A team of creative humans inspired by art and community
We are artists, urban planners, and cultural researchers.
We see public spaces as creative canvases for building inclusive and vibrant communities. With our experiences across public art management, cultural planning, and creative placemaking, we connect you to your public art goals by turning artistic possibilities into impactful realities.
Hello, Team!
Leadership Team
Alexis Kane Speer
Executive Director
Alexis (she/they) is responsible for STEPS’ strategic planning, partnership development, and fundraising. Inspired by the city and the people who bring it to life, she has 20+ years experience leading public art, cultural planning, and community building initiatives, for which she has received numerous awards.
Anjuli Solanki
Program Director
Anjuli (she/her) oversees STEPS’ community, cultural planning, agency, and public art portfolios, including supporting the teams and developing the partnerships that make them possible. She is a painter and public artist with 15+ years in community engagement, public programming and urban research.
Collin Zipp
Public Art Manager
Collin (he/him) manages the design and implementation of public art and artist capacity building programs. He is a multidisciplinary artist and arts administrator who brings 10+ years of experience to the team. Collin is dedicated to fostering lasting relationships between artists, artworks, and communities.
Grace Lai
Communications Manager
Grace (she/her) oversees STEPS’ marketing and communications team to showcase public art impact and community stories across marketing platforms. She is a marketing specialist with industry experiences spanning across higher education and research, small businesses, and arts and culture.
Gwyneth Dalzell
Operations Manager
Gwyneth (she/they) keeps STEPS’ operations running smoothly. She’s worked in roles within public and non-profit institutions, including the E.J. Pratt Library and Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art. Gwyneth is passionate about serving her community and fostering meaningful engagement.
Sophie (Sam) Mitjavile
Cultural Planning Manager
Sophie (she/they) has a background in cultural planning, programming, and arts administration. She is passionate about creating inclusive public spaces through creative placemaking and is committed to the representation of diverse voices.
The Team
Ardyn Gibbs
Program Assistant
Ardyn (they/them) is an emerging new media artist and student completing their BFA in Studio Arts from McMaster University. Ardyn is passionate about supporting artists, learning, exploring, creating, and engaging with the community to cultivate brave and inclusive spaces through art and art making.
Bridget MacIntosh
Cultural Planning Coordinator
Bridget (she/her) has held senior municipal cultural management positions and supports special projects within STEPS’ cultural planning portfolio. She uses arts and culture as a tool to nurture civic health and sustainability, and to meaningfully integrate into everyday life and public policy.
Ima Esin
Cultural Planner
Ima (she/her) is an urban wanderer and collector of stories. She leads the development and delivery of STEPS’ community-engaged cultural planning services and supports community consultation across the portfolio. She’s passionate about urban spaces that reflect the histories, cultures, and experiences of local communities.
Madison Kennedy
Cultural Planner
Madison (she/her) is interested in concepts around equity, diversity, and accessibility within urban spaces. She has a passion for placemaking and public art, and provides project management support to STEPS’ cultural planning clients to realize public art and placemaking initiatives.
Margo Smith
Public Art Project Associate
Margo (she/her) is pursuing a Master of Arts in Educational Research at the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on contemporary art education for children and youth. She is passionate about making art accessible to all and promoting critical thinking and visual literacy skills development.
Stella Zhou
Public Art Coordinator
Stella (she/her) is an interdisciplinary urban planner and community animator. She’s passionate about creating inclusive public space through cultural planning and participatory public art. She believes that community-involved placemaking processes can lead to more equitable and meaningful public spaces.
Waseem Akhter
Operations Assistant
Waseem (he/him) is a project implementation specialist with 16 years of experience. He integrates a technology background with electrical engineering and illustration. Waseem supports the functioning of STEPS’ spaces and systems.
Yelizaveta (Liza) Mishko
Public Art Coordinator
Liza (she/her) is an urban and community planner. She is passionate about placemaking and creating equitable communities with an interest in designing for play. She applies a people-first approach to community planning.
Hello, Board of Directors!
Did you know STEPS is governed by a Board of Directors? Our ability to bring positive impact to communities across Canada is thanks to their diverse experiences in business development, law, cultural planning, charitable fundraising, finance, and more.
Ammar Mahimwalla
Wiser Projects (British Columbia)
Candace Hook
Centre for Creative Arts (Alberta)
Carl Brundtland
Corus Entertainment (Ontario)
Craig Hudson
LumiQ and Treasurer (Ontario)
Jo Flatt
Allied REIT and Board Chair (Ontario)
Miriam Kramer
OCAD University (Ontario)
Robyn Small
TD (Ontario)
William Skura
City of Toronto (Ontario)
Yusra Khan
Yusra Khan Law (Ontario)
Thank you to our past Board of Directors:
- Adam Molson, Daniels Corporation (STEPS Tenure: 2016-2022, Interim Chair in 2022)
- Alex Apostolopolous, Regimen Labs Inc (STEPS Tenure: 2018-2022)
- Annabel Vaughan, ERA Architects (STEPS Tenure: 2014-2016)
- Dave Kranenburg, Kendal Hills Farm (STEPS Board Chair: 2014-2016)
- Mojan Jianfar, City of Toronto (STEPS Tenure: 2018-2022)
- Rich Appiah, Appiah Law (STEPS Tenure: 2016-2023)