About Us

Having lived in many places around the globe, Wally has traveled extensively and experienced many different cultures. For many years he has worked within the field of international education. This has helped him to see the world from many perspectives and meet people from around the world. He believes that in today’s global landscape it is extremely important to ensure that all people are given the opportunity to succeed and that this success should be not solely based upon geographic location or socio-economic status. Wally is a big supporter of education; his own educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Science from the University of British Columbia as well as a Master’s degree in International Relations from Maquarie University in Sydney, Australia. He feels lucky to have been able to take advantage of these opportunities and believes that GPN’s goal of providing opportunities for education is one of the best ways to empower people, increase their chances to become positive contributors to society and ultimately create stronger and safer communities.

Maki has a background in commerce and marketing. She is a marketing coordinator and student recruiter for the University of British Columbia. Maki works with international students and she brings her love of cultures and diversity to GPN.

She is also a professional Middle Eastern dancer and teaches regularly in North Vancouver. Please contact Maki for any information or inquiries regarding media, advertisements, or marketing.

Zarah Martz has a advanced degree in plant sciences. As an ethnobotanist, she has worked extensively in native communities in Canada to revitalize traditional plant knowledge and to assist youth in education. She is the latest addition to the team and has significantly increased GPN's fundraising capacity. She is also implementing all of the projects in Tanzania.

Liz Unlu has been working in the entertainment industry for several years and has helped increase our media coverage. She is also bringing awareness about GPN and the work that we do through her extensive network and fundraising initiatives. She also enjoys being on site, working with the children directly.

Dawn Schaller has been working in Tanzania since 2003 with orphans. Her first orphanage, the Hisani centre is now financially sustainable and serves over 50 children. She is currently focusing on making her second orphanage, the Lukobe orphanage, self sustaining. Her expertise in charitable projects has been essential in the success of our various projects.

Pixels Without Borders is GPN's technology partner that provides web solutions and digital marketing services. It is a non-profit interactive media organization consisting of Doug Hironaka (Creative), Christophe K. Ngô (Technology) and Sakura Komuro (Planning & Account Management).