Our Team

Sommer Wedlock is CEO of the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation. A passionate advocate for children’s literacy, Sommer joined CCLF in October 2024. For the last decade, she was leading the Gairdner Foundation as Executive Vice President. The Gairdner Foundation celebrates scientific excellence globally while also inspiring the next generation of innovators. In that role, Sommer led operations for programming across Canada, government relations, strategic planning, communications, and fundraising.

Previously, Sommer worked at Hill+Knowlton in their health team, working with various hospitals, foundations, and members of the life sciences community. Her career began at the University Health Network, working alongside world-renowned researchers.

Sommer’s love of reading began at a young age, and that passion for literacy has been passed on to her two children, who are quickly becoming avid readers. Bedtime favourites include *Goodnight Moon*, *The Day the Crayons Quit*, and *Corduroy*.

Coralie D’Souza is the Vice-President, Programs of the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation, and leads the strategic direction and growth of the foundation’s programming portfolio. She believes that Canada's future economic and social success hinges on the literacy and well-being of its children.

An award-winning communications strategist, Coralie's work has spanned all three levels of government and included roles as Senior Communications Advisor to the Minister of Children & Youth Services, the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade, and the Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues in Ontario.

Committed to public service and community building, she has spent the past 20 years working and volunteering on a range of community initiatives, with a focus on equity and literacy.

Before joining CCLF, Coralie pursued her passion for making research accessible to a broader audience as an executive at the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Coralie graduated from the University of Toronto, where she served on the University’s Governing Council. She is an Advisor on the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) Board and seeks to support creators of comic works in their broad and diverse voices, and to promote the medium of comics as a legitimate medium of literary and artistic worth. She is also former Operational Vice-President for the Ontario Liberal Party, an Advisory Member of the Fora: Network for Change (formerly known as G(irls)20 Summit) Board, and Co-Chair of the Toronto Public Library Foundation's New Collection.

Nina Jobanputra Shukla is a Speech-Language Pathologist registered with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario, and the Director of the Early Words program at the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation. With more than 10 years of clinical experience in educational, community and healthcare settings, she has witnessed firsthand how early literacy experiences significantly impact a child’s academics, social relationships, confidence, critical thinking skills, and so much more. In her current role, she brings her expertise in language and literacy development, as well as program management, to drive system-level change for children and families.

Cécile Henderson is the Program Manager for Early Words, Nunavut. At the beginning of her career, Cécile qualified as a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. Whilst working for KPMG, she became involved in a joint KPMG/King’s College London “Maths Partners” scheme which provided numeracy mentoring to primary school children in areas of high deprivation levels. This experience sparked a keen interest in understanding the social determinants of health, and the factors which interact and influence health status, quality of life, and human dignity.

She brings twenty years of experience in public health program management, health research, and knowledge translation. Recently, she was a senior advisor in public health for the Inuulitsivik Health Centre, working with the Inuit communities on the Hudson Coast of Nunavik. She has long-standing interest and experience in public health issues affecting children, as well as sexual and mental health. She holds a Master of Science in Epidemiology from the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine of the University of Edinburgh.

Cécile is bilingual in English and French, and enjoys reading in both languages. She loved Les Impatientes by Djaïli Amadou Amal and Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee.

Em is a Program Manager at the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation where she contributes to the implementation of the Early Words program through systems advancements and program infrastructure development. With a long-held passion for children’s literature, Em believes that stories have the unique power to inform, engage, and expand our understanding of the world around us. She has committed her career to advocating for the importance of literacy as a key foundation in building a bright and prosperous future for every child.

Em holds a bachelor’s degree from Wilfred Laurier University. She started her career at Scholastic Canada, working as a systems administrator in the Book Fairs department. Prior to joining CCLF, Em worked as the Manager of Operations for the Hamilton-based nonprofit Telling Tales, where she oversaw the development and implementation of literary programming for children.

Em has a long list of beloved children’s authors, including David A. Robertson, Ruth Ohi, Mélanie Watt and her own childhood favourite, Shel Silverstein.

Elizabeth Attisano is a Program Support Specialist at the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation and is responsible for Book Curation and Procurement for the Early Words team. She received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Waterloo, where her research focused on exploring children’s learning opportunities in informal learning environments. Previously, she was a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo, where she worked on a project related the surveillance of children’s early language development in primary care settings.

Elizabeth is passionate about advocating for the recognition of the importance of literacy for children’s quality of life outcomes, and supporting families in creating literacy rich environments.

Taryn Graham is a Program Support Specialist for the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation, where she helps lead the evaluation and expansion of the Early Words program. She holds a BA in Human Relations (Concordia University), an MA in Recreation & Leisure (University of Waterloo), and a PhD in Public Health (University of Calgary), and has completed a postdoc in Social Work (York University).

Kaitlyn Parks is a Program Support Specialist at the Canadian Children's Literacy Foundation. In this role, she supports the development and administration of the Early Words for Early Childhood Educators program. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing and exploring nature.

Hajar Seiyad completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto, double majoring in Mental Health and Political Science. She currently works as a Program Support Specialist at the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation, supporting the Early Words program to promote literacy development and increase outreach to underserved communities.

Hajar is also a research assistant at the University of Toronto’s Youth Wellness Lab, where she explores urban youth healthcare access, particularly in mental health and reproductive care. She is passionate about qualitative research focused on child and youth well-being, patient-centered policy, and health equity. Hajar believes that improving literacy skills is essential for empowering communities to advocate for their rights and navigate the healthcare system effectively.

Omar Siddiqui is the Communications Specialist for the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation. He has been with CCLF since 2019, when he joined as a Communications Assistant. Since then, he has helped with the administrative and communications aspects of CCLF’s major programs, such as Read On Canada! and Lost & Found.

Omar began his career at the Toronto International Film Festival, first working as the Assistant, Government Relations and Philanthropy, and later taking the position of Coordinator to the CEO. He spent three years in the latter role, during which he developed his administrative and logistical skills. His educational background is in political science and film editing.

Omar credits his love for literacy to his childhood, which was spent curled up in library corners with whichever volume of Brian Jacques’ Redwall series that he found that day.

Amulanga Khechieva is a Program Support Coordinator at the Canadian Children's Literacy Foundation. Amulanga holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Criminology from Simon Fraser University. Her journey with the foundation began as a Policy, Research, and Communications intern in the summer of 2022. During this period, she played a pivotal role in conducting extensive research and creating informative tip sheets for families. These resources covered critical topics such as early relational health. One of her notable contributions was to the Lost and Found project. In this capacity, she spearheaded the review and approval process for more than 1,500 children's stories spanning across Canada.

Beyond her role at the foundation, Amulanga's experience as a behavior interventionist for children ages three to five has equipped her with a unique perspective on early childhood development. A strong advocate for early literacy, Amulanga firmly believes in the evidence-based importance of starting early. Research consistently shows that children who are exposed to books, stories, and language-rich environments from a young age develop stronger language skills, cognitive abilities, and a lifelong love for learning. This early investment paves the way for their academic success and personal growth.

One of Amulanga's cherished childhood memories centers around the joy of reading to her toys.