Staff + Projects Team

Meet the people who form the backbone of our organization.

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    Marissa Alexander (she/they)

    Executive Director

    Marissa is a registered dietitian and owner of UpRoot Consulting. Living and working on the traditional and unceded territory of the Lheidli T’enneh, she is privileged to work both nationally and locally. With a Masters in Interdisciplinary Studies: Equity & Culture Focus she brings her passions and life experience to the work every day, and she tries to include humour in her work as much as possible.

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    Aaron Vansintjan

    Policy Lead

    Born in Belgium, Aaron lived in Central America, South Africa, and the United States before putting down his roots in Montreal in 2008. His interest in food justice began when he started working and volunteering at community kitchens and food banks in 2010. This inspired him to do an MSc in Natural Resource Sciences at McGill University on the history and development of food banks in Canada. In 2022, he received a PhD from Birkbeck College, University of London, for which he studied the intersection of food justice and gentrification in Montreal and Hanoi.
    Consultant for over a decade, Aaron has done research for political parties, non-profits, and research institutes, and has co-authored two books on environmental policy and economics. He brings his research and project management skills to Food Secure Canada, and is on a quest to try all kinds of food—on which he spends way too much money, and often gets side-tracked cuddling with his dog, Pan.