About
Our Story
The Moez & Marissa Kassam Equity Fund was established in 2016, to serve as the charitable platform for founders Moez Kassam and Marissa. Influenced by the immigrant experience, they both grew up in large close-knit families that prioritized relationships, the spirit of generosity, and a strong disdain towards injustice. Together, these are now values they share and work to pass on to their children Madelyn, Mila, Mikayla, and Milan.
Our Mission
The Moez & Marissa Kassam Equity Fund believes in an equitable world, where everyone has access to opportunities and no one is left behind.
We focus on four priority impact areas – Food Security and Safe Housing, Healthcare and Research, Filling the Gap and Quality Education for Children, Leveled Fields of Play. We invest in organizations that address the symptoms of inequality and exclusion, while working to level the playing field.
In 2023, Moez and Marissa established a $1-million “Level the Playing Field Fund” dedicated to programs across the country that aim to eliminate barriers to sport for marginalized and immigrant communities.
Our Priority Impact Areas
The Moez & Marissa Kassam Equity Fund works with allies that share our mission – which is anchored by three values:
Community: We believe in the power of welcoming the stranger, because we are all better together.
Opportunity: We commit to seeing and removing barriers to create pathways to possibility.
Courage: We embrace doing what is right, and get behind visionary leaders, with bold ideas to solve intractable problems.
Leadership
Moez Kassam Co-Founder and Director
Moez Kassam is a highly accomplished investor and philanthropist. He is the founder and Chief Investment Officer of Anson Funds, a leading alternative asset management firm. His exceptional track record has earned him recognition as one of the globe’s top performers.
Driven by a deep commitment to social change, Moez co-founded the Moez & Marissa Kassam Equity Fund. This private foundation takes an investment approach to philanthropy, focusing on strategic initiatives that empower individuals and communities.
Moez actively serves on the advisory boards of several organizations, including the Toronto Library Foundation, the Canadian Olympic Foundation, and the Immigrant Access Fund. He is a passionate advocate for a more equitable world where everyone can reach their full potential.
Marissa Kassam Co-Founder and Director
Marissa Kassam is a dedicated philanthropist and advocate for social change. She is the co-founder and Director of the Moez & Marissa Kassam Equity Fund, a private foundation focused on creating a more equitable society through strategic investments in education, healthcare, and community development.
Marissa brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles, including Vice President of Philanthropy for Royal Bank of Canada Capital Markets and various positions at JPMorgan in London, Hong Kong, and New York. She is also deeply committed to community engagement, having worked with the Grameen Foundation in Uganda and currently serving on the board of the Toronto Foundation for Student Success.
A mother of four, Marissa is passionate about building a brighter future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. She believes that investing in equity creates a ripple effect that empowers individuals and communities to reach their full potential.
Andrew Blott Director
Andrew Blott founded Quantum Capital in 2004 and has led some of the firm’s key investments. Prior to Quantum, Mr. Blott spent ten years at various Wall Street institutions including Credit Suisse Boston and CIBC World Markets and helped facilitate almost $20B in financings and M&A transactions for a variety of companies including Philip Morris and Nabisco and large private equity funds such as KKR and Oaktree Capital.
Mr. Blott holds executive positions and is the Chairman of the Audit Committees of Apache Industrial Services, Skyway Canada, RailCrew Xpress and Lone Star Texas Grill. Mr. Blott is a continuing member and past board member of the Young Presidents Organization.
Sarah Fulford Director
Sarah Fulford is the editor-in-chief of Toronto Life, an influential glossy monthly city magazine that publishes award-winning feature writing and expert service journalism. When she took over the publication in January 2008, she was just 33 years old, making her one of the youngest editors of a major magazine in Canada.
She has won two Canadian National Magazine Awards for her writing and has contributed articles to publications such as The Globe and Mail, the National Post, and The Walrus.
Fulford sits on the board of the Toronto Public Library Foundation.
Hassan Valji Director
Hassan Valji is a former clean-tech founder with Plan B Energy and former humanitarian with Medecins Sans Frontieres.
Hassan now spends his time as a consultant on matters of organization transformation, operations improvement, and customer services strategy.
From an industry perspective, Hassan has experience across multiple industries, but spends most of his time in the Utilities and Humanitarian sectors.