Chenai Kadungure
About Chenai
Chenai is an Equity champion with proven experience building vital relationships and leading impactful programs and projects in Africa, the Caribbean and North America. Prior to her role as the Executive Director of the Black Physicians' Association of Ontario (BPAO) she was an Associate Director of Employment Ontario programs at Skills for Change and led a Black Youth Success, Education Program in Peel. She was voted one of Canada's Top 100 Black Women to Watch, received the Women Changing the World Migrant Leader Award from The Duchess of York, a Globate Inspiring Leader nominee and an RBC and Global News Hometown Hero recognition. She emceed the first Black History Month event at Queens Park, and is an energetic motivational speaker and keynote. Chenai pours herself into everything she does. As a proud Rotarian and first black President of the Global Partners in Peace, her life remains one of "Service Above Self"
In her current role as executive director of the Black Physicians’ Association of Ontario (BPAO), a non-profit organization focused on the equitable representation of Black people in medicine, she creates opportunities for newcomers, especially racialized immigrants in Canada. The organization, through its community outreach and mentorship work, supports more than 400 medical professionals in Ontario, that includes newcomers.
Chenai has been involved in non-profit work since she was a teenager. In high School she was an Interact member. Interact taught her the value in “Service Above Self” and this attraction to serving the world has never left her. Chenai holds a BA degree in Media, Sociology and Gender Studies and an MPhil in Diversity Studies from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. While in Cape Town her experiences of xenophobia inspired her to become a part of the solution to global conflict. She has experience in research, leadership development, economic development and non-profit management. She has fundraised for philanthropic initiatives, and assisted NGOs like Open Door Education, Cycle For Understanding; The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). A dedicated soldier for peace, Chenai volunteered for The Red Frogs, has been involved in various church leadership activities and serves on the Board of Directors of Mwala, a charity organization. In her spare time, she mentors and coaches. Prior to the fellowship she worked for a non-profit called The Hope Factory, a business development company owned by The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) which grows people, to develop businesses and impact communities. Here in Toronto, she will begin mentoring and running training workshops for Woodgreen Community Services.
During her fellowship she was privileged to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and go on a medical mission trip to Nicaragua. She completed her Applied Field Experience with US based NGO Social Designs, as their International Program Development Director for The Change Institute in Barbados with a partnership including the United Nations and the Sojourner Foundation.
She completed her MA in Global Studies with certification in International Development via the Duke and UNC Chapel Hill Peace Center. Her capstone Project focussed on transformational leadership, and she hopes this work will facilitate positive social change in Zimbabwe’s transition period via a Rotary Project in the making, as well as the proposed creation of a Ministry of Diaspora Affairs for Zimbabwe. She was Project Management Advisor for CARE Canada’s Southern African Nutrition Initiative (SANI), a public health nutrition project in Malawi funded by Global Affairs Canada.
Kadungure is currently writing a book and advising a global network connected to the United Nations among other projects, but her main priority is working towards retaining immigrant talent in Canada.