Who We Are
Happy Roots Foundation is a private charitable foundation headquartered in Ottawa.
We believe in a trust-based approach to philanthropy and grant-making.
Our mandate is to provide grants to other registered charities.
Our team’s decisions are guided by our vision, mission and core values.
Our Vision
We imagine a community where all parents have the support they need to raise healthy, resilient children.
Our Mission
Happy Roots Foundation is a private charitable foundation serving the Ottawa area.
Our mission is to nurture infant and early childhood mental health by
fostering secure connections between young kids and their caregivers.
Our Core Values
We collaborate with others to make a meaningful difference.
We seek creative approaches to move the needle.
We are energized by a challenge.
Our Team
Linsey Sherman-Zekulin, Founder & Chair, Board of Directors
Linsey is a lawyer and nonprofit leader with over a decade of experience working with families in conflict. In 2019, she co-founded Happy Roots Foundation to shine a light on mental health issues for young children and to engage philanthropy differently. She has been a frequent writer and speaker on a variety of legal issues and is a long-standing advocate for gender equality and family justice reform. Linsey is also the co-founder of Sororal, a start-up social enterprise that uses the power of travel to advance gender equality and empower women and girls across the world. Linsey holds a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University, a law degree from the University of Ottawa, and an undergraduate degree from Carleton University. She serves on the Board of Directors at Lanark County Interval House and Community Support and is an active member at her daughters’ school and dance studio.
Mark Zekulin, Founder & Director, Board of Directors
Mark is a Founding Partner at The Greater Return, a mission-oriented private investment firm focused on investing in early-stage companies looking to change the world. He is also the Chairman of Invert Inc., an Ottawa-based company that funds and supports projects that reduce or remove CO2 from the atmosphere, and the Chairman of BC Biocarbon, a BC-based technology company that transforms waste materials into biochar that sequesters carbon.
Mark is the former President & co-CEO of Canopy Growth Corporation. He holds law degrees from the University of Ottawa and the University of Cambridge, and was voted one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2018.
Currently, Mark serves as a Fellow at the Dais, a public policy and leadership institute at the Toronto Metropolitan University, is the Past Chair and current Board Member of the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters Ottawa, and a Board Member of the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization.
Scott Sherman, Director, Board of Directors
Scott leads Engage Financial where he provides mutual fund and insurance-licensed services to his clients as a Financial Advisor and Certified Financial Planner. Fundamentally a people person, Scott has spent his professional career connecting with his clients–from their offices to their kitchen tables–helping them achieve their retirement goals. He has a business degree with a minor in economics from the University of Guelph, where he also played two sessions of junior hockey. Scott is an avid hockey player and golfer, and is active in his community as a hockey and baseball coach.
Monique Moreau, Executive Director
Monique has a decade of legal experience in international and domestic issues and over seven years of management in government relations, public affairs and communications in the not-for-profit sector. Prior to joining Happy Roots, Monique was a VP at a national industry association, and she brings with her a rich background in board service and governance. She is currently on the boards of the Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre, as well as the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative. A classmate of Linsey and Mark’s, she obtained her law degree from the University of Ottawa.
