Claudia Hepburn has devoted her career to building innovative charities that convert human potential into prosperity. Before Windmill, she co-founded and ran NEXT Canada, to develop high-impact young entrepreneurs. She also founded and ran an award-winning program to improve educational opportunities for children living in poverty in Canada and has led the education policy work of a leading Canadian think tank.

Claudia serves on the board of the SickKids Foundation, where she chairs the Compensation and Resource Management Committee.

She is a member of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Human Capital Council, and is an advisor of Impression Ventures. During her 18 years serving on the board of the Kids & Company, it grew from a start-up into Canada’s largest childcare company with over 12,000 spaces across North America.

As a seasoned tech industry leader, Alex has a proven track record of building and leading successful teams from the ground up. With nearly a decade of startup experience, he understands the unique challenges and opportunities of growth. He contributed significantly to the success of SkipTheDishes and Neo Financial, two of Canada’s most successful startups, by introducing processes, implementing new technologies, integrating platforms, and supporting other business units to prepare for rapid growth. Born in Uruguay and having lived in the U.S. and Brazil before moving to Canada in 2016, Alex is deeply connected to the immigrant experience, motivating his transition to the nonprofit sector to serve fellow immigrants.

Carrie joined Windmill in March 2014, and was appointed as the National Director, Operations in April 2015. Carrie’s passion and experience for ensuring that the right people are in the right position, and have access to the appropriate tools to meet the needs of our clients, are the driving force behind her work at Windmill.

Prior to her work with Windmill, Carrie spent more than 20 years in the charitable sector in Saskatchewan; leading team development projects; supporting CEOs and Board members; facilitating technology directives; and aligning operational and human resource strategies.

Sarah Legault is a seasoned fundraising executive with over 20 years of experience leading strategic philanthropy across some of Canada’s most respected organizations. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Philanthropy at The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, where she helped triple annual giving and guided the development of a new five-year strategic plan. Throughout her career—including senior roles at NEXT Canada, the Rotman School of Management, SickKids Foundation and the Canadian Red Cross—Sarah has built and led high-performing teams, secured major gifts and developed meaningful partnerships with donors, corporate leaders and government stakeholders. Deeply committed to the philanthropic sector, she is passionate about advancing mission-driven work through collaboration, innovation and strategic growth.

Linda is a marketing leader with years of experience in brand building, advertising, and marketing strategy. Over the years, Linda has worked in different cities and countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, and Canada, with top-tier brands such as McDonald’s, Dyson, and Heinz. Most recently, she worked at the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary. The daughter of Vietnamese refugees, Linda is passionate about empowering newcomers to help them build the Canadian dream.

Nami joined Windmill Microlending as National Director and Chief Financial Officer in spring 2024. She brings over 15 years of experience in finance and accounting to our team, and a comprehensive understanding of risk and control management, financial planning and analysis, and financial reporting thanks to former roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers, OMERS and CanCap Group. At CanCap, she played a pivotal role in managing auto and consumer loan securitization programs alongside managing treasury functions across multiple entities as the Director of Finance.

Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Nami is thrilled to be able to leverage her accounting experience to enable newcomers to build brighter futures for themselves and their families at Windmill.

Sandy is a high performing advancement professional who possesses a wide range of fundraising, alumni engagement, advancement communications and special events experience. During her 17-year career in the charitable sector she has worked as a fundraiser at The Nature Conservancy of Canada, York University and Fleming College. Most recently Sandy was the Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations at Fleming College, where she was accountable for directing all aspects of fundraising and alumni relations for the college’s various campuses.

A Certified Fund Raising Executive, Sandy’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts from Western and a Masters in Environmental Studies from York University. Sandy is on the Board of the Art Gallery of Peterborough and has volunteered at many organizations including the Jane Goodall Institute, the Toronto Wildlife Centre, the Toronto Zoo, and OneChild.

Samuel brings over 20 years of experience in public policy, public affairs, leadership development, and organizational management. A graduate of HEC Montréal and former Chief of Staff to a Deputy Minister, he has a proven track record of building trusted relationships across sectors. His journey — from his Rwandan origins, arriving in Canada as a refugee from South Africa, to becoming a senior public servant — reflects a lifelong commitment to helping others reach their full potential.