Board & Staff
Our board boasts leaders with a deep commitment to the vision of enabling
all people to prosper on their own terms.
Our Board
Len Penner, board chair
Len Penner has four decades of experience in business and agriculture. While working for Cargill Limited, he held a variety of roles, including president from 2005 to 2013. He spent his career ensuring farmers around the world had the tools they needed to prosper. Len wants to ensure smallholder farmers in poor, rural communities are given these same opportunities. Introduced to iDE by a friend, Len was inspired by the organization’s commitment to solving poverty through business. He has been a long-time supporter and joined the iDE Canada board of directors in 2015. He was nominated to iDE Canada board chair and iDE Global board member in 2017. Now retired, Len also spends his time volunteering with the Robb Nash Project, a not for profit that uses the power of music to encourage positive life choices.
Ted Paetkau, vice chair
Ted grew up on a farm in southern Manitoba. He has a degree in engineering from the University of Manitoba. Ted founded Concord Projects, a construction and development company with its headquarters in Winnipeg, Canada. He is a current member of the Association of Professional Engineers of the Province of Manitoba. Ted has been involved in numerous boards and committees, including non-profit organizations such as the Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite Economic Development Associates and Youth for Christ Winnipeg. Ted has been involved with iDE for over 20 years, including chair from 2010 to 2017.
Shirley Martens, fundraising chair
Shirley created The Lab Works Inc., a premium photo finishing lab, with her husband in 1988. They sold the company in 2011. She owns and manages commercial real estate property in Winnipeg and runs Blend Imports, a company that sources and imports South African wines to Manitoba. Shirley has served on the board of Art City, a not-for-profit community arts centre, since 2004, and is currently chair of their board. Shirley has been a volunteer with iDE since 2012. She joined the board in 2016 and currently serves as chair of the fundraising and gala committees. Shirley also serves as Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee for the Wanda Koop Centre Board. A dedicated walker, Shirley lives by The New York Times article titled, “Whatever the problem, it’s probably solved by walking.”
Gerry Dyck, founder
While studying at Mennonite Brethren Bible College in the early 80s, businessman and philanthropist Art DeFehr was a guest lecturer and exposed Gerry to the suffering of those living in developing nations. After graduation, Art, then UN high commissioner for refugees, invited Gerry and Paul Polak to Somalia on an exploratory mission. Although he didn’t know where Somalia was, he agreed to come along. The 15-month trip planted the seed for what would later become iDE. Revolutionary at the time, iDE combined international development and business principles to solve poverty. In 1982, Gerry was iDE’s first country director, leading the organization’s inaugural project in Somalia. Later, while working for iDE in Bangladesh, he learned about UN-sponsored factories that were making carpets for export. Wired for business, when he learned they needed help with sales, Gerry co-founded a private company called Kalora Interiors International where he remains president. Through business, Gerry continues to create transformation, positive change and remains committed to sharing his resources to empower others.
Ken Friesen, audit and finance chair
Ken is a lifelong Winnipeg resident who has worked in finance for over 40 years. He received his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Manitoba and completed his CPA designation. Ken has focused his business and financial skills in several Western Canada building material businesses and is currently chief financial officer for FastCover Fabric Structures. Ken has been a supporter of iDE for over 25 years, including a consulting assignment in Zambia.
Art DeFehr, founder
Art has over forty years of experience in business and international development. He served as founding president of iDE Canada for many years. He also served as director of the Mennonite Central Committee in Bangladesh, was founding chair of the Canadian Food grains Bank and has been involved in missions and programs for numerous agencies throughout Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Ethiopia, Lithuania, Vietnam and Africa. Art was the United Nations high commissioner for refugees in Somalia from 1982 to 1983, then the second largest program of its kind, serving 400,000 refugees. Art is CEO of Palliser Furniture, Canada’s largest home furnishings manufacturer, and has been involved with many entrepreneurial ventures. Art holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and has been awarded numerous honorary degrees and diplomas. Among his many accolades for business and international development, Art was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada in 2004 and Order of Manitoba in 2011.
