Njeri Kontulahti
March 13, 2023Senior Manager, Vancity, Financial Resilience and Inclusion
Njeri (Jeri) Kontulahti is a Senior Manager Financial Resilience and Inclusion with Vancity, Canada’s largest credit union, where she has worked for over 25 years. Her work involves developing and deepening connections with Not-for-profit organizations to build their capacity and create impact.
Njeri has led Vancity’s leadership in financial health and inclusion, including overseeing work serving refugees and newcomers and supporting our low barrier Pigeon Park branch in the Downtown Eastside. Njeri has developed and managed financial products, services and policies that support the Financial Inclusion of people in Indigenous, Racialized and Equity-deserving communities to build assets, including home ownership and access to credit.
Njeri has a deep commitment to the cooperative movement in Canada and has served as a volunteer facilitator for the Cooperative Development Foundation’s Women’s Mentorship Program in Ottawa since 2007. This program brings women from credit unions all over the developing world to learn about credit union operations in Canada. Njeri has served in many NPO boards and is a founding Director of a non-profit known as Daughters of Hope, whose main aim is to support racialized individuals and families at risk of homelessness in British Columbia Canada.