our team

Alex Rand is a curator and creative producer, with a background in the performing arts, events, festivals, and creating artistic experiences in non-traditional spaces. In his role as Manager, Programming, he works with artists to support their visions and steward projects from original conception through to final presentation.

From 2017 – 2022, Alex was the Producer, Artistic Programs at Luminato Festival Toronto, where he curated and produced a variety of multidisciplinary projects across the city, working with international and local artists, community organizers, and thought leaders. In 2017, he was an Artistic Director of An Honest Farewell, the multidisciplinary festival, party, and community platform celebrating the legacy of Honest Ed’s, produced by the Centre for Social Innovation. From 2010 – 2016, Alex was based in London, UK, where he had the opportunity to work as both as an artist and arts manager with organizations such as the Barbican Centre, National Theatre, VAULT Festival, and Ovalhouse, among others.

Alex currently sits on the Board of Directors of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, the world’s largest and longest-running queer theatre. Additionally, Alex and his husband are co-owners in a community-driven, co-housing project in Toronto’s West End with four other civic leaders working across politics, education, and the arts.

Alice Moores-Rodgerson (she/her) loves the writing, reporting, researching, and relationship-building that comes with her day-to-day as Fundraising & Partnerships Coordinator. Her interest in the development sector is informed by her Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography and Sociology from McGill University and her previous work at the Toronto-based non-profit, Good Foot Delivery. She is excited to continue supporting efforts to ensure The Bentway can keep providing engaging, accessible programming. In her free time, Alice loves to cook/bake, run, and endlessly watch rom-coms.

Anna Gallagher-Ross (she/her) is a curator and writer working across performance, dance, and visual arts, with an emphasis on site-specific and socially-engaged practices. As a curator, Anna seeks to be an advocate for artists, providing resources and supportive platforms that enable them to create their most adventurous work, as well as forging inclusive and accessible encounters between art and audiences. Anna believes in the unique possibilities that can emerge from the live experience. She sees curating as an act of community building.

From 2017-2021, Anna was Co-Artistic Director & Curator of Fusebox Festival, the acclaimed international performance festival, which features interdisciplinary artists from Austin, the U.S., and around the world. In 2020, Anna was a guest curator at Performance Space Sydney’s Live Works Festival. She was also part of the inaugural cohort of GENERATE (2019-20), a joint program of the British Council and Arts Council England that promotes exchange between a select group of US and UK performance curators and producers. 

Prior to Fusebox, Anna’s work in the arts sector spanned community arts organizations and large-scale museums and theatres in Canada and the U.S. In addition to holding producing and administrative positions at Toronto’s Nightwood Theatre, The Paprika Festival, and Theatre Revolve, Anna was Curator and Managing Editor at Sister Writes, an arts and empowerment program for women affected by poverty, underhousing, trauma, mental health issues, and addictions in the Parkdale and Bloordale neighborhoods. She was also Assistant Curator for the 2017 Live Arts Biennial at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts and Curatorial Fellow for the 2016-17 interdisciplinary exhibition Merce Cunningham: Common Time at the Walker Art Center. Anna has independently curated and produced performances, public art projects, exhibitions, and programming in Canada, the U.S., Europe, and the U.K. Her writing and interviews have appeared in Art Papers, C Magazine, The Walker Reader, Theater, as well as numerous exhibition catalogues.

Benjamin Freedman is an artist, curator and organizer who’s passionate about facilitating instances of artistic expression and community engagement.  From 2015 – 2021, he was the Artistic Project Manager at the CONTACT Photography Festival, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and fostering the art and profession of photography with an annual Festival in May and year-round programming in the CONTACT Gallery.  He has also participated on steering committees for the annual Toronto Art Book Fair, the SNAP! Live Auction and as an artist advisory committee member for The Patch Project, an award-winning charity that animates Toronto’s public spaces with artwork.

Cezzane is a designer interested in researching architectural history and theory by investigating hidden histories of urban sites and building with and upon them. She earned her HBA in Architectural Studies and Master of Architecture degrees from the University of Toronto, graduating with awards celebrating her community involvement and dedication to her studies. Her final thesis focused on the codependencies of informal and formal economies in Metro Manila to give informal settlers the right to the city by giving them the right to stay.

Outside of the office, Cezzane loves to spend her time scouring the racks at thrift stores, reading heart wrenching literary fiction, and watching romcoms with her friends.

Dave Carey is a city animator with a background in public affairs, storytelling, and fundraising. As Co-Executive Director, he builds curiosity, trust, and support of The Bentway through a growing family of audiences, champions, and partners, while ensuring that the organization remains on budget and on brand.