Bill Fast, director (emeritus)
Based in Winnipeg, Bill is the founder of a variety of family-owned businesses, which include manufacturing and export and import enterprises located throughout North America. Bill has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Manitoba and an MBA from the University of Western Ontario, now called the Richard Ivey School of Business.
Frank DeFehr, director
Frank has an intense interest in sustainable agriculture and grassroots farming. This interest—his love of the land—along with the desire to help those less fortunate, led him to iDE and its agricultural development programs around the world. Frank is a businessman with over 40 years of experience in the furniture manufacturing industry. He served as president of Palliser Furniture Ltd., his family-owned company and Canada’s largest furniture manufacturer, for close to 30 years. His entrepreneurial ventures now include two manufacturing companies. His other interests include several farming operations, a flour mill and a flax production and processing operation.
Michelle Redekopp, director
Michelle has been practicing law since 1994, and is a Partner and a member of the Executive Board of MLT Aikins LLP, a law firm with offices across Western Canada. She specializes in commercial real estate, construction law and business law. Introduced to iDE years ago through other Board Members, she is particularly inspired by iDE’s mission to engage and empower women to get involved in business opportunities that would better their livelihoods or build safer communities. Michelle was appointed to the Board of iDE in 2019.
Lindsay Poggemiller, program chair
Lindsay has experience in both international development and local community development. A former iDE Canada staff member, she has been to projects in Ethiopia and Ghana and has worked in Niger. At home in Winnipeg, she has worked with those experiencing poverty and homelessness for 15 years and is currently an instructor in the Indigenous Social Enterprise and Community Development diploma programs at Red River College Polytechnic in Winnipeg.
Staff Team
The iDE Canada team is a group of mission-driven professionals, passionate about creating real and lasting change
Mercy Chimwaza, Director of Finance & Operations
Mercy is a seasoned CPA with more than a decade of corporate and non-profit financial expertise. She launched her career as an external auditor with Deloitte immediately following university, building a rock-solid foundation in financial oversight. Driven by a deep passion for helping underprivileged communities, she then dedicated 11 years to full-time, unsalaried volunteer work—empowering others by translating and distributing free educational literature and teaching American Sign Language to the deaf. Her career later took her deep into the heart of global conservation as the Senior Financial Controller for the African Parks Network, Africa’s largest non-profit conservation organization. During this time, Mercy lived inside three different national parks across Malawi and Rwanda, waking up surrounded by lions and elephants, which fueled her lifelong love for nature. Professionally, she capably managed multi-currency, multi-million-dollar donor contracts and navigated complex financial operations for a workforce of over 500 employees. After moving to Canada, Mercy continued to expand her global business acumen, earning a post-graduate diploma in International Business from Red River College. A true globetrotter who thrives on traveling and meeting new people, Mercy is also a professionally trained proofreader with a profound love for linguistics. She is fluent in English, American Sign Language, Spanish, Italian, and several African languages. When she isn’t managing financial operations or exploring the great outdoors, she enjoys reading and cooking.
Jennifer Freeman, Director of Philanthropy
Jennifer brings over a decade of leadership experience across the public and nonprofit sectors. She is known for building trusted relationships and working effectively with boards, government partners, and diverse stakeholders to advance shared goals and meaningful impact. Jennifer also serves as Fundraising Chair for the Wanda Koop Centre Board. Guided by a belief in creativity, connection, and people-centred change, she is excited to bring her experience and relationship-building approach to her role.
