Empowered Voices, Bold Leadership: Building Community Impact Together

Dates

Feb 12, 2026 4:00:pm - Feb 12, 2026 6:00:pm

Join Pillar Nonprofit Network and the London Black Heritage Council (LBHC) for a Black History Month event focused on Black voices, leadership pathways, and community impact. This event brings together community leaders, nonprofit executives, grassroots organizers, and corporate partners to explore how leadership, volunteerism, and system navigation create meaningful change - and how Black voices must be centered in shaping our community’s future.

Date of Event: Thursday, February 12, 2026
Event Venue: Innovation Works London, 201 King Street, London, ON
Time: 4:00-6:00 PM
Cost: Free to attend (please register in advance)

Event Agenda

4:00 - 4:10 PM - Registration & Networking
4:10 - 4:30 PM - Welcome & Opening Reflections

Maureen Cassidy, CEO, Pillar Nonprofit Network & Carl Cadogan, Chair, London Black History Coordinating Committee
Black History Month framing and why Black leadership and volunteerism matter now.

4:30 - 5:00 PM - Panel: Fireside Chat: “Black Voices, Bold Leadership”
Facilitated by Carl Cadogan, Chair, London Black History Coordinating Committee

Panelists:

Brock Childerhose, Insurance Agent, The Co-operators & Board Director, London Black History Coordinating Committee
Nicola Memo, Executive Director, Family Service Thames Valley
Rosina Ferede, Administration Manager & Project Lead, Black Youth Connect

A candid conversation on leadership journeys, community involvement, corporate-community collaboration, and the future of Black leadership in London.

5:00 - 5:15 PM - Spotlight: Leadership Pathways & System Supports
Presented by Maureen Cassidy, CEO, Pillar Nonprofit Network
How Pillar supports leadership at every level - from board discovery and governance training to executive support and system navigation.

5:15 - 5:45 PM - MyLondon App: Community Connection & Belonging
Presented by Christine Wilton, Director, Workforce Development, London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC)
An interactive presentation and discussion on how the MyLondon App supports newcomers, connection, and civic engagement - and how it can better reflect Black voices and leadership.

5:45 - 6:00 PM - Closing Remarks & Call to Action

About The Panelists

Carl Cadogan has a long history of community involvement and volunteering; he has served on numerous boards, committees, and task forces, including the Premier’s Council on the Voluntary Sector, and the Provincial Work Group on Gaming (that redesigned the Ontario Trillium Foundation). He is currently on a number of local, national and international boards including The Grand Theatre, Urban Roots London and the London Black Heritage Council. Carl has held senior and executive roles in the not-for-profit sector and is currently the Senior Regional Manager, Southwestern Ontario for the Kidney Foundation of Canada. He lives in London with his wife Cynthia and in his spare time, loves to travel, and has been to every province and one territory and to thirty US states, and sixteen African countries. He is an avid cyclist, reader, and kite flyer.

With over 20 years of experience in the social services sector, Nicola Memo, is a respected leader and practitioner specializing in trauma, addictions, mental health, cultural issues, and intersectionality. A social worker by profession, she has served the London community since 2004 in a variety of roles, supporting diverse, marginalized, and multicultural populations through a trauma- and violence-informed, gender-responsive lens. Nicola has extensive experience working in Mental health and addictions and alongside women who have experienced violence and is a strong advocate for the safety and well- being of women and children. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Family Service Thames Valley, where she leads an organization providing community counselling services—including violence against women counselling—and case management support for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Brock Childerhose, B. Bus. Adm. is a financial advisor and community leader with over 13 years of experience helping individuals, families, and small business owners build financial confidence and long-term security. He is the agency owner and advisor of a local Cooperators branch here in London, where he also leads and mentors a growing advisory team. Early in his career, Brock spent nearly a decade in the grocery retail industry in progressive leadership roles, gaining hands-on experience leading teams, managing operations, and serving diverse communities — a foundation that continues to shape his people-first leadership style. Brock is deeply committed to community building and inclusive leadership. He serves as an Elder at Oakridge Presbyterian Church, co-founded the church’s African and Diaspora Ministry, and is a co-founder of the Black Leadership Development Group, focused on mentoring and empowering emerging Black leaders.

Rosina Ferede is glad to be part of a team that fosters community and facilitates a space specific to Black youth in London through Black Youth Connect. This is especially true due to the lack of access to mentorship and resources she and many others felt during a transitional period in high school. Over the past few years working for BYC Rosina has seen how community engagement and cultivating leadership has made a difference in the lives of Black youth. Having graduated from York University and Humber College for Theatre, Rosina is an artist who is used to collaboration and creation, which she is able to use in the different capacities she works in.