About

Michele Fugiel Gartner  is the Executive Director of Social Venture Partners Calgary.  Most recently, Michele was employed with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and participated in Rotary International’s Group Study Exchange to Saitama, Japan where she studied the role of philanthropy and Japanese civil society. 

She received her M.A. degree in International Studies and Diplomacy at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and is an alumna of the Asia Pacific Leadership Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, HI.

Michele also blogs for the Foreign Policy Association (US-based) on philanthropy.   

Ming Ko is the Program Manager of Social Venture Partners Calgary. Combining her degree in Communications from local University of Calgary and experiences living and working in Japan and Taiwan, Ming brings a global perspective and strives to give back to the community.

A volunteer at heart, Ming has been involved with SVP since 2005, as well as Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) for the past year. She is currently the Chair for Southern Alberta JET Alumni Association (SAJETAA) – a supporting network for Southern Albertan who have participated in the JET Programme teaching English in public schools throughout Japan. 

Ming is also fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Japanese.