Yisa Akinbolaji
Mridul Bhargava
Afeez Ismail
Babatunde Akinjo
Gurjot Rehal
Abby Akinbolaji
Lakshita Malhotra
David I. Fatimehin
Funmi Akinola
Mayowa Adedara
Garry Green
Catherine Rust
Dr. Tito Daodu
Tanmay Bakshi
Zidan Cai
Yisa Akinbolaji
Yisa Akinbolaji, C.M., is an acclaimed experimental artist, educator, and visionary leader based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2023, one of the country’s highest civilian honors, in recognition of his artistic innovation and dedication to youth mentorship. He also received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022, further affirming his impact on Canadian society.
Before immigrating to Canada in 1997, Yisa was already celebrated as a leading Nigerian artist, with his profile featured in the Smithsonian Institution Libraries’ publication Nigerian Artists: A Who’s Who and Bibliography (1993). His pioneering Remoglue technique earned him a cover feature in Art Business News, New York, in November 2011. His work continues to resonate nationally—his painting Wisdom Thread has been included in Alberta’s Department of Education curriculum since 2021, and his contributions have been acknowledged in the Canadian Parliament on three occasions: February 27, 2019; September 30, 2020; and May 10, 2023, presented by Senator Pat Bovey.
Yisa served on the Manitoba Arts Council board for nine years, beginning in 2010, and is a past president of the Manitoba Society of Artists (2001–2003). He holds an M.F.A. in Visual Arts from the University of North Dakota, a Diploma in Advertising Art from Red River College Polytechnic, and a Higher Diploma in Painting from Yaba College of Technology. His teaching career spans both college and high school levels, including roles at Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education and Lagos State Model College, Badore.
With nearly four decades of experience and over 50 exhibitions across painting, printmaking, sculpture, and installation, Yisa brings a rare blend of artistic mastery and educational insight to his leadership role at Creative Foundation Inc., a registered charity in Winnipeg. Founded in 1999 and now operating from its own dedicated space at 1615 St. Mary’s Road, the organization empowers youth aged 10 to 16 through programs in visual arts, coding, web design, basic science, and mentoring. Under Yisa’s guidance, the Foundation has become a beacon of multicultural harmony, creativity, and academic excellence, helping young people make healthier life choices and pursue careers in fields ranging from medicine and technology to the arts and education. Yisa is the Chairman of the Creative Foundation and of the Canadian Black Artists United. For more information, visit: www.yisagallery.com www.yisagallery.com
Mridul Bhargava
Mridul Bhargava has done extensive post graduate training – Masters in Business Administration, Masters of Commerce & Masters in Finance & Control. He is also Certified Management Accountant from IMA, USA and associate member of The Institute of Cost Accountants of India.
Mridul has supervisory 15+ years India & International experience with multi-lingual ability, supporting finance functions and worked at international locations viz. Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Thailand, Brazil, Singapore & Malaysia.
Afeez Ismail
Afeez Ismail is a Nigerian-Born Canadian and a Financial Analyst that is best recognized for his professionalism and creativity. He has worked in several capacities as an accountant, finance manager and a financial analyst within both the private and public sectors. Afeez completed a Bachelor of Commerce (honours) degree in Accounting and Management Information System (MIS) at the Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba. He is currently a public service employee with the Government of Canada.
In joining the Creative Foundation’s team of volunteers, Afeez assumed the Financial Secretary position where he was responsible for defining the organization’s financial needs and implementing strategies for fundraising and revenue generation. His innovative ideas, competence, and excellent performance informed Creative Foundation board’s decision to appoint him as a Treasurer. It was owing to Afeez’s expertise and outstanding efforts that Creative Foundation attained its Registered Charitable status in 2018. He now serves as the Treasurer of the Creative Foundation, the positions he continues to fulfil proficiently.
