Our People
Staff
FOUNDER & CEO
Ige is a public policy, stakeholder engagement, and advocacy specialist who champions collaborative, values-driven approaches to address complex challenges. He is a builder with a career spanning local grassroots activism and global multilateral consensus-building initiatives.
Ige was a Fellow at Maytree, where Play for Dignity was conceptualized.
Ige’s international public policy work has focused on supporting efforts to address systemic challenges in the digital economy at both the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Business Advisory Council.
Before working internationally, Ige was the founding executive director of the Toronto Inner-City Rugby Foundation where he built pathways for youth in sport, education, employment, and leadership development.
Ige serves on the Board at the MLSE LaunchPad. He holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Toronto and a Master’s in Public Affairs from SciencesPo, Paris.
DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT & OPERATIONS
Chris is a purpose-driven executive and entrepreneur. At Play for Dignity, he leads partnerships, fundraising, marketing and process design to advance equity and human rights in sport and physical activity.
Chris worked as a consultant for over a decade, leading high-stakes public communications and mobilization campaigns for non-profit clients and coalitions across Canada in higher education, arts & culture, labour, politics, sport and the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
As President and Co-Chair of the Open Democracy Project, Chris co-founded the annual DemocracyXChange Summit in 2017 to connect and equip Canadians who are taking action to strengthen democracy and civil society. Chris serves on the Technology Committee of the Art Canada Institute Board and volunteers for the Loran Scholars Foundation and McCall MacBain Scholars at McGill.
Chris holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, York University (2012), a B.Sc., Honours (2004) and Diploma in Peace and Conflict Studies (2005) from the University of Waterloo, and is a Jostens Loran Scholar (1999).
DIRECTOR, POLICY & PROGRAMS
Madison Danford is a passionate leader, researcher, and advocate committed to transforming Canada’s sport landscape into a space that fosters meaningful change, holistic development, and belonging for all. Recognizing systemic barriers within sport, she has dedicated her academic and professional career to building a bigger, better, and braver sport.
As Senior Program Manager at Fast and Female, Madison led initiatives that empowered over 14,000 girls through sport, positioning the organization as a national leader in gender equity. Now, as Director of Policy and Programs for Play for Dignity, she drives systemic change by developing policies and programs prioritizing dignity, access, and safety.
Madison holds a BPHE and B.Ed. (2017) and an M.Sc. (2019) from the University of Toronto, where she studied the gendered experiences of hockey officials in Canada. Currently a PhD candidate at Queen’s University, her research explores hockey culture in rural Canada. Madison’s work bridges academic rigour and practical application, translating research into actionable strategies to build more inclusive, equitable and accessible spaces in sport.
Board of Directors
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Alan Broadbent
CHAIR
Alan Broadbent is Chairman and Founder of Maytree, and Chairman and CEO of Avana Capital Corporation. He co-founded and chaired the Caledon Institute of Social Policy (1992-2017) and the Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement (2004-2019), and was a Director and Chair of Sustainalytics Holdings B.V. (2009-2020). Alan chairs the Institute on Municipal Finance & Governance at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto, and is also Chair of the Toronto Inner-City Rugby Foundation, Chair of theToronto Inner-City Rugby Foundation Common Good Retirement Savings Initiative Steering Committee, Senior Fellow, former Chair and Member of the Governing Board of Massey College, and Member of the Order of Canada and recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. Alan is the author of Urban Nation: Why We Need to Give Power Back to the Cities to Make Canada Strong; and You’re It (with Franca Gucciardi); and co-editor of Five Good Ideas: Practical Strategies for Non-Profit Success. Alan was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) in 2009, and from Queen’s University in 2015.
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Dr. Marco Di Buono
DIRECTOR
Dr. Di Buono is the President of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, an organization with a relentless commitment to empowering children and youth in communities across Canada through sport and play.
Dr. Di Buono has played an instrumental role in shaping Jumpstart since 2015, when he first joined as AVP, Programs & Operations. He led the growth of the Charity, doubling the size of its disbursements to reach over 400,000 kids annually. More importantly, he led the transformation of Jumpstart to become a global leader in sport for development and serving as a trusted ally to various levels of government and sport sector leaders in Canada.
Before joining Jumpstart, Dr. Di Buono spent three years as Vice President, Science, Research & Professional Education at the American Heart Association, where he was responsible for the Association’s $170 million research enterprise and oversaw the development of clinical practice guidelines and professional education resources.
Dr. Di Buono holds a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Toronto and has a history of advocating for the health and well-being of children and youth.
Dr. Di Buono currently sits on the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. He is a very proud father of three active kids
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Vali Bennett
DIRECTOR
Vali is the Vice President and Corporate Secretary at Avana Capital Corporation. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in English and Literary Studies from the University of Toronto, and is the Corporate Secretary for a number of organizations, including The Literary Review of Canada, the Loran Scholars Foundation, and the Toronto Inner-City Rugby Foundation (TIRF).