He joined The Bentway team in 2017 as Director of Development. Dave worked for most of his career at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), most recently as Director of Government Relations & Philanthropy. During a formative period of growth for TIFF, his fondest achievements include the Festival’s pedestrianization of King Street, the acquisition of key 35mm film collections, the opening of TIFF Bell Lightbox, and the launch of several filmmaker development initiatives.

In 2018, Dave joined the Toronto Arts Council’s Cultural Leaders Lab, a leadership development program for arts professionals who have demonstrated the potential to drive change in the sector. He is a yogi, a poet, a cyclist, and an ally. Dave sits on the Board of East End Arts and lives on the East Danforth.

Ilana Altman is a cultural planner and designer who has a background in art and architecture. In her role as Co-Executive Director she works with the community to implement innovative and engaging programming, revealing new possibilities for public space and cultivates the best visitor experience possible.

Prior to joining The Bentway team, Ilana worked for a number of notable design firms including Studio Daniel Libeskind and Diller Scofidio + Renfro in New York and KPMB Architects in Toronto. She has led the curation and design of exhibitions and installations at the SFMOMA, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Additionally, she has worked closely with artists to realize public art installations for Toronto’s Nuit Blanche. In 2014 Ilana founded the Artful City, a Toronto collective that aims to advance public art research, policies, and imaginations.

Additionally, Ilana founded and served as the Executive Director of the Pavilion Project from 2015-2017.

Originally from Treaty 6, Jaime is a visitor to the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples in Tkaronto (Toronto). She is an administrator and fibre artist whose work centres the complexity of relationships and community.

Jaime holds a BA in History & Art History and a Master in Museum Studies. After a brief pursuit in programming and curation, she returned to her true passion, arts administration.

Jeremy is a producer, cultural programmer, and visual artist who specializes in managing logistics for public festivals, arts organizations, and start ups. With over ten years of experience producing events for organizations including TIFF, Luminato, Design Exchange, Paradise Theatre, and the City of Toronto, Jeremy has extensive experience bringing public art projects to life within unconventional spaces. Jeremy is excited to continue his placemaking work at the Bentway, expanding Toronto’s public realm and strengthening residents’ connection to the city they live in.

Jessie learned a long time ago that a paycheck, while essential, is not enough to motivate her to do her best work. She knew she needed to work for something greater than herself, something that contributes positively to her community and beyond. Combining this drive with a passion for writing and building relationships, she has become an accomplished grant writer and fundraising professional. She has worked in multiple not-for-profit sectors and held positions with Environmental Defence Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario.

As The Bentway’s Manager of Fundraising & Partnerships, she leads our Development team in working with corporate brands, governments, and philanthropic supporters to ensure that we may continue to thrive and provide our community with free, year-round programming. She loves Toronto for its many vintage and thrift stores, dive bars, live music venues, and restaurants. When not heading out on her bike to spend all her money at one of the above, she can usually be found in a blanket fort, rewatching every sci-fi series created or reading melancholy fiction.

Josh is a registered architect in the UK and the EU with experience delivering international cultural projects across a variety of scales. He holds a Diploma from the Architectural Association in London, where he lived and worked for 10 years prior to joining The Bentway.

Josh’s primary focus as a professional has been the adaptive re-use of existing buildings and infrastructures in heavily regulated environments like city-centres. His passion is to build design-competency in communities in light of the ongoing climate emergency. He is interested in metabolic economies. He is a long-distance runner.

Megan Kammerer (she/her) is an experienced curator, writer, and researcher. She has held various positions with the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Blackwood Gallery, Jackman Humanities Institute, and Art Gallery of Guelph where she worked to support critically engaged exhibition programmes across Southern Ontario

From 2022 – 2024, Megan was the Curator of Exhibitions at the Visual Arts Centre of Clarington (VAC) where she spearheaded the gallery’s artistic direction and facilitated site-specific installation projects. Her recent practice is curious about modern history’s fallout—collaborating with artists and the local community to navigate broad disruptions in our collective relationships, technologies, environments, and identities. Her work has been shortlisted for two exhibition awards—winning an Exhibition of the Year prize from Galeries Ontario / Ontario Galleries in 2023.

Megan’s academic research is published by the University of Toronto, where she holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Art History.

Michael Clarke joins The Bentway team with more than 12 years experience in landscaping and recreation facility operations. Before pursuing grounds keeping and ice making, Michael attended Ryerson University School of Image Arts and is excited to be reintegrating his passion for the arts with his professional career.