Afeez’s enthusiasm to be part of a creative and charity-oriented organizations like Creative Foundation is driven by his passion to always strengthen programs, events and activities that feature youth development and empowerment. Afeez likes to work with the youth as he finds that the society would benefit a lot more from the young population in the future.
Babatunde Akinjo
Babatunde Akinjo; Tunde is the Treasurer and Secretary of Creative Foundation Inc.
Babatunde is a Winnipeg-based accountant who holds a B.Sc. (Honours) in Accounting from Bowen University, Nigeria, and a graduate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). With a passion for art, music, and sports, Tunde seeks to blend his academic expertise and professional skills to further the mission of Creative Foundation Inc.
Gurjot Rehal
Gurjot Rehal has a business management honours degree from Asper School of Business in Canada with a degree in an accounting and supply chain management, her qualifications extend to assisted research in international business publication of MNEs, and property valuation. She builds an international and diverse growing business in e-commerce across North America, India, and the UK.
Abby Akinbolaji
Abby Akinbolaji is an advisory board member of the Creative Foundation. An honours student at her former school, Dakota Collegiate Institute in Winnipeg, an now a pre-med student at Providence University College. Abby is an active member of her school community as a regular volunteer in several programs and she loves connecting with other students across Manitoba.
Abby has been participating in the activities of the Creative Foundation since age 7. Abby now manages student coordination for the Creative Foundation. Her responsibility is from her experience with the organization itself as a participant since her early childhood.
Abby highly values creativity and innovation; she has spent time learning both computer coding and art and she recognizes the importance of both of these disciplines. Abby is an athlete, with her first introduction to the sport being dance classes at age 5. Presently, she plays basketball and volleyball. She is bilingual, a fluent speaker of both English and French and enjoys learning new languages. Abby is delighted to be an inspiration to her peers through Creative Foundation.
Lakshita Malhotra
Lakshita Malhotra originally from India and moved to Canada in 2021 loves computer coding, reading novels, listening to music, and dancing. Lakshita is fond of developing, creating, and designing websites that help to ease people’s work and make an impactful change in the lives of people. She likes to explore the world, traveling different countries, and connect with people from different cultural backgrounds, races, classes.
Lakshita loves to crack jokes and help make the people around her feel comfortable. She believes in giving back to society, especially the needy and underprivileged, and she aims to enable all individuals to grow together.
David I. Fatimehin
David is a member of board of the Creative Foundation. He is a performing artist, mentor, community development outreach coordinator with marketing experience.
David is co-founder of F.R.A.M.E. Art warehouse. He is a passionate advocate for the preservation and promotion of African art forms and cultural heritage, including art, food, dance, and languages. David performs at the Folklorama African Pavilion where he uses dance techniques to tell stories about African cultural ceremonies. David is happily married to Amanda Fatimehin and blessed with three children.
Funmi Akinola
Funmi Akinola is a Bachelor’s degree graduate in Accounting at the Ondo State Polytechnic. Funmi loves reading and learning subjects relating to Science and Medicine when she is not busy supervising the homework of her young daughters. Funmi’s interests include learning new skills, cooking, planning events and meeting new people. She has particular interest in childcare and mentoring the young ones so they can do well in their academics with a balanced healthy lifestyle. Funmi always loves to ensure that people stay safe and happy; If she had not gone into Accounting as a profession, Medicine would have been another profession of choice.
Mayowa Adedara
Garry Green
Garry Green is a Winnipeg-based entrepreneur. He holds degrees from Red River College in Carpentry and Graphic Arts. Garry has been operating his store, Framing & Art Centre, for twenty years as a retail custom picture framer, gallery, and gift shop. Firmly rooted in the local arts scene, Garry has been representing almost exclusively Manitoba-based artists and artisans with the goal of connecting artists to art buyers within their community. In joining the board of Creative Foundation, Garry hopes his knowledge and passion for the arts will be an asset towards inspiring young people in the community to explore and develop their creative abilities.
