Meet our team
Vanelle Simo
President and founderVanelle Simo is a civil litigation lawyer and the President and Founder of the Initiative de Mentorat et de Développement pour l’Afrique (IMD), an initiative born from her desire to create spaces where diverse talent can be supported, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential.
She holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Ottawa’s French Common Law Program and has been a member of the Law Society of Ontario since 2025. Vanelle practices civil litigation at a private law firm in Ottawa. Her legal career is shaped by a strong interest in access to justice, representation, and professional development.
Her commitment to diversity, inclusion, and mentorship, however, extends beyond her legal practice. Passionate about developing young talent, Vanelle actively contributes to initiatives aimed at fostering representation and advancement for individuals from underrepresented communities, particularly within professional and legal environments.
A strong advocate for the Francophonie, she also places particular importance on creating accessible opportunities for Francophone communities and promoting professional pathways in French.
Through IMD, she seeks to build bridges across generations, backgrounds, and communities, while highlighting the skills and potential of African talent. She envisions IMD as a space where participants can receive guidance throughout their journeys, expand their networks, develop new skills, and benefit from the experience of professionals and leaders who came before them.
Convinced that diversity is not simply about opening doors, but also about giving people the tools and support they need to walk through those doors and thrive, she is committed to making mentorship a meaningful driver of development, representation, and change.
For Vanelle, mentorship is not limited to sharing knowledge; it is about building connections, opening doors, and empowering the next generation to forge their own path toward success.
Querene Nkingi
Vice-presidentQuerene Nkingi is a law graduate from the University of Ottawa’s combined Political Science and Juris Doctor program and an advocate for youth development, mentorship, and the empowerment of emerging talent. She is currently completing her requirements for admission to the Bar and continues to develop her professional experience in the legal field.
Her commitment to mentorship and youth development began well before her legal education. During high school in Toronto, Querene founded her own tutoring business, where she developed an early passion for supporting young people in their academic and personal development. This experience shaped her belief in the importance of creating opportunities for young people to recognize their abilities, build confidence, and pursue their goals.
Throughout her academic journey, this commitment to mentorship continued to grow. Querene remains actively involved in mentoring students pursuing legal education, sharing her experiences and helping others navigate their own academic and professional journeys.
Querene’s interest in mentorship is closely connected to her belief in the potential of Africa’s youth. She joined IMD out of a conviction that Africa’s future lies in its people, particularly its young people. She believes that access to mentorship, meaningful opportunities, strong networks, and guidance can help young Africans develop their skills and play an active role in the development of their communities and the continent as a whole.
Through her involvement with IMD, Querene hopes to contribute to a community where young people can connect with mentors, expand their networks, develop new skills, and gain greater confidence in pursuing their goals. She is passionate about creating spaces where young Africans can access guidance, learn from those who have come before them, and build meaningful professional and personal connections.
For Querene, mentorship is about more than sharing knowledge. It is about building relationships, creating opportunities, and supporting others as they find and pursue their own paths.