Our Story
NKDO Canada began when its founders, inspired by each of their experiences, identified a need to improve the rate of living kidney donation in Canada.
Inspired by a TEDxTalk by Ned Brooks, a living donor and founder of NKDO USA, Alberta-based Olive Bensler became a non-directed living kidney donor and one of our founding members.
In Eastern Canada, co-founder Susan Shefner was a hopeful kidney recipient, awaiting her turn on the lengthy waitlist. The Shefner family was introduced to the US NKDO team, who opened their eyes to the idea of advocating for yourself as a recipient and allowed them to speak with people who had received successful kidney transplants. Those conversations reenergized Susan and gave their family the hope that she would receive her kidney, which, months later, she did. Susan, Barry and Tiffany were so impressed with the support that they received that they made it their mission to bring NKDO to Canada.
Across the country, Keith Landra was in the process of anonymously donating his kidney in Alberta. Keith was eager to further improve kidney donation rates and outcomes for Canadians and joined them as one of the founding board members.
The team has since grown to include a network of individuals who have all been impacted by kidney donation in some way. Together, our team is passionate about making improvements for Canadian donors, recipients and their support networks while improving the rate of living kidney donation across the country.
Ellis Mirsky – NKDO US Liaison
Ellis Mirsky is a member of the National Kidney Donation Organization (U.S.) board of directors and its legal counsel. Ellis is a 2017 living kidney transplant recipient who has devoted substantial time pro bono in various areas. His work includes assisting kidney patients and living donors to understand and navigate the kidney transplant journey and improving access to transplant education. Ellis helped form a local non-profit that conducts driver organ donor registration drives. Separately, Ellis also sits on the board and various committees of the New York Bar Foundation, the grant-making arm of the New York Bar Association providing funding for non-profit legal service organizations throughout the State. He also practices law in New York.
Board of Directors
Tiffany Joseph – President
Tiffany is an executive within Deloitte’s consulting practice, specializing in the healthcare industry. She has over 14 years of experience in healthcare strategy, project management, and process improvement. She serves a diverse client base within Life Sciences and Healthcare including world-renowned hospital networks and ministries of health. During her mother-in-law’s recent journey as a kidney recipient, Tiffany joined her support team working to launch a campaign in search of a donor and learned a tremendous amount about the process. Tiffany brings her industry insights, business acumen, and transplant process knowledge to her role at NKDO Canada.
Keith Landra – Vice-President
Keith Landra became a non-directed kidney donor in February 2023 and looks forward to serving the kidney donor community with NKDO Canada. Professionally, Keith is a Chemical Engineer currently in the role of Chief Safety Officer at the Canada Energy Regulator. Personally, Keith and Margaret married in 1987 and he is a proud father and grandfather. His other interests include serving in his Church, fishing, camping, motorcycling and motorsports.
Barry Shefner – Treasurer
Barry Shefner is a real estate executive and philanthropist with a keen interest in promoting kidney donation after being by his wife’s side throughout her kidney transplant journey. Having owned and operated a steel products distribution business and having founded a large property development and real estate management company, Barry possesses a wealth of business experience. Barry’s expertise in business operations, involvement with numerous charities and nonprofit organizations and his knowledge of the kidney transplant process enables him to provide NKDO Canada with valuable insights.
Carole Gilman – Mentorship Director
Carole Gilman was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Carole and her late husband Burt, relocated to Montreal, had two amazing sons, and became proud Canadian citizens. Her entrepreneurial tenacity led her to creating a luxury candle and grow kit manufacturing company right here in Montreal for almost forty years. Carole also remains active with tango, tennis, cooking, gardening, and doting over her two grandsons. When Burt’s kidneys started to fail due to primary amyloidosis he was on a transplant wait list for over two years with no positive donors in sight. With the prospect of having to start dialysis soon, Carole and her sons got tested for compatibility. All three were possible donors but Carole insisted on being the donor. In 2007, Burt had a successful transplant which granted him thirteen more wonderful years with his family. Carole was surprised to find out that the resources and aftercare were almost entirely directed to the recipient and that a “healthy donor” was provided very limited care. Today, we better understand the needs of the donor for emotional, physical, and medical support. Carole is excited to work with families contemplating live kidney donation. She loves to show people that one can live a long, healthy, and full life with one kidney.
Lisa Emmott
Lisa Emmott answered the call to donate a kidney for her husband Neil in 2017, until a surprise diagnosis altered her plans, and her life’s calling. During the kidney donor evaluation process, she learned that she is unable to donate due to a benign quirk in her renal arteries. Devastated at being denied the opportunity to donate, she quickly went to work finding another suitable living donor for her husband. Ultimately, her husband was successfully transplanted in a paired kidney exchange that saved eight lives across the United States, but her rejection as a potential kidney donor served as a massive redirection toward kidney awareness and advocacy. Hoping to educate and inspire others, she has worked tirelessly to share their journey in mainstream media to dispel the myth that you have to be a ‘match’ to save the life of your intended recipient. Lisa now serves as the Executive Director of the National Kidney Donation Organization.
Susan Shefner – In Memoriam
Susan Shefner was a founding board member and a kidney transplant recipient who was motivated to support donors and recipients through her involvement in NKDO Canada. Susan’s understanding of the multitude of challenges faced by kidney transplant recipients, her knowledge of the Canadian transplant system and her insights on navigating the kidney transplant process were extremely valuable inputs to NKDO Canada. Susan possessed marketing insight, interpersonal skills and strong decision making abilities following successful careers in the fashion industry and in real estate. Those insights, along with her persistent nature and exposure to various other charitable organizations, contributed to her unique perspective. This remarkable woman was taken far too soon on January 29, 2025. However, her contributions continue to live on in NKDO Canada.