Catherine Rust
Catherine Rust is an Assistant Professor at Providence University College. She loves teaching World Music and training teachers of English. She has lived in Hong Kong and Slovakia and has been to 18 different countries. She dreams of travelling to more places but is equally happy learning about other cultures from her students.
Dr. Tito Daodu
Tito Daodu is currently a Pediatric Surgery Fellow at Alberta Children’s Hospital. She finished medical school at the University of Manitoba in 2013 and completed her residency in General Surgery in 2018 at the University of Calgary. She was heavily involved in traditional African cultural dance and played a major role in Folklorama as a youth and young adult. Over the years, Tito has strived to faithfully serve her community through volunteer work and social endeavors. In Winnipeg, she has worked with West Broadway Youth Outreach as a mentor and leader as well as with several other community organizations. She has returned several times to her home country of Nigeria to work with hospitals and conduct research in child health and surgery. She continues to work with young people and acts as a mentor and speaker. Tito is the first Black woman to practice pediatric surgery in Canada. Dr. Tito Daodu is a Life Mentor Award recipient of the Creative Foundation Incorporation.
Tanmay Bakshi
Tanmay Bakshi – coding since the age of 5 is an Artificial Intelligence expert, a Canadian author, TED & keynote speaker, and a media personality who has appeared in CNBC, Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, just to name a few. He has addressed over 200,000 executives, leaders, and intellectual at international conferences, universities, and multinationals worldwide. His passion to develop algorithms and work with machine learning leads him to apply this expertise mainly in the fields of education and healthcare. His goal is to help at least 100,000 aspiring coders in learning how to code and innovate. Tanmay does this through his books, workshops, and seminars. Tanmay’s YouTube channel called “Tanmay Teaches” and his consistent work towards his goal for the past 8 years has earned him numerous recognitions like The Knowledge Ambassador award, IBM Champion, Google Developer Expert, Twilio Doer award, and Global Goodwill Ambassador at Linkedln, just to name a few. And he is – just – 15 – years – old!!! Tanmay Bakshi is a Life Mentor Award recipient of the Creative Foundation Incorporation.
Zidan Cai
Zidan Cai – Guiding Students in Basic Chemistry and Science Exploration at Creative Foundation Inc.
Zidan Cai holds a Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University and a certificate in Applied Business Management from the University of Manitoba. She is fluent in Chinese, Taiwanese, and English, with strong communication skills that enable her to connect effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
A motivated and versatile professional, Zidan has extensive experience in administrative roles and event planning. She excels in managing teams, fostering inclusive environments, and ensuring the seamless execution of educational and cultural activities. Beyond her expertise in Basic Chemistry instruction, she also teaches basic color theory as part of the Creative Foundation art classes.
Board of Directors and Volunteers
Yisa Akinbolaji
David I. Fatimehin
Babatunde Akinjo
Damilola Mofikoya
Zidan Cai
Afeez Ismail
Funmi Akinola
Mayowa Adedara
Sanchez Saintus
Yisa Akinbolaji
Yisa Akinbolaji, C.M., is an acclaimed experimental artist, educator, and visionary leader based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2023, one of the country’s highest civilian honors, in recognition of his artistic innovation and dedication to youth mentorship. He also received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022, further affirming his impact on Canadian society.
Before immigrating to Canada in 1997, Yisa was already celebrated as a leading Nigerian artist, with his profile featured in the Smithsonian Institution Libraries’ publication Nigerian Artists: A Who’s Who and Bibliography (1993). His pioneering Remoglue technique earned him a cover feature in Art Business News, New York, in November 2011. His work continues to resonate nationally—his painting Wisdom Thread has been included in Alberta’s Department of Education curriculum since 2021, and his contributions have been acknowledged in the Canadian Parliament on three occasions: February 27, 2019; September 30, 2020; and May 10, 2023, presented by Senator Pat Bovey.
