Hailey Hechtman is a Canadian mental health leader, storyteller, and passionate advocate for person-centered, lived experience-driven programming.

With over a decade of leadership in the nonprofit sector, Hailey has dedicated her career to building more connected, compassionate systems of care. She founded the Yukon Distress & Support Line in 2014, led interagency disability inclusion efforts across Northern Canada, and championed inclusive employment initiatives rooted in dignity and accessibility.

As the Executive Director of Unsinkable, a national mental health storytelling organization founded by Olympian Silken Laumann, Hailey leads the evolution of a unified, scalable storytelling model that centers lived experience as a driver of connection, insight, and change. Through guided storytelling, amplification, and community engagement, Unsinkable supports individuals and organizations to engage with mental health in more human, relational ways. Hailey began her journey with Unsinkable as a storyteller, sharing her own experience before stepping into leadership.

A natural community connector, Hailey helped establish an informal Executive Director community of practice in Ottawa and serves as a board advisor to the Women’s Nonprofit Network. She is committed to elevating underrepresented voices, nurturing sector collaboration, and creating safe, stigma-free spaces for reflection and healing.

A recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal and the LeadHER Award, Hailey’s work is grounded in the belief that when stories are heard with intention, transformation becomes possible, for individuals, communities, and systems alike.