Lounsbury is Fellow of the Academy of Management, and has been named by Stanford University and Elsevier to be among the top 2% of all international scientists. 

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eHUB Entrepreneurship Centre

Micah Rajunov is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alberta's School of Business. Micah's research explores how social and technological disruptions are redefining our understandings of work, and how these challenges shape our professional identities. Micah holds a PhD from Boston University, and has experience working in both entrepreneurial startups and trans health advocacy.

Leanne Hedberg is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at MacEwan University and a Canada Research Chair for Inclusive Entrepreneurship. Dr. Hedberg's international research focuses on social innovations including cross-sector collaborations and inclusive entrepreneurship and has been published in regional and international journals including Administrative Sciences Quarterly (ASQ), Organizational Science, Research on the Sociology of Organizations, Canada Food Studies, Ivey Case Publishing, WDI, Wisconsin Medical Journal, Human Resources Management Review and the Employee Commitment Handbook. Dr. Hedberg co-leads an international learning community of ethnographic scholars in organizational studies and is currently conducting community- based research on a cross-sector collaboration for a metropolitan entrepreneurship ecosystem with the vision of creating a more inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem.

​Anne-José Villeneuve (She/her) is an associate professor of French linguistics at Campus Saint-Jean and associate professor at the Department of Linguistics of the University of Alberta, where she directs theEspaceLiFT (Linguistic Space for a Francophonie in Transformation). Her research in sociolinguistics focuses on linguistic variation and change, bilingualism, language contact and language teaching. Through her research, teaching and service to diverse communities, she seeks to demystify the connections between language, diversity and equity.  

Seon Yuzyk is a doctoral candidate (ABD) in political science at the University of Alberta, specializing in Canadian politics, political theory, and racial capitalism. Yuzyk's research explores systemic racism, economic inequality, Black Queer radical traditions and climate colonialism. Yuzyk publishes articles on Substack, addressing race, economy, and environmental justice to drive change and is the Research Lead for the Emancipatory Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub qualitative segment, supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs. He is also Associate Director for the Black Youth for Social Innovation Program, where he trains the next generation of Black social scientists.

Adriana Davis (she/her), MEd, is a queer, cisgender settler located on Treaty 6 territory in Edmonton, AB. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Counselling Psychology at the University of Alberta. Her research interests include climate justice, social justice, environmentalism, hope, and 2SLGBTQIA+ mental health and wellbeing.

Andres (he/him) is a Master of Rehabilitation Sciences student at the University of Alberta with a background in psychology and linguistics. His research’s main focus is language and literacy ("typical" and "atypical")  acquisition in young children, including in multilingual contexts. He works closely with several groups representing student interests and is part of various committees committed to protecting and promoting equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of Alberta.