Rebecca Darwent

Why you should listen

A proven builder of relationships and capital, Rebecca Darwent has led strategy, policy, fund development and partnerships that have mobilized multimillion-dollar investments in equity, health and education. In 2020, she cofounded the Foundation for Black Communities, leading fundraising, community engagement and advocacy that resulted in a historic 200-million-dollar commitment to Black philanthropy by the Canadian government.

Darwent was previously the director of global partnerships at Singularity University, leading tech and education programming across five continents. She also worked in the Ontario provincial government as a senior policy advisor to the Minister of Children and Youth Services, responsible for the Anti-Racism Directorate. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Laidlaw Foundation and The Philanthropy Workshop Canada. She has been recognized as a Women Leaders for the World Fellow and honored as a Canadian Millennium Laureate.