Angela Beausoleil is our President and Executive Director of Empower Skilled Trades Foundation (ESTF), an Alberta based nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to skilled trades education for underserved African youth. Her work is shaped by years of lived experience supporting women and young people across Africa — experiences that revealed both the strength of local communities and the barriers that limit opportunity.

Angela first traveled to Africa in 2017 and was deeply moved by the resilience, talent, and determination she witnessed. She met young people eager to build their futures and women ready to lead, yet too often held back by limited access to training and resources. These encounters inspired a guiding belief that continues to shape her mission today: Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not.

Driven by this conviction, Angela founded ESTF to help create the opportunities she saw so many striving for. Her work focuses on strengthening local training ecosystems through practical, community rooted supports such as curriculum alignment, instructor development, leadership training, digital learning tools, and safeguarding practices that protect youth and uphold dignity.

Angela is known for her compassion, cultural sensitivity, and ability to build trust across communities. Her leadership reflects a deep commitment to ensuring that no young person — and no woman with potential — is left behind simply because opportunity was out of reach.

As ESTF prepares for its 2026–2027 training cycle, Angela continues to lead with integrity, purpose, and a vision for a future where African youth have the skills, confidence, and opportunities they deserve.