Helen Stortini

Helen joined SVP as the Executive Director in September 2020. She is a mission-driven non-profit executive with more than 20 years of experience working within the charitable sector to drive positive social and systemic change. From her ten years leading Growing Chefs!, Helen has proven success in organizational leadership and development, program scaling, capacity building, and relationship and community building with key stakeholders. She’s a champion of social change and a community collaborator who aims to lead and develop innovation within the non-profit sector.

Helen (she/her/hers) is a settler with Italian, Irish, and English Ancestry. She grew up in Robinson-Huron Treaty territory, which is the traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg, specifically the Garden River and Batchwana First Nations and Metis people, now known colonially as Sault Ste. Marie. Before making her home in B.C., Helen also lived in Montreal, Japan, and Australia. Prior to her role at Growing Chefs!, Helen was a Fundraising Manager for the David Suzuki Foundation, and her previous careers include author, book publisher, and travel writer. When she’s not working, Helen spends her time exploring Vancouver with her school-aged son, as well as skiing, reading, gardening, and boxing.