In addition to operating the Skate Trail in the winter season, Michael enjoys expressing his creativity in the kitchen and exploring the streets of Toronto by bicycle.

Please be sure to wave hello when you see him on the Zamboni!

Renee Castonguay is an arts and cultural programmer and artist passionate about community-building through collaboration, creative expression, and inclusive placemaking to foster vibrant public spaces. With a decade of experience producing community-engaged public art, studio art programs, and curatorial projects, her work is rooted in relationality and care, and championing representation and accessibility in the arts. As a Programming Associate, Renee leads community-centered and artist capacity-building initiatives.

Before joining The Bentway, Renee managed community engagement and program delivery at STEPS Public Art, and previously led programming and the daily operations of Toronto School of Art. Her studio practice combines drawing, printmaking, installation, and performance. She has been a part of international printmaking exchange portfolios, print shops, and artist collectives in the US and Canada. Renee holds an MFA in Studio Arts, Print Media from Concordia University and a BFA in Printmaking with Honors from Maine College of Art.

Robert McKaye is an interdisciplinary designer, educator and maker with a background in interactive art and architecture. As Senior Manager, Planning and Design at The Bentway, he is responsible for the development and realization of ambitious and innovative public art and expansion strategies. He is interested in harnessing the power of environmental and human capital to create unique and accessible experiences.

Robert comes to The Bentway after several years in the emerging research and development arm of Canadian architecture firm, KPMB. Working with advanced tools for microclimate analysis and generative design, his projects explored how to infuse data-driven processes with traditional design methodologies. From 2016-2019, he acted as project architect for Canada’s Diversity Gardens at the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, a horticultural centre celebrating the diversity of people and plants. In his own time, he has explored the realm of public art through experiments and installations in prototyping and digital fabrication. Robert has exhibited his work at Toronto’s Nuit Rose, Barcelona’s Festival of Lights and EASA Links in Valletta, Malta.

Roger’s journey at The Bentway is characterized by a rich tapestry of experiences drawing from his tenure as a commercial photographer at St. Joseph Communication and subsequent roles in managing and operating studios. Collaborating with esteemed brands like Michael Kors, Levis, TSN, and Olsen Fashion. Also, having travelled the globe for various assignments in places like India, Croatia, and the Caribbean.  His passion for the arts extends beyond photography, evident in his love for music and the vibrant cultural scene of downtown Toronto. Roger immerses himself in the outdoors, finding inspiration in activities like sailing, snowboarding, ice hockey and cycling. Since joining The Bentway, he has been instrumental in cultivating a safe, inclusive, and clean environment for visitors on site. Reflecting Roger’s dedication to making The Bentway a truly exceptional destination for all.

Coming to the Bentway team from a background in landscaping and ice operations, and with a wealth of experience in customer service roles, Stephan likes the fact that no workday is ever the same in our park. He enjoys achieving ambitious tasks together with the small but mighty facilities team, as well as getting to meet our visitors face to face.

As the Junior Facilities Supervisor, Stephan is in charge of keeping the Bentway in tip top shape throughout the year. His love of the outdoors as well as years of playing hockey prepared him well for spending time on the ice operating the Zamboni during the Bentway skating season.

When not at work, Stephan enjoys playing sports, as well as music and books – and he’s always enthusiastic about hearing a good joke.

Steph moved to Toronto over 10 years ago, and has since devoted herself to creating spaces and events that foster connections between people and place. An event producer with a passion for community-building and a B.A. in Arts Management from the University of Toronto, Steph has lent her skills in logistics and operations to community events large and small, and has worked both locally and nationally on projects that encourage participation in the arts, inclusion, and place-building.

Having worked for public and not-for-profit organizations such as The City of Toronto, the Design Exchange, and the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, Steph loves to facilitate everyday exploration. From city-wide initiatives such as Doors Open Toronto and Nuit Blanche, to community-led citizenship ceremonies from coast-to-coast, Steph strives to create shared experiences build relationships and bind us together.

Tessa Chan is an experienced arts administrator with a passion for building relationships within the community. In her role as Controller, she works to ensure programs and outdoor events at The Bentway are produced in the most cost-efficient manner without sacrificing artistic integrity.

Tessa began her career at CIBC Mellon, where she successfully lead the Paperless Initiative. The efforts of her and her team ultimately lead to a reduction of $1.2m in printing costs. She was also the Director of Finance at Calgary Opera where she was at the helm of the capital campaign as plans were underway for a new office. Tessa went on and ventured to the artistic side where she made her on stage debut as a supernumerary in Calgary Opera’s performance of Norma.

