Our Team

Christoph Clodius brings a unique perspective to his role of Vice President at The Discovery Group. A leader in the executive talent management sector for over a decade, he is an exceptional relationship builder and analytical thinker that has resulted in a wealth of successful hires with a significant retention rate. His prior development work in the education, community organization, and social profit sectors has established his considerable knowledge base of philanthropy, advancement, strategic planning, and leadership development. Christoph is driven by those in the social profit sector who are passionate about changing the world and finds great inspiration in finding that successful candidate whose life will also change for the better. His critical thinking and ability to access people for cultural alignment, succession planning, and ultimate team building is exemplary, as his championing equity and inclusion in the sector. As well as being inspired by dedicated people with passion, he’s an advocate of all things cultural, with a penchant for music, concerts, footie, and the occasional martini.

Gina Cuthbert is Vice President at The Discovery Group. A fundraising professional since 2001, Gina has excelled at ‘in-house’ and consulting roles, providing strategic counsel for capital and endowment campaigns in the health, education, social services, and cultural sectors. A skillful architect of feasibility studies, she has a knack for distilling complex findings into actionable recommendations to accelerate campaign and organizational performance. Through her many years in major gifts and campaign management, Gina has been responsible for the development and execution of fundraising strategies for more than 70 organizations including the achievement of a transformational gift for Kwantlen Polytechnic University that enabled the construction of a $36 million named School, the first of its kind at the university. In her prior role at Victoria Hospice, she was responsible for the strategy and implementation of the planned giving program, resulting in 100% growth in confirmed expectancies over a two-year period. Gina is inspired by the power of philanthropy and by passionate leaders of small volunteer groups that make big things happen.

Samantha Gayfer is Director of Strategic Development at The Discovery Group. Samantha has spent more than 25 years serving organizations in Canada, the Middle East and Asia Pacific across sectors as diverse as education, sustainability, economic development and hospitality to real estate, aviation, Fintech and FMCG. A catalyst for converting strategy into action, Samantha’s business acumen, creativity and dedication to mission integrity helps social profit organizations build and protect their legacies, whether developing endowments and major gifts, creating public-private partnerships, supporting board growth or navigating crises. In the UAE, Samantha was the Director of PR & Corporate Communications for the largest foreign investor in Dubai’s iconic Palm Jumeirah before finding her niche in international education. She spent almost a decade shaping communications, philanthropy and crisis management within the United World College movement, including a $10 million campaign to save UWC Thailand. Before joining The Discovery Group, Samantha was based in Kuala Lumpur as Senior Consultant, Asia Pacific for The Jane Group, a Chicago-based crisis management consultancy. With The Jane Group, Samantha trained and coached international school boards and leaders in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China, South Korea, Singapore and the USA. Samantha loves an audacious challenge and is inspired by diversity in all its forms. She has a keen interest in exploring how strategies and tactics can be re-tooled and applied to the social profit sector in innovative ways.

Elanna Giang is the Director of Research and Analytics at The Discovery Group. With 11 years of experience working and volunteering in the social profit sector, Elanna has become an expert in donor research through various roles where she led donor research and fundraising strategy for annual and major fundraising campaigns. In her previous role as Manager, Prospect Development at Covenant House Vancouver, Elanna was responsible for growing and leading the prospect development program, which consisted of donor research, fundraising strategy, new lead identification, and analyzing giving data to identify donor segments of interest for specific projects and campaigns. Prior to specializing in research, Elanna worked as a development officer on Covenant House Vancouver’s capital campaign which successfully raised $52M and saw two new state-of-the art buildings constructed to provide a holistic, trauma-informed care approach for youth experiencing homelessness in Vancouver. As a long-time volunteer and current Board Member of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (Apra), Elanna is a strong supporter and advocate for prospect researchers in the philanthropic sector. With a keen sense of curiosity for uncovering strong values alignment between people and philanthropic causes, Elanna is passionate about facilitating positive social change within the communities we live, work, and play in.