Yisa served on the Manitoba Arts Council board for nine years, beginning in 2010, and is a past president of the Manitoba Society of Artists (2001–2003). He holds an M.F.A. in Visual Arts from the University of North Dakota, a Diploma in Advertising Art from Red River College Polytechnic, and a Higher Diploma in Painting from Yaba College of Technology. His teaching career spans both college and high school levels, including roles at Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education and Lagos State Model College, Badore.
With nearly four decades of experience and over 50 exhibitions across painting, printmaking, sculpture, and installation, Yisa brings a rare blend of artistic mastery and educational insight to his leadership role at Creative Foundation Inc., a registered charity in Winnipeg. Founded in 1999 and now operating from its own dedicated space at 1615 St. Mary’s Road, the organization empowers youth aged 10 to 16 through programs in visual arts, coding, web design, basic science, and mentoring. Under Yisa’s guidance, the Foundation has become a beacon of multicultural harmony, creativity, and academic excellence, helping young people make healthier life choices and pursue careers in fields ranging from medicine and technology to the arts and education. Yisa is the Chairman of the Creative Foundation and of the Canadian Black Artists United. For more information, visit: www.yisagallery.com www.yisagallery.com
David I. Fatimehin
David is a member of board of the Creative Foundation. He is a performing artist, mentor, community development outreach coordinator with marketing experience.
David is co-founder of F.R.A.M.E. Art warehouse. He is a passionate advocate for the preservation and promotion of African art forms and cultural heritage, including art, food, dance, and languages. David performs at the Folklorama African Pavilion where he uses dance techniques to tell stories about African cultural ceremonies. David is happily married to Amanda Fatimehin and blessed with three children.
Babatunde Akinjo
Babatunde Akinjo; Tunde is the Treasurer and Secretary of Creative Foundation Inc.
Babatunde is a Winnipeg-based accountant who holds a B.Sc. (Honours) in Accounting from Bowen University, Nigeria, and a graduate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). With a passion for art, music, and sports, Tunde seeks to blend his academic expertise and professional skills to further the mission of Creative Foundation Inc.
Damilola Mofikoya
Damilola Mofikoya is a seasoned Construction Project Manager with over 18 years of expertise, successfully overseeing residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects across the United States, Canada, and Nigeria. Holding a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Minnesota and a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, Dami expertly guides projects from inception to completion, delivering consistent results that meet deadlines, budgets, and quality standards.
Dami is adept at leading cross-functional teams, overseeing subcontractors, and navigating complex permitting and regulatory environments. He brings hands-on leadership to every build, combining technical expertise with strong problem-solving skills to address challenges efficiently while upholding safety and code compliance. He is highly proficient in Procore, Bluebeam, AutoCAD, Revit, and MS Project. Dami has contributed to major residential, commercial, institutional, and public infrastructure projects with many high-profile construction companies in North America. He is a strong communicator with high emotional intelligence, empathy, and a servant leader. He builds collaborative teams, fosters client relationships, and delivers value-driven outcomes that meet stakeholder expectations and long-term community needs.
Driven by a deep commitment to education and youth development, Dami is passionate about mentoring and inspiring the next generation to achieve their highest potential. He embraces a philosophy of lifelong learning and continuous growth, encapsulated in his motto: “learn, unlearn, relearn.”
Beyond his professional achievements, Dami has authored academic papers on construction safety and sustainable zero-carbon communities. He is also a published author and a sought-after conference speaker. Dami is married to Mojirayo, and they are blessed with three children.
Zidan Cai
Zidan Cai – Guiding Students in Basic Chemistry and Science Exploration at Creative Foundation Inc.
Zidan Cai holds a Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University and a certificate in Applied Business Management from the University of Manitoba. She is fluent in Chinese, Taiwanese, and English, with strong communication skills that enable her to connect effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
A motivated and versatile professional, Zidan has extensive experience in administrative roles and event planning. She excels in managing teams, fostering inclusive environments, and ensuring the seamless execution of educational and cultural activities. Beyond her expertise in Basic Chemistry instruction, she also teaches basic color theory as part of the Creative Foundation art classes.
