Our Board
JULIANA SPROTT
Chief Giving Officer
Travels to more than 30 countries, in particular trips to India, Kenya, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil, resulted in Juliana’s three main themes which guide her philanthropic work:
Compassion for those in need
Having enthusiasm for life and its possibilities
Savouring the moments of pure fun on this beautiful planet.
She is driven by genuine compassion about a charity’s financial needs which are aligned with the Sprott vision. She builds deep relationships with grantees to figure out together how Sprott gifts can help alleviate homelessness & hunger. Innovation is key.
Juliana has a B.A. from the University of Western Ontario and completed the one year program, The Philanthropy Workshop, at the Institute for Philanthropy. She is fluent in English and French. Prior to her work in philanthropy, Juliana was in sports broadcasting, including on Hockey Night in Canada and in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
MEGAN LORIUS
Managing Director
Megan has dedicated her career to amplifying the voices of underrepresented peoples, advocating for social justice issues, and supporting the development of public policies that address social change.
Megan has a wide range of management experience, including program design, implementation and evaluation, human resources and financial oversight. With a certificate in Not-For-Profit Governance Essentials, Megan has assisted Boards and staff with updating, developing and implementing policies and procedures for achieving compliance and best-practices in NFP management. Megan has provided organizations of various sizes with fundraising, public engagement, event management, media relations and social media strategies.
Megan joined The Sprott Foundation in January 2019 as Managing Director and is pleased to be supporting the long-standing, visionary work of the Sprott family.
ERIC SPROTT
Founder
Eric founded the Sprott Foundation in 1988 with his wife Vizma to help address homelessness and hunger in Canada. He believes that the world needs true leadership for positive social change.
In 2013, Eric was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada for his contributions as a philanthropist, notably in the areas of health care, education and international development. He was also recognized for his generous philanthropic endeavours with the Fraser Institute T.P. Boyle Founder’s Award.
Eric has a Bachelor of Commerce and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Carleton University. He is also a Chartered Accountant and an Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” award recipient (Ontario 2006). The Eric Sprott School of Business is named in his honour and in 2013 he was recognized with Carleton's A.D. Dunton Alumni Award of Distinction.
VIZMA SPROTT
Founder
Since founding the Sprott Foundation in 1988, Vizma has been driven by her "belief that having hope is central to a person’s journey from merely surviving to genuinely thriving.” As the Foundation has grown and evolved, Vizma has taken particular interest in ensuring that the next generations of family members are prepared to support the philanthropic values she holds dear.
On the occasion of the Foundation’s 30th anniversary in 2018, Vizma led a governance renewal at the Foundation that restructured the Board and expanded its membership to include three new family Directors. She is pleased that her and Eric’s niece Lizzie and nephews Mark and Sharman were formally elected Directors in 2019 – the first of many future family members to uphold The Sprott Foundation’s commitment to relieving homelessness and hunger.
Vizma is a repeat recipient of the Oakville Mayor’s Awards for Business and the Arts and in 2001 was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mayor of Oakville. In 2002, she received the Outstanding Individual Philanthropists Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals in Ottawa.
Vizma has a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Toronto and previously owned the bookstore, Bookers, in Oakville, Ontario.
LARISA SPROTT
When speaking about her work as a director at the Sprott Foundation, Larisa says, "I want to make a difference in any way possible. The donations we make today will have a noticeable impact on society and can bring about visible changes in the future." As a young Canadian philanthropist, impact is first and foremost on her mind.
Larisa believes in enabling grantee impact and enjoys site visits to the charities the foundation supports.
Larisa Sprott has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Toronto, a Master's Degree in Education and completed the one year program, The Philanthropy Workshop, at the Institute for Philanthropy. She is the President of Sprott Money Ltd, an international company offering physical delivery of investment grade bullion to investors.
SHARMAN LEARIE
Sharman is a faculty member and co-chair of the Adventure Studies program at Thompson Rivers University. At TRU, his research interests focus on watershed and environmental conservation through participation in paddle sports to promote a stewardship connection with the natural world. He is also interested in coastal risk assessments and surf tourism.Sharman has traveled extensively in surfing, sailing, sea and whitewater kayaking, rafting, canoeing, ski touring, and climbing. His adventures have taken him to Asia, Europe, Central America, the Caribbean, and, most recently to Kenya on a WE Charity trip to see the farming and food programming The Sprott Foundation supports there. He and his family were especially inspired to meet and spend time with the school children of the Maasai Mara.
Sharman joined The Sprott Foundation Board in 2019.
LIZZIE McNEELY
From a young age, Lizzie's parents, schools and extended family instilled in her the belief that philanthropy is a moral responsibility. As a deeply curious person, she appreciates how serving as a Director with The Sprott Foundation increases her understanding of grantees' innovative approaches to addressing social issues. She is moved by the human stories that grantees share and savours the sense of personal connection that these provide.Lizzie has Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees from the University of Toronto. She also has a Master of Philosophy in Renaissance Literature from the University of Cambridge. For the past decade, Lizzie has been a secondary school teacher at the Toronto District School Board.
MARK SPROTT
Mark’s roots are in the arts community, where he has worked to create programs and inroads for young artists through projects, and an artist-run gallery. Mark’s professional background is in design and advertising where he created campaigns and implemented innovative communication directives for numerous design and art institutions.Mark recently completed the Philanthropic program at Stanford University. He has a Diploma in Design and Advertising from OCAD University, a Bachelor of Fine Arts from OCAD.
As a Director on The Sprott Foundation’s Board, Mark enjoys visiting grantees, learning more about their work and understanding the underlying issues they are working to remedy. As a father of young children, Mark is particularly passionate about school food programs, and ensuring young minds are nourished well so they can learn and grow.
Mark joined the Foundation Board in 2019 and sits on the Board’s Finance Committee.