Karen Gilmore, LLB, ICD.D, is a Senior Associate at The Discovery Group, working with boards and senior leadership of social profit organizations to elevate community impact. A strategic leader, Karen has a wealth of experience in corporate and non-profit organizations at local, provincial, and national management and at board levels. A corporate lawyer for 40 years, both in private practice and as in-house counsel, she brings legal expertise and operational insight to complex strategic and governance issues. In her previous position as VP and General Counsel at Fulmer & Company Investments Inc., Karen established the legal role, served as a key strategy resource, and led the corporate philanthropic work that was instrumental to the development of a social enterprise business. Karen served on the boards of YWCA Metro Vancouver and YWCA Canada, chairing each of those boards as well as several committees. She has also served on the Grants Committee for the CKNW Orphan's Fund, the Grants Advisory Committee for the Investment Readiness Program at Canadian Women's Foundation and many other boards and committees in the legal profession. In recognition of her years of service, she has received the BC Community Achievement Award and the CCCA National Community Builder Award, as well as the Agnes Amelia Blizzard Award for her personal commitment to the mission of YWCA Canada. Although Karen developed a remarkable talent for spoon playing, she thoughtfully decided to take her career in a different direction and become a lawyer and an empathetic champion of the social profit sector, believing that these are the organizations that will truly change the world. With a lifelong pull to the outdoors, Karen relishes opportunities to immerse herself in nature.

Allyson Haug, Certified Executive Coach (CEC), is the Director of Philanthropy at The Discovery Group, bringing a breadth of experience and dynamic leadership in strategic planning. She has led successful fundraising programs for multiple non-profit and public education organizations throughout Canada and the United States. As an authority in major gifts, Allyson specializes in corporate donors and private foundations. Her critical thinking is shaped by a deep understanding of organizational culture and genuine people engagement. These insights have been actively proven, within over twelve years devoted to Asante Africa Foundation, advancing children’s education in East Africa. After five years in development at the Universities of B.C. and Alberta, she became the Director of Individual and Corporate Giving at Alberta Cancer Foundation. She believes the social profit sector is the way to build a better community, and an opportunity to personally contribute to many socio-economic intersections, from healthcare, arts and culture, to literacy and education. She places great importance on educating our children and predecessors about the magnitude of the social and non-profit sectors. Leading a major gift team at Sauder School of Business, Allyson launched the Sauder Philanthropy undergraduate program to educate future business leaders on the importance of philanthropy. With fascination for languages, Allyson can be found contemplating speech and syntax whilst hiking on the world’s most beautiful mountains.

Laura Heikkila is the Search & Leadership Associate at The Discovery Group. With more than a decade of experience in the social profit sector, Laura is passionate about resource development, team building and volunteer management. Her previous roles at Island Health, United Way BC Central & Northern Vancouver Island Region, and Society of Organized Services, all cultivated Laura’s interest in developing exceptional talent in the social profit sector. As a lifelong learner, Laura believes in continuous education and is currently completing her Human Resources Management Diploma from McMaster University, Ontario.

Laura is based out of Sudbury, Ontario and spends her free time with her husband, two sons and dogs in the great outdoors. When she’s not thinking about her clients, she’s dreaming of her next trip to the family cottage.

Ashala Jacobson is Director of Performance and Campaigns at The Discovery Group. Bringing more than 17 years of experience in fund development and as a leader in the social profit sector, Ashala has a deep appreciation for the people and organizations working hard to make a difference in our communities. With a wide range of expertise in fundraising strategy, campaign management, donor, and stakeholder relations, leading high-performing teams and providing executive-level strategic counsel, she puts those skills to use helping organizations reach their goals with a strong focus on maintaining loyal and aligned donors. In her prior role at the University of Saskatchewan, Ashala led a team of major gift professionals and fund development specialists raising an average of $20 million annually. She currently sits on the board of the Saskatoon Friendship Inn and is past president of her local AFP chapter. Ashala is based out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and loves engaging in the wide variety of outdoor activities and the full four-season experience of living in Saskatchewan.

David Jeu brings 37 years of advancement and management experience to The Discovery Group across the higher education, healthcare, and social services sectors. He has comprehensive expertise in all aspects of development and campaign management - executive level planning; facilitating, guiding and coordinating leadership engagement; feasibility study execution and assessment; case development and proposal writing; messaging and related marketing, risk and issues management; donor recognition and naming opportunities; prospect research, evaluation, clearance policies and procedures, briefings; and volunteer recruitment and training, staffing, monitoring and assessing progress.

