Michelle is an award-winning educator, researcher, and entrepreneur who enjoys helping people learn and grow. At her company, MVD Consulting Inc., Michelle helps not-for-profit organizations and businesses deepen their diversity, equity, and inclusion, work, and leads research and evaluation projects that seek to achieve justice for equity-deserving communities across Ontario and Canada.

Michelle completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto in human biology after which she travelled to the Caribbean and spent five years studying and working on internationally funded research projects across the region. Michelle holds a MSc. degree in gender and international development studies and is a PhD candidate in public health. She has lectured at the University of Toronto, Humber College, Centennial College, and the University of the West Indies.

Internationally, Michelle S supported the Commonwealth Secretariat’s pilot of the Gender Management System in the Eastern Caribbean. At the University of the West Indies in Jamaica she worked on several projects funded by the World Bank, the Canadian International Development Agency and UN Women. She also taught two undergraduate courses and was a member of the National AIDS Committee’s Education Sub-Committee.

When not making communities and workplaces better, Michelle is usually cooking, reading, or cheering on her son at one of his basketball games…she’s a proud basketball Mom! Michelle also serves her community as a volunteer board director at the Jamaican Canadian Association where she is responsible for raising much-needed funds for the organization and its many wonderful programs for children, youth, international students, families, and seniors.

In October 2020, Michelle received the University of Toronto’s Arbor Award, the highest award bestowed on alumni for her service to the University an in August 2022 she was received the President’s Award from the Jamaican Canadian Association for her support of the organization and wider community.