Mentorship

Our support team, and their range of collective experiences, are here to help you achieve entrepreneurial success! NWAC employees can be contacted by email.

Our Mentorship Team

Kaleena Halmai
Entrepreneurial Navigator
Email: khalmai@nwac.ca
Tel. (343) 961-6152
Schedule a meeting

Kaleena Halmai

Kaleena Halmai is part Plains Cree and resides in Ottawa, Ontario. She is a young professional with a robust background in International Policy. Prior to Kaleena’s work at NWAC, she was an accredited freelance make-up artist and a salon operations officer. She knows the inner workings of daily business operations.

At the beginning of her formative career in the beauty industry, Kaleena was at the helm of front-of-house business operations. Although she began her professional career in an entirely different function than the one she is in today, she was keen on incorporating the promotion of Indigenous business into her operations through philanthropic events and Knowledge Sharing with colleagues.

Kaleena was awarded NWAC’s CEO Award of Excellence (2019). Through dedication and hard work, she has paved her way to the international human rights system. She has used her strengths in research and communication to write many essential documents for NWAC, and create positive relationships with external bodies. Kaleena continues to deepen her knowledge of national and international Indigenous issues through studying at the University of Ottawa for Indigenous Studies.

Loretta Desousa
Entrepreneurial Navigator
Email: lodesousa@nwac.ca
Tel: 1-833-652-1392

Loretta DeSousa

Loretta DeSousa has been an entrepreneur since 2019 and provides Indigenous women, Two-Spirit, transgender, and gender-diverse entrepreneurs with support in growing and evolving their businesses.

Through working with NWAC’s Incubator Project and being a business owner, Loretta has found that resourcefulness and creativity are fundamental to being successful in an evolving business environment. Using this knowledge and experience, Loretta empowers and supports others, while being an essential asset for Indigenous women, Two-Spirit, transgender, and gender-diverse entrepreneurs.

She holds a Master of Education, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and a Child and Youth Worker Diploma.