Instructor among Canada's Top 40 Under 40

Congratulations to instructor Paul M. Taylor of our Non-Profit Management Certificate program on being named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 by BNN Bloomberg for 2020. The annual award celebrates the country’s up-and-coming leaders, and Taylor has been recognized for his active commitment to social justice and challenging the systems that create and sustain poverty.

He currently serves as the executive director of FoodShare Toronto, Canada’s largest food security organization. For Taylor, the issues of food security and poverty have long been close to his heart, thanks to his childhood experience with both. He can still recall times when his family had to struggle without heat, hot water or electricity.  

“That was a long time ago now,” he says, “but since then, things have become much more difficult for folks that are materially poor…. I know that we can do better, as many of the decisions that cause people to be without enough food and living in poverty are political decisions.”

Among his numerous efforts to effect change, Taylor previously led Gordon Neighbourhood House in Vancouver, served as vice-chair of Food Secure Canada and founded the Vancouver Food Summit. In addition, he has co-chaired B.C.’s Poverty Reduction Coalition and served on the board of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

While Taylor recognizes that there’s no easy fix to such complex problems, he continues to speak out and challenge all Canadians to work together to find solutions.

“Many would have us think that poverty is inevitable,” he says, “but I refuse to believe them. It’s up to all of us to demand that our politicians work alongside charitable organizations, activists and community groups to once and for all put poverty where it belongs: in our history books.”

As an instructor in our Non-Profit Management program who brings his own personal and professional experiences into the classroom, Taylor has now found one more way to make a difference.

“I hope to inspire other non-profit leaders to think about how their organizations can support the folks on the front lines of social movements, often putting much on the line to defend our fundamental human rights, the planet and the future that we know is possible.”