Charla Vall

Throughout her career, Charla has focused on addressing the root causes of societal problems.

While working in the non-profit sector, she led many initiatives that went upstream to affect systems-level change—including research and advocacy campaigns that helped establish Calgary’s Low-Income Transit Pass for Youth and a municipal policy framework aimed at improving newcomers’ lives. In 2014, she received the Bhayana Family Foundation Award for Leadership for leading a multi-agency effort to transform service-delivery practices among community-based emergency funds for basic needs.  

In 2019, Charla founded an independent consultancy aimed at helping organizations find the clarity, capacity and confidence to create meaningful societal change. She joined forces with Junxion as an Affiliate Sr. Consultant in September 2022 and came on board as a Junxionite in Fall 2023 as Consulting Director. 

Her skill set is wide-ranging and encompasses strategic planning, Collective Impact, systems change, sociological research, impact measurement, purpose execution, and speaking.

Charla aims to decolonize projects by using an intersectional feminist and JEDI lens, engaging in meaningful dialogue, power shifting and thoughtful process design. Charla’s colleagues and clients appreciate her ability to listen intently, confront difficult questions, build consensus, and generate action.

She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of East London, UK in Gender, Sexualities and Ethnic Studies. Her thesis explored the relationship between representations of Indigenous women in Canadian print media and national discourses around belonging and inclusion. Charla is an active member of the community in Calgary, Alberta, where she resides with her partner and two children. 

Speaking & Writing

How to Get Started With Social Procurement – Network for Business Sustainability 

What Is Social Procurement? – Network for Business Sustainability 

How to Solve a Social/ Environmental Problem Facing Your Business  – Avetta

Purpose and ESG Are Not Interchangeable; You Need Both – Sustainable Brands

Covid-19: A Tipping Point for Gender Equality – Canadian Poverty Institute

Credentials

MA, Gender, Sexualities & Ethnic Studies – University of East London, UK

BA, Sociology – University of Regina, Saskatchewan

Certificate in Lean Data Approaches to Measure Social Impact, Acumen Academy

Certificate in Sustainable Business Strategy, Harvard Business School Online

NVivo Statistical Software Training, University of Calgary Mathematics and Statistics Department

Understanding and Interpreting Data, Statistics Canada Advisory Services, Calgary, Canada

Certificate in Public Policy, Max Bell Foundation’s Public Policy Training Institute

Innoweave Coach – Collective Impact, Policy Engagement, Scaling Impact

Avetta Fellow

Founding Board Member, Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council