Your Team
Who We Are
Betty Xie
CEO
Betty is a coach, fundraising consultant, filmmaker, and passionate advocate for creative people and organizations. With extensive experience as both in-house staff and as a consultant and coach for many small and medium-sized nonprofits, she understands the unique challenges faced by mission-driven nonprofits and their leaders.
Throughout her career, Betty has successfully raised millions of dollars for her clients and supported numerous organizations in achieving their firsts, such as securing their first major gift, launching their first individual giving campaign, or obtaining their first multi-year corporate donation.
Betty brings a unique blend of expertise to the table as a leadership coach, storyteller, and design thinker. Her vision for founding Forward Avenue is to continuously partner with value-aligned organizations and individuals to chart an inspired path forward
What are your passions:
Storytelling. Turning bold ideas into concrete reality. Watercolour. Astrology
What is your curiosity question for the universe:
How can we build a better world by asking one better question at a time?
Cecília C. Garcia
Senior Consultant
Cecília is an arts manager, fundraiser, community organizer, and multidisciplinary emerging artist based in Tkaronto. Originally from Brazil, Cecília holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a
Diploma in Arts Management. She has built a diverse portfolio working and volunteering in the Canadian arts sector at multiple organizations, including the Community Arts Guild, CONOSER, Queen Gallery, Regent Park Film Festival, Airsa, Hot Docs, North York Arts, and others. She has experience in multiple areas in the sector, including programming, volunteer management, arts facilitation, and fundraising.
Throughout her career, Cecília has had the immense privilege of participating in organizations and projects that have helped build communities through the arts. She is excited to be a part of
the team at Forward Avenue and continue to contribute to creating a thriving arts and nonprofit sector.
What are your passions?
Art, creating things, beaches (but I will take anywhere I can be in the water)!
What is your curiosity question for the universe?
How can we create a better and kinder world?
Melissa Foster
Fundraising Consultant
Melissa is a fundraising professional and arts administrator based in Toronto. With a strong foundation in the nonprofit sectors. She has first hand experience working in both the social service sector and the arts. Most recently she worked at North York Arts, where she supported community-centered programming and contributed to donor engagement and partnership initiatives. Her experience includes grant writing support, stewardship, campaign coordination, and building meaningful relationships with artists, residents, funders, and community stakeholders.​
Melissa brings a thoughtful, people-first approach to fundraising, grounded in the belief that philanthropy is about connection, storytelling, and shared impact. She is passionate about developing sustainable funding strategies that empower organizations to deepen their community impact and expand access to resources. She is excited to contribute her skills to strengthening the nonprofit sector and advancing missions that create lasting social change.
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What are your passions?
I’ve had many passions but right now it’s mostly focused on trying to nurture a little human who is empathetic, confident, responsible, and can find some joy everyday.
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What is your curiosity question for the universe?
What might change if we valued each other, our relationships with each other and all living things as much as we currently value individualism.
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Alexandra Hadikin
Fundraising and Administrative Coordinator
Alexandra is an administrative consultant and dedicated support partner for mission-driven nonprofits. With a passion for the operational and behind-the-scenes work that often goes overlooked, she brings clarity, structure, and care to organizations that are stretched for time and capacity.
Originally trained in culinary arts, Alexandra transitioned her career to event planning, and eventually discovered a natural fit within the nonprofit sector. Her varied background has shaped a deep appreciation for community-building, relationship-centered work, and the essential role food plays in connection and wellbeing. Over the years, she has supported organizations across food security, environmentalism, and women’s empowerment, contributing to teams that are strengthening communities in tangible, meaningful ways.
Alexandra is committed to continually expanding her skillset while helping nonprofits focus on what matters most: serving people and building vibrant, resilient communities.
What are your passions?
Kindness, connection, travelling, peace - and encouraging these in the spaces and people around me
What is your curiosity question to the universe?
What would the world look like if the goal was to learn about others, their experiences, their passions?
Kyra Tudlong
Fundraising and Marketing Coordinator
Kyra is a dedicated fundraiser, soulpreneur, and yoga facilitator based in Tkaronto. With a vision of co-creating a thriving and equitable society, Kyra brings an educational background, holding a BASc in Family & Community Social Services, a Graduate Diploma in Fundraising Management, and an RYT® 200 certification, all viewed through a trauma-conscious and social justice lens.
Her fundraising expertise spans small to mid-sized charities, including the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, Furniture Bank, VIBE Arts, the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation, and Matthew House Ottawa. She has successfully collaborated with various organizations to develop and execute strategies in corporate sponsorship, project coordination, individual giving, stewardship, prospecting, and grants.
Passionate about balancing doing good and living well, Kyra is committed to sharing opportunities for liberation and well-being with others.
What are your passions?
Moving, meditating, eating, traveling - all preferably outdoors
What is your curiosity question for the universe?
What will it take for humanity to surrender to love?
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