Tania Cheng

Biography

Hello, my name is Tania Cheng (she/they). I was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Toronto, living between cultures and languages. I now live, work, and play in K’jipuktuk (Halifax) on the unceded lands of the Mi’kmaq people. I am a cartographer of ideas and a systems designer who can help people see pathways to alternative realities. I am a queer, non-binary woman working to decolonize and liberate myself every day. I am here to bring more care, consciousness, and community into the design of our experiences.

My work is informed by 15 years of experience working and volunteering in charities, nonprofits, social enterprises, and foundations to advance youth engagement, climate action, and women’s entrepreneurship. I bring an intersectional analysis to the intersections in life, such as philanthropy x social finance, data x design, climate x justice, entrepreneurship x intrapreneurship. I specialize in design thinking, strategy, process innovation, and equity and inclusion. I work exclusively with organizations that are making the world a better place.

I find joy in exploring questions like:
– What is working here, what isn’t, and what story is the data telling us?
– What unique gifts do we bring and what is our role in this ecosystem?
– Whose perspectives are missing from this conversation?
– How might we build inclusive and trust-based cultures where everyone can thrive?
– How might we design better experiences for our people, clients, and communities?
– How might we share power and co-create from the ground up?

Some of my traditional proxies of merit include a Master in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership from Carleton University and an Honours Bachelor of Environmental Studies from University of Waterloo. I currently serve on the Board of Directors of Imagine Canada, and previously served on the boards of Inside Out, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and The Otesha Project.