David’s 22 years of higher education experience includes management and leadership roles in campaigns with goals and totals raised ranging up to 10 figures. Highlights include – University of Toronto, $100M (1987-90, highest in Canadian history at the time); University of Alberta, $581M (2005-10, highest in UofA’s history); $3.13B, UC Berkeley (2010-14, public phase); and $6B, UC Berkeley (2015-20, quiet phase). As Assistant Vice Chancellor for International Relations at UC Berkeley (2010-20), David directed an advancement team that raised an average of $59M annually, largely in major and principal gifts, and managed a global alumni network and volunteer leadership in 41 countries.

Based in Edmonton, David enjoys planning winters in warmer climes and listening to Steely Dan.

Karen Jeu is a Senior Associate at The Discovery Group, where she builds on her extensive experience in board development and governance, as well as strategic planning, cultivation, and stewardship in fundraising. In her former role as President of Sutter Health CPMC Foundation, Karen was responsible for leading an integrated development operation to support long-range fundraising objectives and their philanthropic output. With 30 years’ experience working with colleges and universities, including the University of Alberta, Karen has led strategic and operational delivery of high-profile cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship programs and support functions. She has been an ongoing mentor and motivator for team members in the country’s top academic institutions. With four sons, Karen has cultivated boundless energy, patience, and an acute appreciation for the small moments in life that influence others. She believes the social profit sector is the future for young people, not only for its end results, but to encourage those we interact with and help along the way.

Mercia Louw is Director of Operations at The Discovery Group, a deeply motivated professional with many years of experience in company secretarial, governance and administration support roles. Highly results-orientated, and a staunch gatekeeper of confidential information and decisions, Mercia is accountable for managing internal and external company expectations and for promoting exemplary governance principles and practices. She has previously worked as a Company Secretary for Hero Telecoms and BBR Van Der Grijp in Cape Town and has provided vital assistance for many multi-functional teams, clients, subsidiary companies, and delegates of authority at board and director level. Born in the Free State, South Africa, Mercia is happiest in nature, walking the trails of BC with her family. With a strong belief that if you’re kind you can achieve many things, she is a dedicated and supportive member of the team.

Kirsten McInnis is the Marketing and Communications Coordinator at The Discovery Group and is approaching the culmination of her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing Management. A fascination with digital marketing is what sparked Kirsten’s interest in pursuing a career in marketing and communications, and her drive to support impactful work led her to the social profit sector. During her studies, Kirsten has grown her skillset to include media analysis, business development, social media strategy, as well as digital and traditional marketing. Outside of school, Kirsten brings four years of experience in the hospitality industry, and seven years in the performing arts field as a dance instructor and choreographer. She has also volunteered many hours of time to be a mentor within dance classes to assist teachers, and as a committee member for AFP Greater Vancouver Chapter’s National Philanthropy Day in 2023 and 2024. Kirsten is delighted to be applying her education to support the incredible work being done in the social profit sector.

Margaret McNeil is an accomplished leader in both the social profit and government sectors, and most recently, was the CEO of Canuck Place Children’s Hospice for 9 years. In that role, she doubled the size of the organization, added a second hospice, expanded programs, doubled the number of staff and revenue. In 2020, she won the prestigious Waterstone award for Most Admired CEO in the broader public sector category. Margaret is deeply committed to strengthening the sector’s impact on the lives of our citizens, focused on those most vulnerable. Margaret’s experience enables her to understand and translate the context the social profit leaders work within, to assist in finding solutions that work. The Beedie School of Business recognized Margaret’s leadership as ‘Mentor of the year’, as has Business in Vancouver with its CEO of the Year award in 2017. Margaret has sat on several of social profit and Crown boards, including the Minerva Foundation of BC, Canadian Cancer Society BC/Yukon Division, and WorkSafe BC. She holds the Chartered Director designation from the Degroote School of Business, one of Canada’s leading governance education programs. When not working, Margaret can be found in winter on the ski hills, and in summer, swimming in the ocean, loving the connection to nature we have in BC.

