Foundation Board

Board of Directors

Martyn Element - Co-Chairman
David Newing - Co-Chairman
Chris Castillo -Director

Koichi Paxton - Director

Ray Folkins - Treasurer

Professional Staff

Jade Bell – President & Chief Executive Officer
Sabrina Aven – Executive Director

About the Directors

Martyn Element - Co-Chairman

Martyn Element, Founder and President of Element and Associates, sources and secures funding for new business ventures around the globe. Mr. Element has developed strong working relationships with specialized funds and high net worth individuals for private and public equity financings through his international network of contacts.

In the mid-2000's, Mr. Element stepped into the field of venture philanthropy when he produced the documentary film, "A Grandmother's Tribe", created by Qiujing Wong of Borderless Productions. The film went on to win awards at international film festivals worldwide. The film has been and continues to be used extensively by charitable organizations such as the Stephen Lewis Foundation as a meaningful tool for raising awareness of the burden of grandmothers caring for AIDS orphans in Africa. The film was also instrumental in raising funds to sponsor the building of homes for grandmothers in Kenya, as well as set up a fellowship for an African photojournalist to support the grandmothers' cause and message through the Voiceless Children organization.

Martyn has been Jade's main sponsor since 2005 and was inspired to connect him with Borderless Productions to bring his story to a wider audience. The Jade Bell Story is a full length documentary film and will be released in early 2010.

David Newing - Co-Chairman

David Newing is an outstanding Strategic Consultant and Social Entrepreneur. He is a principal of P4 Bottomline Inc. Drawing from his extensive experience, remarkable track record and personal networks in Canada, the USA, and in Europe, he is well recognized as a world-class leader in forward thinking, creative management and social entrepreneurship.

Following a successful 21-year career in the British Royal Navy, rising to the rank of Commander, he was appointed as the London UK based Secretary General of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award International Association. David spent the 1980’s building The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Program into an International program involving over 50 national youth achievement programs – in most cases under the direction of the Heads of State of those Countries.

During the 1990’s and following a family relocation from London, UK to Ottawa, Canada, he continued this successful track record, as the co-founder and designer of a widening number of highly successful initiatives and new programs including the Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) and NetCorps Canada.

Over this period he has also successfully consulted with: a wide variety of agencies including the International Development Research Center (IDRC), Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC), Industry Canada,, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Canada’s Advanced Internet Development Organization (Canarie) , South Asia Partnerships Canada (SAP),The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and the OAS Trust for the Americas – for whom he acted as Senior Adviser while resident in Washington DC from 1998 to 2000.

His main social ventures since returning to residency in Ottawa in 2000 include being Co-President, P4Bottomline Inc; Co-Chair, Jade’s KIDS Foundation; Co-Founder and Senior Adviser, The Digital Opportunities Trust; Senior Adviser, Master Entrepreneur International; and CEO, Helping for a United Good (HUG).

David is also a Professor at Algonquin College where he teaches International Business at its Business School.

Chris Castillo

Chris Castillo is President of Master Entrepreneur International Inc., a company specializing in seminars, workshops, and consulting to various types of businesses.

For over 15 years, Chris has trained and consulted to thousands of new and existing businesses in Canada and internationally in the areas of marketing, sales, vision development, systems development, strategic thinking & planning and personal development in the growth of the entrepreneur as a leader ready to take their organization to the next level.

As an international business and entrepreneurship consultant and trainer, he has provided consultancy services to such clients as Street Kids International (Toronto), Taka Hirano Security Systems and Consultancy (Japan), In Ho Lim Enterprises (South Korea), Emerge Research and Consultancy Inc. (Japan), and Retis Internet-Architect Consultancy (Mexico). Most of the international business consultancy work focuses on Latin America, specifically Chile.

Chris is also experienced in facilitation, training and coaching, curriculum development, for the public and private sectors. He has taught business courses various schools, school boards in British Columbia and Ontario, business associations, adult education and has presented at conferences. He has taught thousands of students in the area of business and entrepreneurship.

Koichi Paxton

Koichi Paxton is the Director of Community Development & facilitator for Master Entrepreneur International Inc. and an international entrepreneur.

With the passion of a Master Entrepreneur®, Koichi started his first business while still at school! He saw an opportunity and quickly seized it and started selling various products to other students. The success of his venture has inspired him to keep on the path of entrepreneurship.

As a Master Entrepreneur® facilitator, Koichi Paxton provides assistance to other aspiring entrepreneurs to pursue their passion of starting a business. In addition to being a team member of Master Entrepreneur®, Mr. Paxton operates two other business: Astriya™ and Biograms™. Astriya™ is a business dedicated to sellig quality artwork online while Biograms™ provide and safety solutions for the fitness industry.

As the Director of Community Development for Master Entreprenur International Inc., Koichi has been supporting Aboriginal communities across Canada including co-facilitating training sessions in Nunavik for the Inuit women in order to help them become financially independent.

Koichi Paxton's main goal is to help other entrepreneurs to start their business and become a success. In addition, he is keenly interested in helping people less fortunate to become Master Entrepreneurs®.

About the Staff

Jade Bell - President & Chief Executive Officer

Jade Bell overdosed on a lethal injection of heroin and cocaine; a fateful decision he made under the influence of alcohol. Jade suffered from 15 minutes of oxygen deprivation and, as a result, he slipped into a coma for a month. When Jade awoke he could no longer speak, walk, or see, leaving him totally dependant on round-the-clock care. To this day doctors are amazed that he didn’t suffer any cognitive damage.

But he believes everything happens for a reason.

And believing is what gives Jade the motivation to carry on with what he does. Jade Bell speaks and presents in a moving and honest way. Over 200,000 students and adults have been moved by his experiences. Jade’s presentations prevent lives being lost or permanently damaged by drugs and alcohol.

Jade's personal mission is not to put a scratch but instead a huge dent in the growing epidemic that is plaguing our communities today.

Sabrina Aven - Executive Director

Sabrina Aven was appointed Executive Director of the Jade’s KIDS Foundation in November 2007. She grew up in the same neighbourhood as Jade Bell, and has known him for about 20 years. She has a close relationship with Jade and is his primary caregiver and facilitator of his presentations.

Sabrina was born in Vernon, British Columbia and was educated at Centennial Senior Secondary School in Coquitlam, BC. She completed her schooling in 1999 and graduated college as an Environmental Assessment Technologist. Before working with Jade, she worked as an Executive Assistant for the Salt Spring Island Conservancy and the Land Trust Alliance of BC. Previously she has worked as a Park Naturalist, a salmon and shellfish Hatchery Technician, an Environmental Educator in public schools, the Administrative Assistant for a commercial dive company, and a legal secretary.

Sabrina lives on Salt Spring Island and is busy raising two active, adventurous, and loving young boys, Zyon and Kodiak. While co-parenting her children is of greatest importance, she also finds the time to make Jade’s care a vital and enjoyable part of her life, assisting him with all his personal and business needs, while helping to deliver his message to the world!

Although she doesn’t have much free-time on hand, she does enjoy supporting her sons interests like sports, arts, and music. She enjoys singing and playing her guitar and flute, martial arts, hot yoga, and appreciates nature and helping to ensure it is conserved for the children of future generations.

Sabrina’s passion for the environment and humanity have brought her where she is today; living in a small community with strong environmental values, and sharing Jade’s passion of delivering his message to the youth around the world, in an effort to give children the opportunity to enjoy their time on this planet while making healthy life choices.