An avid hiker, Tessa enjoys the Rocky Mountains and camping at Algonquin Park. Her most memorable adventures include Bright Angel Trail, Zion Narrows, and The Lemosho Route.

Retiring as vice chair with RBC, Ann’s experience reflects a broad range of executive leadership roles over 25 years, including Head Private Banking Canada, VP/Head Strategy for Canadian Banking, Channel strategy, Technology transformation and Sales Strategy. In the earlier part of her career, she held a range of roles in Commercial and Corporate banking.

Ann is bilingual and holds a Baccalauréat en sciences économiques from the Université Laval, an MBA from Queen’s University and has completed all three levels of the CFA program (AIMR).

As well, Ann has dedicated her expertise to a number of organizations and is the current chair of the National Gallery of Canada Foundation, past-chair of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. She has also served on the Boards of the Women’s College Hospital Foundation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Foundation and Peggy Baker Dance Projects.

Barbara started her career in the advertising and marketing industry. After 10 years in this corporate sector, she founded Barbara Macdonald Interior Design which she ran for twenty years designing interiors for corporate and residential clients around the globe. Alongside her professional interests, Barbara is also a keen volunteer and supporter of the arts. She sat on the board of Soulpepper and co-chaired the capital campaign to build the Young Theatre.

She continues her long standing involvement with Partners in Art where she was Co-Chair, sat on the Board and chaired several committees. Barbara is also actively involved with The Art Gallery of Ontario where she works on special projects and acquisition committees. Her keen interest in the visual arts prompted her to obtain a Masters in Contemporary Art, MA, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, NY. Her studies sparked a deep and passionate interest in Public Art. Most recently, she joined The Bentway Arts Advisory. Barbara is committed to pursuing endeavours that explore and expand Toronto’s public art practices.

Daniel believes that creativity will make the world a better place.

With over 20 years of business experience, Daniel has an impressive track record of taking a people-first approach to building and running diverse, integrated teams at leading agencies, and creating bold breakthrough solutions for blue-chip global brands, such as Google, Walmart, McDonald’s, Kraft, TD, TELUS, and many more.

Daniel leverages his obsession with what makes people tick in everything he does—ever-curious, endlessly energetic, and entirely bullshit-free.

As part of the core team that developed the SickKids VS campaign, Daniel played an integral role in SickKids achieving their fundraising goal of $1.3 billion (recently increasing to $1.5 billion). The SickKids VS brand platform was created to anchor what has been the largest fundraising initiative in Canadian healthcare history.

Daniel is sought out for his thought leadership and speaks regularly on creativity, consumer culture and fundraising at global conferences and gatherings, such as TEDx, The American Marketing Association, Ipsos, C2 Montreal, The Globe and Mail, Save The Children Global, and others.

Daniel Winberg is the COO at Rockport. Daniel joined the third-generation business in 2014, and as COO. manages the company’s day-to-day business operations. Daniel leads the Property Management, Acquisitions & Development, and Construction teams.

Daniel studied Economics at the University of Western Ontario and achieved a Masters in Real Estate Development at Columbia University in New York. He brings hands on experience in institutional real estate from his tenure with the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), Bank of Nova Scotia, and RioCan REIT.

Drew Sinclair is the Founding Principal of SvN Architects + Planners, a dynamic cultural practice dedicated to resolving critical urban planning and design issues. A graduate from the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, he continues to teach design studios, lecture and mentor students.

His foundational education in international development studies underscores his dedication to resolving social and environmental challenges. This commitment is reinforced by early research into alternative planning models initially supported by a Canada Council for the Arts’ Prix de Rome in Architecture for Emerging Practitioners.
Besides serving as an advisor to urban-design-related initiatives, Drew continues to volunteer on various boards. Recent involvement includes the City of Vaughan Design Review Panel, where he was its inaugural member. Drew continues to serve as a Director for the Centre for Urban Growth + Renewal. His board involvement with Canadian Stage, includes chairing its City Builders program, a philanthropic initiative leading the development and curation of creative opportunities.

Gabe has a proven record as a leader in Canada’s top newsrooms, with almost two decades of experience in daily journalism. He spent a dozen years at the Toronto Star, where he covered city politics and ran the Insight section.

