Mélanie Valcin holds a Master’s degree in International and Community Development from the University of Toronto. For the past 20 years, she has dedicated her career to advancing social innovation, youth mobilization, and community development across local, national, and international contexts.

 Before joining United for Literacy (formerly Frontier College), a national literacy organization supporting communities coast to coast, to coast, Mélanie held key roles with respected institutions around the world. She worked with the Canadian Red Cross, managed international education programs at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and served with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in Mexico City.

 Mélanie currently serves on the Board of Directors of Le Devoir, one of Canada’s prominent daily newspapers. She is also a board member of Imagine Canada and the National Alliance for Children and Youth, and has been a longstanding volunteer with the McCall MacBain Foundation Scholarship Program. Her commitment to equity and entrepreneurship led her to volunteer with Groupe 3737, a business incubator supporting entrepreneurs from minority communities.

 In 2022, Mélanie was recognized as a Black Changemaker by the CBC. She is also a proud member of Groupe des Trente, a Montréal-based initiative that promotes diversity in leadership and governance.