Ellen Vaillancourt

Areas of interest

Aesthetics, couture, and culture.

Biography

Ellen Vaillancourt is a designer, peacemaker and creative development strategist. A passion for Beauty and the ability to make unusual connections has led her from couture to culture: From fashion school in Paris, to facilitating multi-million dollar CIDA funded local and international projects in areas of Adult Education for Economic Development and sustainable Women’s Empowerment initiatives. At SFUs "Centre for Muslim Societies and Cultures"—the first of its kind in North America—Ellen then developed, implemented, and oversaw the organization's operations and a wide range of educational programs and outreach initiatives. Her role concentrated on building bridges between increasingly plural and diverse societies and platforms for rigorous academic discussion. Ellen currently works for the City of Vancouver, and also volunteers to mentor new immigrants and refugees. Together with Immigrant Services Society of BC, Inland Refugee Society, and Immigration Employment Council of BC, she assists people in building new lives, careers, and dreams. Her university studies from 4 different institutions, equipped her with degrees and credentials in Leadership, Liberal Arts, Design, and Education. Her rare mix of education, training, and experience is well suited to public service.