Joannah Lawson

As co-founder and president of her family foundation, Joannah feels honoured to collaborate with other philanthropic foundations, not-for-profits, universities and think tanks who are pushing the boundaries to move Canada and the world toward nutrient dense food systems that are produced sustainably to help mitigate climate change.

Key recipients of the foundation’s philanthropic focus are the Joannah and Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition in the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Lawson Centre for Sustainability at Trinity College, University of Toronto. Other organizations they support include Farmers for Climate Solutions, Canadian Organic Growers, Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario, Clearwater Farm and Community Food Centres Canada.

Before becoming certified as a nutritionist, Joannah led a successful career in organization change management in the high-tech industry and was recognized with the Nortel President’s Award of Excellence in Innovation. She completed her graduate studies at the University of Toronto and is the proud recipient of the university’s Arbor Award for volunteer service as well as the Doctor of Sacred Letters (honoris causa) from Trinity College, University of Toronto.

At Upper Canada College, Joannah chaired nutrition committees at both the Prep and Upper Schools over a nine-year period. In 2016 she joined the Association Council and the Wellbeing subcommittee of the Council, and in 2019, she was appointed to the UCC Board of Governors.  

Joannah has served as co-chair of the Campaign Cabinet at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Boundless Campaign executive.

Joannah and her husband Brian Lawson ’78 are parents of three children, a daughter Gillian and sons Tristan ’17 and Alexander ’19.