Our Team

Meet Our Team

Katarina

Founder & Executive Director

Katarina MacLeod, the founder of Rising Angels, is a survivor of exploitation, sexual & physical abuse, drug addiction, forcible confinement, and domestic prostitution and trafficking. In 2008, she finally escaped ‘the game’ and now works to raise awareness regarding the truth behind this industry, as well as walk alongside women who, like her, want to start over and realize they cannot do it on their own. Katarina has a diploma in Addictions and Community Service, a certificate in Sexual Violence, and a Level 1 certificate in Trauma Counselling for Front Line Workers. She is a mother to 4 children and living proof of a life restored.

Lisa

Mentor

Lisa has a deep understanding of, and passion for, women who have been sexually exploited. She has ministered in this area for over 10 years, founding the Heat the Street Truck outreach ministry, receiving strip club outreach training and providing mentoring and spiritual direction to victims. With an ability to connect with people of all backgrounds, Lisa has had experience ministering to babies, children, youth, adults and seniors for over 30 years. She has traveled to several countries in both full time and short term missions, as well as working various retail positions and home schooling her children. Lisa is very comfortable walking alongside those who struggle with addiction, are experiencing homelessness, or who are otherwise marginalized. She herself has experienced trauma and abuse. Lisa is a woman of God and a mother of two who has a heart for survivors and knows that having someone you can talk to and trust is the first step to healing.

Our Board of Directors

Kim

Board Chair

Kim is a sales and marketing professional educated at the University of New Brunswick Saint John.  She also completed studies in Aesthetics and Make up artistry at L’institute jonRaymond. Having been personally affected by human trafficking and drug addiction of family members, Kim made it her mission to seek help and support for those affected by this human rights violation.

Sheila

Board Vice-Chair

Sheila spent more than two decades in the insurance industry, responsible for a portfolio of more than $ 1 million in premiums, before transitioning to working in the public library sector. She excels in a detail oriented, customer focused environment. In 2012, after becoming aware of the extent of commercial sexual exploitation in our communities, Sheila sought to become part of the solution.

Judi

Secretary

Judi is a retired nurse and graduate from the University of Toronto with both her Bachelor and Masters of Nursing Science. She has has held roles in hospital as Clinical Educator, Clinical Nurse Specialist and Management. Early in her nursing career she volunteered with Evergreen (Yonge Street Mission) and came alongside young women and men being sexually exploited in the GTA. Her focus was on High Risk Obstetrics and Perinatology. The last two decades she worked in Public Health in the Family Health division. For years she worked with pregnant teens, many of which were in shelters or homeless. She came to know about Rising Angels through an acquaintance whose daughter had been sex trafficked. She also has personal experience with family member with addictions. Her health knowledge and experiences is an asset to the Board.

Anna

Treasurer

Anna had many personal encounters with young ladies that were caught in the sex trade. From these close encounters, Anna understands how desperate life circumstances can set lives on the wrong tracks. This experience made Anna passionate to support Rising Angels cause. She is proud to be a part of a solution to sex trafficking by serving as the Treasurer. She is a Ryerson graduate in accounting and finance, has successful experience with building a company from the ground up as well as being a valuable member to bigger teams. She believes Rising Angels will restore many lives and she will be a part of that as well.  

Larry

Board Member

Upon learning of the prevalence of Human Trafficking in Canada, the journey began to create an organization capable of providing long-term housing and comprehensive recovery programs for young women who had been trafficked within the sex trade. Larry was a founder and Executive Director of SafeHope Home from 2015-2022; programs opened in May 2017 and today it is known as one of the most effective organizations in Ontario, changing many lives through the recovery process provided. Larry’s years prior to SafeHope Home were in the business world, primarily the building material industry in senior management, and from 2001 – 2015 as President of Gibson-Chouinard and then Owner-President of EMI. Larry is pleased to volunteer in the anti-trafficking movement by being part of the Rising Angels team.