SNIWWOC Staff
Originally from Nigeria, Boma has lived in Botswana and the United States, and is happy to call Victoria home. She founded SNIWWOC in 2014 after experiencing frustrations with the lack of culturally sensitive reproductive health support for racialized women in Victoria, BC. Boma leads SNIWWOC’s operations and strategic growth initiatives.
She is a member of the Victoria-Harbourside Rotary Club, where she volunteers on global projects focused on addressing gender-based inequities with the Rotary Foundation. She was awarded the 2020 BC Multiculturalism and Anti-racism Award, was one of 10 Canadian women recognized in 2021 as a L’Oreal Women of Worth Award honoree, and was a 2023 eWomenNetwork grant recipient.
In January 2023, Boma was appointed to the Inquiry Committee of the BC College of Nurses and Midwives. The Inquiry Committee reviews complaints or other information that could give rise to an investigation, directs the investigation process, and assesses whether remedial and/or disciplinary action is warranted.
BOMA BROWN
Founder
Victoria
Krishna is very excited to join the SNIWWOC team as the Marketing and Events Manager. She has devoted much of her life to finding small ways to make an impact within her community, whether it is local food programs or outreach work helping homeless teenagers learn business basics through an internship program that she helped create and teach during her time as a student at the University of Arizona. Krishna spent the last few years growing her career in the cosmetics industry working with luxury skincare and makeup brands as the Brand and Events Coordinator for Sephora, and in the medical esthetics industry as a skincare specialist. Krishna is very excited to return her focus back to a community based initiative and make an impact in the lives of women all over Canada!
KRISHNA YEMANY
Manager - Marketing & Events
Vancouver
Adriana is ready to bring her marketing knowledge and passion for people and wellness to the SNIWWOC team as the Communications and Marketing Coordinator. Since her youth, Adriana has been a strong advocate for mental health. Connecting with people to understand their story, giving them the space to truly feel seen and heard, and empowered to better themselves and feel plentiful is a lifelong goal of hers. Adriana holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Marketing and has built her marketing career with a focus on community building.
ADRIANA ARANTES
Communications & Marketing Coordinator
Toronto
Nawa moved to Canada to complete her postgraduate degree in Business Administration at the University of Canada West. Before coming to Canada, Nawa worked as Program Manager at Mercy Corps Iraq. She is passionate about strategic planning and creating diverse and inclusive sustainable systems where everyone's voice is heard. Nawa is responsible for managing SNIWWOC's Program portfolio and the team of volunteers across the country.
NAWA AHMED
Manager - Operations
Vancouver
Hannah Muskego comes from Treaty 6 Territory in Saskatchewan. She compassionately understands the hardships of racialized peoples. Hannah grew up close to her home reservation of Onion Lake Cree Nation, she was exposed to heavy oppression and inter generational traumas. By Transmuting the pain she has developed tools to open through and reclaim wholeness both through Indigenous and Eastern philosophies. She is excited to share these tools and being-ness with others through the role of Support Worker based out of the Duncan SNIWWOC branch.
Hannah Muskego
Support Worker
Duncan
Maya is a first generation Jamaican-Canadian and currently a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning student at the University of British Columbia in the Indigenous Community Planning concentration. Maya is excited to be collaborating with such a strong team of leaders towards making meaningful change for racialized women across Canada. Maya brings to this role administrative and digital skills along with a passion toward the improvement of resources for racialized groups. Maya is dedicated to creating resilient and sustainable environments for BIPOC communities to thrive across Canada.
MAYA BLOOD
Administrative & Operations Coordinator
Vancouver
Hello, my name is Kristina Netemegesic and I am a proud indigenous woman. I am Coast Salish and Ojicree from my mother's side and Ojibwe from my father's side. I am from Ontario and now am living in Victoria. I am very grateful and proud to say I am in recovery. Connecting to my culture is what I believe helped me find the right path in life and as well as helping others. I'm currently in school for upgrading and afterwards I plan on furthering my schooling and career into what I love most and that is helping people in need. I volunteer when I can in Victoria and it is something that really makes me happy. I want to use my hard challenges and experiences in life as a way to connect with others who may have similar problems.
Kristina Netemegesic
Student Support Worker
Victoria
Catherine is a fourth generation Chinese Canadian from Guangdong Province, and was born and raised on the traditional territories of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. She holds a Undergraduate Degree in Pacific and Asian Studies and Indigenous Studies at the University of Victoria. Catherine has a passion for creating decolonized and culturally safe health and social services for marginalized communities through understanding the intersectional determinants of health and wellness for these communities. She is excited to learn, listen and create meaningful relationships within the SNIWWOC community.
CATHERINE CARRIERE DER
Program Coordinator
Victoria
Board of Directors
Kari-Ann is from Alert Bay, BC and has lived in Victoria for about 13 years. She is from Namgis First Nation and is still very active in her home community.
She works as a Manager of Aboriginal Support Child Development and lives in Sooke with her husband and daughter.
Kari-Ann converted and became a reform jew about 4 years ago.
KARI-ANN LEADBITTER
Board Member
Victoria
Nikki Louttit, Treaty #9 Omushkego Cree and beneficiary of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, is a long-time resident of Thunder Bay, Ontario, situated within the traditional territory of the Anishinabek Nation. Nikki has served in roles supporting elected Indigenous leaders whose portfolios included governance and jurisdiction, justice, education, training, and social services, and has worked within Indigenous organizations and their management for over 15 years. Nikki is the Director of Trades at Oshki-Wenjack, an Indigenous Institute mandated by 49 First Nations
affiliated with Nishnawbe Aski Nation, whose traditional territory includes Treaty #9 and the Ontario portion of Treaty #5 with a population of over 45,000 members. Nikki is passionate about nation-building and working towards advancing treaty and Indigenous rights. Nikki is a proud mother to two sons who keep her active and who are also Anishinaabe with ties to the Robinson-Superior Treaty of 1850 communities of Garden River and Fort William First Nations.
Nikki Loutitt
Board Member
Thunder Bay
Rose is originally from Tla’amin Nation and has resided in Victoria for over 30 years. She has served on multiple boards of directors for public community service agencies like Together Against Poverty, The Victoria Native Friendship Centre, Vancouver Island Human Rights Coalition, and the Capital Region Race Relations.
ROSE HENRY
Elder & Board Member
Victoria
Theresa is originally from Nova Scotia. Her ancestry is a mix of Mi'kmaw and African Canadian. She has lived in Victoria for 15 years and has varied experience supporting First Nations youth, families, and increasing youth cultural awareness.
THERESA FRASER
Board Member
Victoria
Michelle is a marketing specialist that brings to SNIWWOC diverse experience in marketing, higher education, and IT/Tech. She led the initiative to bring SNIWWOC programs to Vancouver and has been marketing and promoting events and services since she joined the board in 2016. In her free time, she is an avid writer and poet and enjoys exploring reproductive justice through her work.
MICHELLE BROWN
Board Member
Vancouver