Panelists |
Jo-Anne Ryan - Moderator
JO-ANNE is the VP, Philanthropic Advisory Services, TD Wealth Canada, and the Executive Director and architect of the Private Giving Foundation. TD Wealth, the first Donor Advisor Fund launched by a financial institution in Canada and has led TD’s research efforts around Women and Philanthropy since 2014.
In 2014, TD Wealth published a ground-breaking study on Canadian women and their philanthropy, followed by supplementary reports in 2016 and 2017.
May Ho
May is a retired investment advisor with more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry and holds a CPA designation. She also worked for seven years at Lakeridge Health in Oshawa as budget officer and financial systems coordinator, giving her a long-standing connection with the local healthcare community.
A long-time resident of Durham Region, May has lived and worked in their community since 1979. Throughout her professional life and into retirement, she has believed that giving back to the community is an important part of a meaningful life. Her approach to philanthropy is personal and practical: she believes that supporting organizations that directly help people can create a lasting difference.
Over the years, May has served as president of Distress Centre Durham, a member of the finance committee of the Parkwood Estate Foundation , and a member of the fundraising committee of the Yee Hong foundation. She currently serves as deputy warden at St Matthew’s Anglican Church in Oshawa.
About 10 years ago, May established May’s Legacy, a charitable foundation manage through TD. Through charitable gifts of investments, she has been able to maximize her giving to hospitals, children’s charities, food banks, and community outreach programs.
Her daughter, Christie, currently serves on the board of the Bowmanville Hospital Foundation, continuing a family tradition of community service and giving.
Dawn Rowe
Dawn is the Vice President and Co-owner of Phoenix A.M.D. International Inc., a proudly Canadian company that has partnered with home furnishing retailers across North America for more than 35 years. Together with her business partner, Albert Marrache, she has helped build a company founded on integrity, strong relationships, and a deep commitment to serving customers, nurturing the growth of others, and giving back to the community.
Dawn believes that successful businesses have a responsibility to give back to the communities that support them. As a passionate mentor, she believes one of the greatest responsibilities of leadership is investing in people by creating opportunities for them to grow, collaborate, and make a meaningful difference. By empowering employees to become involved, Dawn has helped foster a culture where philanthropy is not simply encouraged but embraced. Employees, business partners, and customers come together throughout the year to support organizations such as the Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation, local food banks, women’s shelters, police and community programs, and many other charitable initiatives. Through her collaborative leadership, community involvement has become an enduring part of Phoenix’s identity, demonstrating that the greatest impact is achieved when people work together toward a shared purpose.
Dawn’s connection with the Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation began through the Ajax Pickering Mayor’s Golf Tournament, where she and Albert first witnessed the profound impact philanthropy can have on the healthcare of women and children. This experience reinforced her belief that businesses can be a powerful force for positive change by inspiring others to become involved.
For Dawn, philanthropy is not defined by individual recognition or financial contributions alone. It is measured by the relationships we build, the people we empower, and the collective difference we make together. She is honoured to share her experiences and hopes to inspire others to discover the many ways they can create meaningful and lasting change within their own communities.
Michelle Murphy-Beaudet
Michelle was born in England, and emigrated to Canada with her family in 1984. In 1987 Michelle began her career at the Frum Development Group. Over the next 39 years, guided by the exceptional mentorship of the late businessman and renowned philanthropist Dr. Murray Frum, she embraced expanding roles.
Michelle’s comprehensive experience grew in commercial real estate to encompass every facet of the business, from accounting and leasing to construction and partner relations. It was an honor to spend her final 13 years with the company serving as Vice President of Operations before retiring in June 2026.
Dr. Frum’s passing in 2013 also marked the beginning of her philanthropic journey. Deeply shaped by personal life experiences, donations are focused on providing meaningful ways to offer comfort, support, and dignity to patients and their families navigating hospitalization or end-of-life care. Michelle actively involves her two children in these charitable efforts, hopeful that sharing these experiences will instill a strong foundation for them to carry this commitment into the next generation.
In retirement, Michelle can usually be found at the non-profit Windreach Farms in Ashburn caring for her horse and supporting other equine athletes in the program.