Afeez Ismail
Afeez Ismail is a Nigerian-Born Canadian and a Financial Analyst that is best recognized for his professionalism and creativity. He has worked in several capacities as an accountant, finance manager and a financial analyst within both the private and public sectors. Afeez completed a Bachelor of Commerce (honours) degree in Accounting and Management Information System (MIS) at the Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba. He is currently a public service employee with the Government of Canada.
In joining the Creative Foundation’s team of volunteers, Afeez assumed the Financial Secretary position where he was responsible for defining the organization’s financial needs and implementing strategies for fundraising and revenue generation. His innovative ideas, competence, and excellent performance informed Creative Foundation board’s decision to appoint him as a Treasurer. It was owing to Afeez’s expertise and outstanding efforts that Creative Foundation attained its Registered Charitable status in 2018. He now serves as the Treasurer of the Creative Foundation, the positions he continues to fulfil proficiently.
Afeez’s enthusiasm to be part of a creative and charity-oriented organizations like Creative Foundation is driven by his passion to always strengthen programs, events and activities that feature youth development and empowerment. Afeez likes to work with the youth as he finds that the society would benefit a lot more from the young population in the future.
Funmi Akinola
Funmi Akinola is a Bachelor’s degree graduate in Accounting at the Ondo State Polytechnic. Funmi loves reading and learning subjects relating to Science and Medicine when she is not busy supervising the homework of her young daughters. Funmi’s interests include learning new skills, cooking, planning events and meeting new people. She has particular interest in childcare and mentoring the young ones so they can do well in their academics with a balanced healthy lifestyle. Funmi always loves to ensure that people stay safe and happy; If she had not gone into Accounting as a profession, Medicine would have been another profession of choice.
Mayowa Adedara
Sanchez Saintus
Sanchez Saintus has a profound affection for poetry, making words dance and to make emotions resonate. In addition to his love for poetry, Sanches finds joy in the world of coding and sharing his knowledge. His first interest was medicine, but that changed at a young age, when his parents bought him a computer. The computer later became his favorite toy, which led him to becoming inseparable from the world of technology.
Advisory Board
Dr. Fola David
Dr. Tito Daodu
Tanmay Bakshi
Catherine Rust
Garry Green
Abby Akinbolaji
Dr. Fola David
Dr. Gbadamosi Adefemi, popularly known as Dr. Foladavid, is a Guinness World Record-holding visual artist and award-winning Nigerian medical doctor committed to merging healthcare, art, and community advocacy. In 2024, he set a world record for the largest drawing by an individual with Unity in Diversity—a 1,050-square-meter masterpiece celebrating Nigeria’s multicultural heritage, surpassing the previous record by over 350 square meters.

A graduate of the University of Lagos, Dr. Foladavid draws inspiration from his work in dermatology, creating art that raises awareness about skin conditions and addresses their psychosocial impact. His signature speed painting performances—often featuring upside-down portraits completed in under five minutes—have earned him national and international acclaim, including a private audience with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and exclusive coverage by global media outlets such as BBC World News, Al Jazeera, and many others.
In 2020, he founded the Foladavid Care Foundation, which provides free medical care and leads creative initiatives for children in underserved communities. His contributions have garnered numerous accolades, including recognition in the Forty Under 40 Africa Awards and selection as one of only three doctors honored as Young Physician of the Year by the Nigerian Medical Association. He also holds an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Myles Leadership University and has shared his insights on prestigious platforms such as TEDx, the Oxford Africa Conference, and the Estoril Conferences.

Dr. Foladavid’s influence extends beyond Nigeria. He has established visual art centers in Lagos and South Africa, and in 2024, he launched the EVVDEE Art Academy to support and train emerging artists. In 2025, he was the sole Nigerian selected by the United States Government as an International Leader in the Arts, leading to a nationwide tour sponsored by the U.S. State Department and his induction into the IVLP (International Visitor Leadership Program) network.