Stu Taylor, CEO
While working in Zambia on an HIV and food security project, Stu discovered iDE. He was impressed by the organization's business-oriented approach and focus on people as creators rather than objects of charity. Stu joined iDE in 2006 and has progressed through a variety of roles, including executive director of iDE Canada, director of measurement and evaluation and leader of global initiatives, focusing on expanding our agriculture and sanitation work across the globe. Stu returned to the leadership of iDE Canada in 2016. Find his Tedx Talk here
Melisa Leñero, Paul Polak Innovation Fund Director
As the Paul Polak Innovation Fund Director at iDE, Melisa leads initiatives that empower teams worldwide to develop sustainable and impactful solutions for communities facing poverty, all in alignment with our 10-year strategy. She emphasizes practical, innovative approaches to building resilient market ecosystems, focusing on technical support and strategic leadership to turn vision into tangible impact. With over a decade of experience across diverse industries—including design, technology, arts, and science—Melisa has co-founded and led several successful ventures. Her work involves collaboration with academic institutions, the private sector, and consulting for global organizations, demonstrating her ability to blend business strategy with creative innovation. Melisa holds dual Master’s degrees from Imperial College London and The Royal College of Art, and she has also studied at NTU in Singapore and Tsinghua University in Beijing. Her background in industrial design fuels her mission-driven approach to global development. As a recognized thought leader, she has shared her expertise at esteemed institutions such as Tate Modern and Imperial College in London, as well as the Hasso Plattner Institute in Berlin.
Andrea Wiebe, Donor Engagement Officer
Andrea joined the iDE Canada team in 2021. She's an alumni of Menno Simons College and has over two decades of experience supporting nonprofits — from summer camp, to mental health and community supports, to the NICU. Now, with iDE, her focus is on the art and science of fundraising. She loves doing good in the world, and opening her mailbox to something delightful. Andrea is excited to connect you to the good work you make possible through your support of iDE Canada!
Allison Enns, Program Director
Allison brings over a decade of international development project management experience to her role as Program Director. Her career spans monitoring and evaluation work in Mozambique to coordinating multi-regional livelihood programs across four continents. She joined iDE in 2022 and is continuously motivated by the women entrepreneurs she meets around the world through this work. She holds an MSc from SOAS, University of London, and a BA from the University of Winnipeg. Based in Winnipeg, Allison spends her free time enjoying live music and embracing the winter on cross-country skis.
Michel Dauguet, Senior Director, Impact Investing
Michel has spent more than 20 years living and developing businesses in Asia. He created his first enterprise in Vietnam at age 25, and has operated a number of medium-sized companies in the region since. While obtaining his MBA, Michel developed a special interest in the convergence of the private and development sectors resulting in the emergence of a hybrid ecosystem of innovative social enterprise, impact investment and alternative finance, seeking “profit with purpose.” He joined iDE Cambodia as WASH director in January 2015 and is now iDE’s global senior director for social enterprise, impact investment and alternative finance (SEIIAF). Michel serves on the board of iDE Ventures LLD and chairs the Hydrologic Social Enterprise LLC. Michel was also part of the design team that developed an innovative $10 million “development impact bond” for a sanitation marketing intervention in Cambodia. Prior to joining iDE, Michel had over 14 years of experience at the CEO level in the private sector, and has been a board director for a private equity investment firm. Michel graduated with an MBA from INSEAD (France) in 2004, and received the CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst) professional designation in 2013.
Anna Nosol, Events & Donor Relations Manager
With over ten years of experience in the nonprofit and corporate sectors, Anna is a dedicated and results-driven professional passionate about driving organizational impact through events and community engagement. As the Events & Donor Relations Manager at iDE Canada, Anna strategically designs impactful events that captivate guests, deepen ties with existing donors, and attract new audiences. Her previous role as Events Manager at United Way Winnipeg saw her lead the execution of high-profile events aimed at raising awareness and fostering deeper community involvement. Before that, Anna spent several successful years at Ronald McDonald House Charities Manitoba, serving first as Events & Development Officer to organize signature fundraising events, and later transitioning to Volunteer & Programming Manager to oversee volunteer operations and impactful family programming. Outside of her professional life, Anna enjoys traveling and exploring the outdoors, with a particular love for hiking and discovering new adventures.
Greg Wiens, Vision Program Manager
Greg Wiens is one of the cofounders of Global Vision 2020, an award winning nonprofit that enables people to find prescriptions for near and farsightedness as well as presbyopia for under $5 a pair. Before Greg joined iDE he was a Mennonite pastor for twenty seven years. During that time Greg led the church planting team in Saskatchewan for six years and then another six years with Multiply Network where he oversaw business as mission projects. Greg and his partner Heather have three adult children.
