Introducing the winners of the Alumni Changemaker Achievement Awards

Register now to attend Alumni Weekend. 

Royal Roads University is pleased to announce the 2025 winners of the Alumni Changemaker Achievement Awards.   

The awards celebrate the exceptional achievements and contributions of graduates who have made significant impacts on the complex challenges facing workplaces, communities and the world while embodying the university's values of caring, courage and creativity.  

“It’s my honour to congratulate this group of brilliant alumni changemakers,” says RRU President and Vice-Chancellor Philip Steenkamp. “It brings me great pride to see the remarkable contributions they’ve made in communities near and far, inspiring people with the courage to transform the world.”  

The awards will be given out as part of the RRU Alumni Weekend, May 2 – 3, 2025, which also includes TEDxRRU and a keynote address entitled “How to thrive in the brave new world of AI” (open to the public) with science journalist and biologist Dan Riskin.  
 
The 2025 ACAA winners are:   

Distinguished Changemaker  

Recognizing an alum who exemplifies a lifetime achievement of leading change in the world; two awards in 2025. 

Veronica Fox (Master of Arts in Leadership, 2010) 
The fifth Black woman in RCMP history to achieve the rank of inspector, Fox is a respected leader, mentor and educator. She has dedicated her career to empowering other women of colour to enter successful careers in policing and security.  

Veni Iozzo (Master of Business Administration, 2013)  

A global executive, Iozzo has led significant enterprise-level initiatives. She is an experienced internal and not-for-profit director and collaborative leader who makes an immediate impact on every organization she touches.
 

Community Changemaker  

Recognizing an alum who is leading systemic community change; two awards in 2025. 

Dapo Bankole (Master of Arts in Leadership, 2018) 

Bankole is the founder and president of Mopheth Systems Corp., an IT firm that also creates software products such as Mentorfy – a platform for companies and organizations to create, manage and expand mentoring programs. From Nigeria originally, he is passionate about helping newcomers establish strong roots in Canada. 
 
April Hicke (Graduate Certificate in Corporate Social Innovation, 2023)  

Hicke challenges the status quo within the tech industry. Through her role as Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Toast, she is advancing gender equity by helping women get careers and get ahead in tech, while helping tech companies diversify their workforce.  
 

Global Changemaker

Recognizing an international alum who is driving systemic change in the world.  
 
Kevina Power (Master of Arts in Conflict Analysis and Management, 2005)  

A driven humanitarian, Power works with the NGO World Vision. Her work requires her to find solutions to deeply entrenched social challenges, and her efforts have helped build cross-cultural collaborations while driving towards equitable development. 
 

Emerging Changemaker 

Recognizing an alum early in their career who is motivating change within their circles of influence. 

Cheryl-Lynn Townsin (Master of Arts in Global Leadership, 2021)  

Townsin is a tireless advocate, educator and researcher on the impacts of Blau Syndrome. After losing her six-year-old daughter, Lexi, to complications of Blau Syndrome, she co-founded the Cure Blau Syndrome Foundation which aims to improve awareness and raise funds for medical researchers. 
 

The Alumni Weekend is sponsored by affinity program partner TD Insurance.