Leadership

Advisory Board

Meet the leaders, researchers, and practitioners guiding ORAH's mission to advance responsible AI in Ottawa and beyond. Our board brings together expertise from academia, industry, government, and civil society.

The Team

8 Members

Somto Mbelu, PMP

Somto Mbelu, PMP

Founder & Program Lead

Ottawa Responsible AI Hub (ORAH)

Somto works at the intersection of AI ethics, policy, digital health, governance, compliance, risk, finance, and business, bridging research and practice to shape technology that serves society.

AI EthicsAlgorithmic FairnessHealthcare AIResearch
Jake Effoduh, PhD

Jake Effoduh, PhD

Advisory Board Member

Lincoln Alexander School of Law

Experienced lawyer with expertise in human rights, tech, and artificial intelligence. Demonstrated history of working across various national, regional, and international institutions.

AI PolicyDigital RightsGovernanceAdvocacy
Kendra Cooke

Kendra Cooke

Advisory Board Member

SYPartners

Kendra is passionate about ensuring AI development includes diverse community voices. She has worked with marginalized communities to center their perspectives in technology, policy and innovation.

Community EngagementEquityAccessibilityCivic Tech
Oluwadara Adekunle

Oluwadara Adekunle

Advisory Board Member

Farmties Capital Limited

An entrepreneur and development professional with over 10 years of experience. Founder of Farmties Capital Limited, an innovative investment firm dedicated to empowering high-growth SMEs.

AI TransparencyEntrepreneurshipEnterprise AI
Luc Lalande

Luc Lalande

Innovator-in-Residence

Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre

An educator, mentor, community innovation practitioner and civic entrepreneur with extensive experience across academic-industry-government sectors, specializing in place-based programs that build innovation capacity.

Community InnovationCivic EntrepreneurshipEducation
Ruth Bankey

Ruth Bankey

Senior Advisor, AI & Business Intelligence

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

Board member and chair of a variety of Boards of Directors for Civil Society Organizations, nonprofits, and environmental NGOs since 2004. Currently serves as an Advisory Board Member of ORAH.

AI GovernanceBusiness IntelligenceBoard Leadership
Prof. Adegboyega Ojo

Prof. Adegboyega Ojo

Professor & Canada Research Chair

Carleton University

Full Professor and Canada Research Chair in the Governance and AI at the School of Public Policy and Administration, Faculty of Public Affairs, Carleton University, Ottawa.

AI GovernancePublic PolicyResearch
Lori Stanley

Lori Stanley

Advisory Board Member

Lori Stanley Nonprofit Consulting

Founder of Lori Stanley Nonprofit Consulting, working with global, national, and local nonprofit organizations across the public and private sectors. Deep experience in strategic planning and ethical leadership.

Nonprofit StrategyCommunity EngagementAI

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Interested in becoming part of ORAH's mission? Whether you want to volunteer, sponsor an event, or collaborate on research, we'd love to hear from you.