In 2010, he joined The Globe and Mail where he has held a variety of management roles, such as Focus Editor, Arts Editor, Weekend Editor and most recently Head of Opinion, Features and Sports. In these roles, he helped conceive and lead a variety of editorial and commercial collaborations, including work with CAMH that influenced government policy on mental health and an innovative marketing partnership with a leading Canadian financial services firm.

A strong supporter of the Canadian cultural sector, Gabe co-chairs the board of the Canadian Art Foundation, which publishes the award-winning Canadian Art magazine. In that volunteer role, he has helped guide the foundation to financial stability and facilitated the renewal of its senior leadership team, as well as its board and strategy.

Jane Pepino is a Partner of Aird & Berlis LLP and founder of the firm’s Municipal and Land Use Planning group. In her long career, Jane carries 50 years worth of experience in public policy, government relations, municipal and land use planning (1982 to present), and is one of Canada’s leading lawyers in property development and real estate. Her practice includes providing advice on all things planning, zoning, and land development throughout Ontario, as well as on a range of municipal and provincial licensing and other regulatory matters to maximize value and utility of land. Jane’s clients range from provincial, regional, and local governments or agencies, to large development corporations, small landowners, and citizen/special interest groups. Her line of work includes appearing before local planning committees and councils, conservation authorities, the Ontario Land Tribunal, and the courts. Aside from her work, Jane has been actively involved in volunteering with or leading various organizations and advocating for equity, diversity, community safety, and women’s health.

Mark Keil is Vice President & Chief Financial Officer at Burgundy Asset Management, a global investment manager for private clients, foundations, endowments, pensions, and family offices. Mark is responsible for overseeing the financial activities of the organization while supporting the long-term strategic priorities of Burgundy. Mark began his career as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Toronto. Having lived in the area for many years, Mark sees and experiences firsthand how the creative projects and unique designs of the Bentway have had a positive impact shaping the neighbourhood. Mark previously sat on the Board of Youth Without Shelter, a youth shelter in Etobicoke for those facing homelessness in the GTA. Outside of work Mark enjoys playing softball, working out, and cheering on the Blue Jays!

Mary is an impassioned civic leader with diverse experience in the business, government, not-for-profit and philanthropy sectors in Canada and the US. Over 30 years, Mary has been a steady advocate and champion for place-based approaches to building livable and resilient cities, and community-driven local economies.

She has led campaigns, organizations, initiatives, and companies spanning a few months to several years. Mary was deeply engaged in the self-organizing initiatives that emerged in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, providing support to two dozen initiatives that focused on various forms of resilience. She also supported, in her role at MAS NYC, community engagement efforts during the recovery from Superstorm Sandy, and Rebuild By Design. Subsequently, Mary has led local, national and international urban initiatives from Toronto and New York City, including the initial development of Re-Imagining the Civic Commons, an initiative to strengthen elements of the urban fabric that create social cohesion and community resilience, including libraries, community centres, parks and other ‘third places’.

Following her return to live in Toronto, Mary’s current roles include empowering Canada’s largest cities to be economically vibrant, socially inclusive, and environmentally sustainable as a Senior Fellow with Evergreen (http://www.evergreen.ca) and Future Cities Canada (www.futurecitiescanada.ca), and as Lead Faciltator for the National Urban Project (http://www.theurbanproject.ca). She is also Senior Fellow with Shorefast (http://www.shorefast.org) a charity and social enterprise focused on building place-based economic development strategies that strengthen local communities and foster resilience.

Raja Khanna is Co-Founder and General Partner at FortyTwo Communities, a purpose-driven real estate company supporting community development through art, culture, affordability, and sustainability.  A Toronto-native with a successful 25-year track record as a technology and media entrepreneur, Raja is also Co-Founder of Dark Slope and Lumeto, companies developing entertainment content and educational simulation software using immersive technologies.

Judy and Wil Matthews have a history of leadership and philanthropic giving to a wide variety of the City of Toronto’s education and medical programs, arts and cultural organizations and city-building initiatives. Passionate Torontonians, they are deeply committed to enriching the City and the lives of its citizens.

Wil Matthews worked as an investment banker, serving in various positions with Nesbitt Burns Inc. and its predecessor companies from 1964 until his retirement in 1996. As a prominent business leader, he has served as a director on a wide variety of corporate boards, as well as on the boards of many community and social organizations, including Renaissance Energy, Husky Energy, WestJet Airlines, SQI Diagnostics, and is presently on an advisory committee to Imperial Capital. In addition, Wil has dedicated his expertise to the boards of many community and social organizations including Dellcrest Children’s Centre, the Canadian Institute of International Affairs, Trinity College, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and The Toronto Symphony Foundation.