The work we do at Raising the Roof would not be possible without the incredible support of our Board of Directors and Advisors, as well as the dedication of our staff.
The RTR Staff
Marc Soberano
Executive Director
Marc Soberano
Executive Director
Marc Soberano is a proud toque wearing social entrepreneur that believes strongly that every person across Canada deserves a place to call home. In his role as founder and Executive Director of Building Up, Marc developed innovative solutions to connect employers looking for committed trades people, to marginalized community members looking to work in the trades. Marc is excited to take a similar approach with Raising the Roof connecting under utilized vacant homes to Canadians experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Marc is graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business, he has canoed across Canada, and is overwhelmingly excited by the opportunities ahead of Raising the Roof.
Adrian Dingle
Director of Housing Development
Adrian Dingle
Director of Housing Development
Adrian comes to Raising the Roof from a career in the private sector as a residential real estate developer and he is excited to be using his expertise in acquisition and project management to create affordable housing for those in need.
Other than his time spent studying at Queen’s University and UBC’s Sauder School of Business, Adrian has lived much of his life in Toronto. For Adrian, the best thing about his position as the Director of Reside is the opportunity to grow alongside this amazing program and contribute to its massive potential for social impact in Toronto and across Canada. In his personal time, you can find him running around on the squash court, going for a hike or standing in a river with a fishing rod.
Paula Patryluk
Director of Finance and Operations
Paula Patryluk
Director of Finance and Operations
Paula’s background in finance and economics led her to work in the corporate sector for many years. Needing a change, Paula joined Raising the Roof over 15 years ago, working closely with Jennifer Parnell, one of the original Executive Directors. Over the years, Paula has gained an in depth knowledge of the workings of Raising the Roof and more importantly has learned the value of working to improve the lives of others. She believes there is nothing more satisfying than hearing their success stories. Paula loves to hit the slopes in the winter and the beach anytime!
Leslie Bellingham
Director of Resource Development and Communications
Leslie Bellingham
Director of Resource Development and Communications
After completing education at University of Waterloo and Concordia University in Montreal, Leslie has spent most of her career in the non-profit sector, running successful fundraising campaigns and raising awareness and participation for poverty reduction programs.
Over the years, after talking with many people who were one step away from eviction, people sleeping on their friend’s couch or under the bridge, she began to explore ways to help people who were homeless or at risk of homelessness, besides offering a warm meal and pointing them to the nearest shelter. When she learned of Raising the Roof’s Reside program and support for homelessness prevention programs, she was immediately excited about the possibility to make a real impact on homelessness in Canada and move people forward in life, from the base of permanent affordable housing and employment opportunities.
When she is not working hard to end homelessness in Canada, you can find her spending time with her family or volunteering for local community initiatives in Niagara.
Shoshana Coodin
Marketing Manager
Shoshana Coodin
Marketing Manager
Jai Siwak
Jai Siwak
Jai is a 2Spirit, Métis person, raised on Treaty 1 Territory.
They’ve volunteered with Pride Winnipeg in many capacities for 6 years, and in 2020 finished a period as Director of Marketing, overseeing a successful brand relaunch. She’s also spent 13 years in the travel industry – heading up marketing, as well as planning events & coordinating travel arrangements for leisure and corporate travel alike.
Jai also started a local grassroots not for profit in Winnipeg during the Covid-19 pandemic raising over $70,000 to assist folks struggling with food security & support unhoused communities.
Jai is extremely excited to be tackling homelessness in Winnipeg head on with Raising the Roof. In her spare time, Jai loves beading, hanging out with her animals, partner, and connecting with the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community in Winnipeg.
Board of Directors
Brandon Day
President & Co-Founder at Community Builders
Brandon Day
President & Co-Founder at Community Builders
Brandon is the President & Co-Founder of Community Builders, a Barrie based social enterprise construction company. Brandon is passionate about using his gifts and talents in business and construction to bring opportunities to those that need them. Social enterprise has been a creative outlet for Brandon to use business as a force for good and an answer back to the affordable housing crisis, homelessness and the trade deficit. Brandon enjoys being a husband, father, fisherman and traveller.
Elisa Traficante
Manager, Spanning the Gaps - Ryerson University
Elisa Traficante
Manager, Spanning the Gaps - Ryerson University
Elisa Traficante has over 15 years of experience managing and evaluating community projects for youth facing barriers, both as a Manager and a Director in various community organizations. Firmly rooted in an antioppressive framework, Elisa is passionate about developing social justice initiatives and programming. She graduated from the Institute of Child Studies (OISE/University of Toronto) with a Masters in Child Studies and Education, where she focused her research on developing prevention models for FASD. In her professional career, Elisa has supported youth facing multiple barriers such as homelessness, addictions, and mental illness in both rural and urban programs. Most recently, Elisa serves as the Manager of Spanning the Gaps, Ryerson University’s access to education program based out of The Chang School of Continuing Education
Simon Weisz
President of Greenspace Mental Health at Greenspace
Simon Weisz
President of Greenspace Mental Health at Greenspace
Simon Weisz (he/him/his) completed a business and law degree at Ivey Business School and Western University. Simon has previously worked in corporate law at Stikeman Elliott LLP and in investment banking at Macquarie Capital. Simon currently is the co-founder and President of Greenspace Mental Health, a technology company supporting improved mental health treatment. Simon is a director and the board chair of Building Up, a Toronto-based social enterprise supporting career pathways in the trades.
