Darryl Silva
Founder
Darryl Founded D4DSTEM. He is passionate about empowering parents and caregivers to play a lead role to build confidence, curiosity and critical skills in STEM with kids in early years, particularly girls. Darryl is a Consultant & FinTech founding member, banking executive and has led digital, marketing, and product functions with TD Bank Group, OTT Financial Group Inc., Tembo Social (acquired by Achievers), BMO, Laurentian Bank and Moneris Solutions. He has an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and loves making Water Bottle Rockets. He has two children, Adrianna and Marcus.
Baanu Ratneswaran
Co-Founder
Baanu Co-Founded D4DSTEM. As an accomplished executive and devoted mother, with degrees in Engineering and Business, Baanu and her husband are committed and passionate about building STEM curiosity and confidence with their daughter and in doing so helping all girls. Baanu is a banking executive with TD Bank Group, with past leadership roles in Digital, Innovation, Product and Technology Strategy, Planning and Performance. She has an MBA from the Smith School of Business, a Computer Engineering degree and applies mathematical model to give her adorable and smart daughters an edge in T-Ball.
Andrew Sarta
Founding Member & Executive Director
Andrew was founding member of D4DSTEM and serves as an Executive Director. He has a deep interest in breaking down social barriers to STEM in young girls and promoting equal-opportunity curiosity. Now a PhD in Management at Ivey Business School, Andrew is a practicing Social Scientist with an industry background in managing product-based research and innovation. As a father of two girls, Aasha and Alessia, he also dabbles in rainbow chasing and refracting light through triangular prisms.
Cara-Lynne Wade
Founding Member & Executive Director
Cara-Lynne was a founding member of D4DSTEM and serves as an Executive Director. As a women leader advocating for diversity and inclusion, she has a deep interest in breaking down social barriers to STEM in young girls and promoting equal-opportunity curiosity. Cara-Lynne has worked in the Energy industry for over a decade and focuses on sustainability and transition. Cara-Lynne is Darry's partner so is beloved mom to Adrianna and Marcus. She loves to organize nature themed scavenger hunts and helping her kids with KiwiCo STEM-in-a-Box kits.
E.Y. Park
Founding Member &Â Executive Director
E.Y. is a passionate data nerd who believes that exposing and teaching STEM skills to children and youth will inspire and transform the future. E.Y. is a leader in Data & Analytics strategy and is responsible for establishing and leading the definition, model, and enablement of data & analytics across the newest start-up pension plan in Ontario. E.Y. and her husband Glen are committed to inspiring their curious daughter Madyson with STEM foundations.
Antonella De Leo
Founding Member & Executive Director
Born in Toronto to Italian immigrant parents, education had always been the hope for a secure and bright future. For Antonella, this ignited a passion for helping youth find their way to fulfilling and exciting careers. Antonella has found her calling as a digital marketing professional who has led digital marketing and loyalty for Canada’s largest and most loved brands, recently launching a new online shopping experience for Shoppers Drug Mart. Antonella can’t wait to put D4DSTEM resources into action with her very curious and inquisitive niece.
Shirley Hsu
Corporate Champion
Shirley is an honorary Community Champion for expanding our STEM Toy Drive to a new company! Having a young daughter, she is passionate about breaking down social barriers to STEM in young girls and promoting equal-opportunity to learning. Professionally, Shirley is currently the VP and General Manager of Payments at FreshBooks. Previous leadership roles included payments innovation and digital transformation at Wealthsimple and TD.