Dr. Fola David was awarded the Honorary Life Mentor of the Creative Foundation, Canada in August 2025. The award is bestowed upon an exceptional individual under the age of 40 who has made a transformative contributions in his or her profession and served as a role model within the community with impact globally.
Dr. Fola David’s work continues to inspire transformation at the intersection of art, medicine, and social impact.
Dr. Tito Daodu
Tito Daodu is currently a Pediatric Surgery Fellow at Alberta Children’s Hospital. She finished medical school at the University of Manitoba in 2013 and completed her residency in General Surgery in 2018 at the University of Calgary. She was heavily involved in traditional African cultural dance and played a major role in Folklorama as a youth and young adult. Over the years, Tito has strived to faithfully serve her community through volunteer work and social endeavors. In Winnipeg, she has worked with West Broadway Youth Outreach as a mentor and leader as well as with several other community organizations. She has returned several times to her home country of Nigeria to work with hospitals and conduct research in child health and surgery. She continues to work with young people and acts as a mentor and speaker. Tito is the first Black woman to practice pediatric surgery in Canada. Dr. Tito Daodu is a Life Mentor Award recipient of the Creative Foundation Incorporation.
Tanmay Bakshi
Tanmay Bakshi – coding since the age of 5 is an Artificial Intelligence expert, a Canadian author, TED & keynote speaker, and a media personality who has appeared in CNBC, Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, just to name a few. He has addressed over 200,000 executives, leaders, and intellectual at international conferences, universities, and multinationals worldwide. His passion to develop algorithms and work with machine learning leads him to apply this expertise mainly in the fields of education and healthcare. His goal is to help at least 100,000 aspiring coders in learning how to code and innovate. Tanmay does this through his books, workshops, and seminars. Tanmay’s YouTube channel called “Tanmay Teaches” and his consistent work towards his goal for the past 8 years has earned him numerous recognitions like The Knowledge Ambassador award, IBM Champion, Google Developer Expert, Twilio Doer award, and Global Goodwill Ambassador at Linkedln, just to name a few. And he is – just – 15 – years – old!!! Tanmay Bakshi is a Life Mentor Award recipient of the Creative Foundation Incorporation.
Catherine Rust
Catherine Rust is an Assistant Professor at Providence University College. She loves teaching World Music and training teachers of English. She has lived in Hong Kong and Slovakia and has been to 18 different countries. She dreams of travelling to more places but is equally happy learning about other cultures from her students.
Garry Green
Garry Green is a Winnipeg-based entrepreneur. He holds degrees from Red River College in Carpentry and Graphic Arts. Garry has been operating his store, Framing & Art Centre, for twenty years as a retail custom picture framer, gallery, and gift shop. Firmly rooted in the local arts scene, Garry has been representing almost exclusively Manitoba-based artists and artisans with the goal of connecting artists to art buyers within their community. In joining the board of Creative Foundation, Garry hopes his knowledge and passion for the arts will be an asset towards inspiring young people in the community to explore and develop their creative abilities.
Abby Akinbolaji
Abby Akinbolaji is an advisory board member of the Creative Foundation. An honours student at her former school, Dakota Collegiate Institute in Winnipeg, an now a pre-med student at Providence University College. Abby is an active member of her school community as a regular volunteer in several programs and she loves connecting with other students across Manitoba.
Abby has been participating in the activities of the Creative Foundation since age 7. Abby now manages student coordination for the Creative Foundation. Her responsibility is from her experience with the organization itself as a participant since her early childhood.
Abby highly values creativity and innovation; she has spent time learning both computer coding and art and she recognizes the importance of both of these disciplines. Abby is an athlete, with her first introduction to the sport being dance classes at age 5. Presently, she plays basketball and volleyball. She is bilingual, a fluent speaker of both English and French and enjoys learning new languages. Abby is delighted to be an inspiration to her peers through Creative Foundation.