Doug Nelson founded The Discovery Group with a vision to bring together a group of talented and compassionate leaders. Together they are aligned with his belief that the social profit sector represents individuals and communities coming together to change the world for the better. Collectively, they spearhead inspired strategies to help nurture that change. Described by the media as a 'fundraising phenom' and a 'true innovator,' Doug unravels complex challenges in aligning governance and philanthropic performance. His early development work in education propelled him to become the Chief Development Officer at the University of Alberta, and responsible for the second largest fundraising campaign in Canadian history. As President and CEO of the BC Cancer Foundation for six years, he led the organization to revenue of $300 million, including a campaign that would launch the Personalized Onco-Genomic (POG) program. His work is award-winning in the areas of governance, culture, advocacy, and innovative granting, and he has raised nearly $1 billion for organizations in Canada and the United States. As President of the California Pacific Medical Centre Foundation, he led the development and execution of a campaign that would support the opening of two hospitals valued at $3 billion, shaping the future of care in San Francisco. Doug is also host of the leading social profit sector podcast, The Discovery Pod. With a photographic memory for baseball statistics, Doug had a childhood dream to be the first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays. These days, he can be found remarkably often at a Bob Dylan concert.

As Director of Planning and Governance at The Discovery Group, Jen brings a passion for the arts, youth development, and community advocacy. In her previous position, Jen led the development of the Sarah McLachlan School of Music (SoM) program for over a decade. Working in various roles from Director of Programs and Operations to Associate and Executive Director, her deep commitment to educational and organizational best practices enhanced SoM’s public reputation as an adaptive, creative, inclusive, and compassionate place of learning.

Holding an Honours Degree from King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Jen’s contemporary studies in philosophy, history and political science continue to be formative areas of interest that inform and impact her skills as a communicator and community leader. With innate adeptness for strategic visioning, relationship building between Board and leadership teams, and her collaborative approach to problem solving, Jen has piloted enduring initiatives and partnerships, raised public awareness, and assured sustainable donor engagement. Jen is honoured to support the incredible work of TDG’s clients and team members in the collective pursuit of healthier, stronger communities across Canada and beyond.

Laura Stewart is the Client Services Coordinator at The Discovery Group. She brings over 20 years of international experience providing exceptional customer service in both the social profit and higher education sectors. Through her career she has worked hard to improve operational performance so great people can make lasting impacts. In her previous role at the London School of Economics and Political Science, she opened the first Alumni Centre in the school’s 129 year history and was responsible for delivering a truly meaningful experience for LSE’s 200,000+ global alumni community. As a strong advocate of community health, Laura is also a qualified run coach and community swim leader who delivers sessions that boost women’s physical and mental health. After living in London for 13 years, Laura is very happy to be settled back home in North Vancouver with her husband and two daughters.

Josée is the Practice Lead, Philanthropy and Social Innovation at The Discovery Group. Previously, she served as Director of Philanthropy at MaRS Discovery District, where she launched the MaRS Philanthropy Office, working with donors and grantors on innovation projects with significant impact in climate, health, and responsible tech and advanced topics in blended finance and venture philanthropy. She was also an early builder of Opportunity for All Youth (Now MyStartr), an initiative that aims to transform the workforce development sector so that it works better for underserved youth. Former roles include Executive Director for ONE TO ONE Literacy Society, a childhood literacy program in British Columbia, and fundraiser for the UBC Faculty of Medicine and community outreach initiatives including The UBC Learning Exchange. Josée also has a background in the corporate sector, leading a team of Account Managers and supporting Fortune 500 companies to develop and manage customer experience metrics. Josée sat on a number of non-profit boards including the Calgary Birth Control Association (now the Centre for Sexuality), the Chicago Neighbourhood Parent Network, and Vancouver’s CircusWest and is presently a member of Imagine Canada's Caring Companies and committee and serves as a peer reviewer. She holds a Masters of Communication Management from McMaster University. Her capstone research focused on purpose-driven leadership and communications, a topic she has written about and presented at conferences and for various executive certificate programs. Josée is based in Toronto, Ontario.