Louise Simbandumwe

Louise played a lead role in working with partner organizations to develop SEED’s financial empowerment programs. SEED now delivers a range of financial empowerment interventions in partnership with over 100 organizations in Manitoba.

SEED has worked with other organizations to build a regional and national community of practice for the emerging field of financial empowerment. Louise is a founding member and co-chair of the Manitoba Financial Empowerment Network and has been appointed to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada’s Research Committee on Financial Literacy.

A former refugee, Louise is passionate about human rights and social justice. Her volunteer commitments include The Winnipeg Foundation Board of Directors, the Immigration Partnership Winnipeg Council, and the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba. She has also served on the advisory committee for Manitoba’s poverty reduction strategy and the Ministerial advisory committee for Canada’s first poverty reduction strategy.

Louise has developed and taught innovative courses on financial empowerment, community economic development, and human rights advocacy at the University of Winnipeg. She has a Bachelor’s in Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan and a Master’s in Comparative Social Research from Oxford University.