Marci Ien steps into her new role, ready to support GB students.
The George Brown Foundation has a new president.
Now under the guidance of Marci Ien, former journalist and politician, the goals of the foundation – which is the fundraising arm of George Brown, supporting students with things such as bursaries and scholarships – have never shone brighter.
Ien most recently served as Toronto Centre MP from 2020 to 2025, becoming the minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth in 2021. However, she is probably best known for her three decades spent as a journalist where she worked with CHCH and CTV among others.
She was also one of the hosts of The Social, a Canadian daytime talk show; starting as a guest host before becoming permanent.
All the skills she has acquired during her previous work has made her the ideal candidate to take the helm of the foundation.
“My skill set so far and this insatiable thing I have to keep learning new things has just brought me to this point, and I’m grateful for it, and has brought me to George Brown Foundation, it really has. I I just think it’s everything coming together quite nicely, and I’m really excited at what we’re going to accomplish and and who we’re going to help,” said Ien.
Despite not having a background in the world of philanthropy, Ien notes that the new challenge is something she enjoys taking on.
“I don’t come from the non-profit world or the philanthropic world, and so again, it’s a new start, it’s a new challenge, and I love that.”
Taking on new feats is nothing new for Ien, who notes that her foray into politics was not planned until former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called her and asked her to consider running for office.
“I was having lunch with my daughter…. [and] the phone rings again. [There’s an] official person on the other end, [and they say] ‘is this miss Ien? It is. Please hold for the prime minister, and I hear Marci, it’s Justin. You’re at the top of a very short list, and wondering, you know, what you think, and if you might consider, you know, this opportunity,’” she said.
She says in her conversation with Trudeau that she noted her apprehension with stepping into politics, questioning whether or not she was the right person for the role. He responded by not only pressing that she was the right person for the job, but by asking her to think about “the opportunity to create policy” which might outlive her kids.
After speaking with her kids, her daughter who was 15 at the time posited the question which would get her into a by-election.
“If not you mom, who?”
After a successful term in office, Ien found that she accomplished what she set out to take on and after a year of slowing down, she found herself in the role of foundation president.
The George Brown Foundation in their efforts to raise funds for student needs, hosts and participates in numerous events throughout the year.
One of the first events to kick off the new academic year is a fundraising dinner which supports the Communal Lunch Program.
The program, hosted each week in the Student Success Hub, brings together students for a nutritious and delicious communal lunch where attendees can dine in a pay-what-you-can setting. This initiative is meant to help offset the growing food insecurity rates, build food literacy, and bring students together to connect.
“So, this dinner will fundraise so that the food and you know the produce and the drink and everything that supports that program can be funded, so that is amazing,” said Ien.
The fundraiser will be held on Sept. 9 at the Student Success Hub. Those interested in attending – or just making a donation – can visit Communal Lunch Fundraiser Dinner.
In addition to the communal lunch fundraiser, the biggest event the foundation hosts in support of augmented education is also approaching fast.
“On October 1, in support of augmented education, is the food court social, and that is a huge event that brings back chefs who had have gone to the culinary school, graduated, so alumni chefs, and they set up food stations. It looks like so much fun. This will be my first one, but they set up food stations and they cook, and so people come out and they can talk to the chefs as they cook. Food is served,” she said. “There are vintners that that donate wines and seltzers and non-alcoholic beverages. Julie Black will be performing this year on stage. It’s held at the waterfront as well. There’s auctions, so there’s some interesting items.”
Ien notes that all money raised goes to the augmented education program to help students right who have gone through addiction or have had mental health issues.
Because this is her first year in charge of putting the event together, her plans are to “listen and learn,” as she sees exactly how impactful this yearly event is for the community.
“I’ve not been there before, so meeting as many people as possible, talking to the students who benefited from this program. I’m really looking forward to hearing those stories. You know, more than 600, I believe, 640 kids have benefited and graduated from this this program, so I want to hear their stories. You know what it meant. Has it been life changing? Where they are now? How this changed their path? So, looking forward to hearing from them. I think that’s the most important thing. Looking at people’s reactions to what we’ve presented, are there gaps? Are there things that we need to change? What are we doing right? What could be improved? And also having a really good time.”
As she looks towards the future, Ien is hopeful for what is to come and believes that there is much to accomplish as she becomes fully situated as the foundation president.
“I think that when times get tough, people you know lose hope. But I’m actually hopeful. I’m hopeful in what we can do, what we can accomplish, how we can help students. We just have to be more creative and look at things differently, maybe with new eyes, and hear and actually listen and act accordingly.”
