Our Team

Graham Donald

Founder & President

Graham Donald is one of North America’s leading experts on attracting, recruiting, and engaging students and graduates.

He founded Brainstorm Strategy Group in 2003 where he supports major employers and post-secondary institutions’ success through research, training, and strategic consulting. His clients include KPMG, University of Toronto, Deloitte, GE, McGill University, HSBC, UBC, Rutgers University, PwC, and many others.

Each year he is invited to speak at numerous national and international conferences on topics related to attracting and engaging future generations. He also hosts numerous annual conferences and training programs including the Campus Recruitment Forum, the Strategic Enrolment Marketing & Management Forum (SEMM Forum), the Employer Engagement Academy, and the Post-Secondary Leaders Academy.

He was Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (CACEE) and the founder of Canada’s first job board for students, Campus WorkLink. He has also held leadership roles at Workopolis, Simply Hired, and Day Communications.

He received both his BA and MBA from the University of Toronto.

Jennifer Powell

Director of Programs and Community Engagement

Jennifer Powell is a passionate advocate for student success and is dedicated to empowering the next generation. With over a decade of experience in enrolment management, including roles in marketing, recruitment, admissions, academic advising, work-integrated learning, employer relations, and a college board member. Jennifer has cultivated expertise in creating positive post-secondary experiences and facilitating academic-to-career transitions.

As Director of Programming and Community Engagement at Brainstorm Strategy Group, she leverages her skills as a connector, systems thinker, and solution-oriented professional to support Canadian post-secondary institutions and campus recruitment teams across North America. Jennifer helps organizations refine their approach to student support and recruitment through engaging workshops, webinars, and training sessions.

Her enthusiasm extends to stakeholder relations, event planning, partnerships, marketing, and communications. Jennifer’s forward-thinking and dynamic approach reflects her optimism and unwavering commitment to improving student success and outcomes.

Julie Rahmer

Learning, Research & Engagement Lead

Julie Rahmer brings over 25 years of experience to the field of career development and campus recruitment to her role as Senior Consultant at Brainstorm where she supports the creation of innovative research and professional development aimed at providing career professionals and employers with the tools to engage and attract students and new graduates.

Prior to working with Brainstorm, Julie was the Director of the Career Centre at York University. While at York, Julie was responsible for implementing strategic priorities, leading an inspired team, and fostering partnerships with senior leaders, employers, and alumni to provide students and new graduates with the skills and confidence to pursue successful careers. Julie also served as the university’s Experiential Education Strategy Lead where she developed a business case to launch a new department, the YU Experience Hub, aimed at expanding experiential education across all Faculties and enriching community and employer partnerships.

Luke Balbirnie

Creative & Technical Director

Luke Balbirnie is a web developer and designer from Dublin, Ireland with extensive experience in full-stack web development, web design, brand identity, and graphic design.

Alyshia Hare

Administrative Coordinator

Alyshia Hare is an Administrative Coordinator at Brainstorm Strategy Group, where she serves as the central "command center" for the firm’s diverse portfolio of virtual events, training programs, and client communications. With a specialized focus on the participant experience, Alyshia oversees the seamless execution of event registrations, learning management systems, and post-program analytics.

A high-achieving graduate of Durham College’s Advertising and Marketing Communications program, and participated in the Institute of Student Leadership. Alyshia also worked during her studies and coordinated outreach and promotions for large-scale career fairs and developed specialized resources to support equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Her professional background is a blend of analytical precision and creative flair; as the founder of Hare Media, she has spent years consulting on digital strategy, photography, and brand storytelling.

Alyshia’s multifaceted background—spanning Indigenous Studies, Musical Theatre, and Digital Marketing—allows her to approach every project with empathy, creativity, and a sharp attention to detail. Based in Ontario, she is dedicated to ensuring that every Brainstorm participant and partner receives the high-level support needed to drive student success forward.

Joanne Hader

Lead Research Consultant

Joanne is the resident Brainstorm number cruncher. She joined the team following a career of more than 25 years as a health and social science researcher, program evaluator, and senior-level manager in Canadian government and non-government organizations (NGOs). She is trained and experienced using both qualitative and quantitative research methods and has taught university classes and presented to academic conferences on research methods. Joanne has authored and co-authored more than 30 research publications using administrative and survey data including an impact evaluation of closing 50 small hospitals is one Canadian province.

Joanne has an MA in Medical Anthropology from the University of Saskatchewan. She is a certified Lean Yellow Belt, a huge fan of Crucial Conversations tools and methods, and a trained facilitator and negotiator. She was using SPSS before her computer had a mouse and the program had a GUI window user interface.

Joanne is respected by colleagues for delivering results and for the positive energy she brings to demystifying data collection, analytics, and statistical concepts. Balancing out her work life, Joanne is a Registered Yoga Teacher, mother of two grown sons, and an avid golfer, traveller and cyclist.

Margaret Evans

Human Resources Consultant

Margaret is a bilingual Human Resources Consultant with 15+ years of experience. As a true generalist, she translates industry best practices into customized HR solutions that meet a client’s unique needs. Margaret is an advisor to business owners and managers on strategic and tactical HR matters and is straightforward and down-to-earth in her approach. Through her career, she has added business value in both union and non-union environments in a variety of private and public-sector industries.

In addition to her Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation, Margaret holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Guelph, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Resources Management from Humber College, a Master’s Degree in Industrial Relations and Human Resources from the University of Toronto, and a Certificate in Private Investigation from the Canadian School of Private Investigation and Security Ltd.