Meet the Team

Olwen Friesen, Finance Support Specialist

Olwen (she/her) is the Finance Support Specialist for Canopy MHC and Canopy Roots. She comes from an 8-year background in Nonprofit Payroll and Finance, having worked as a Payroll Specialist for Save The Redwoods Leage in San Francisco and at the American Academy of Neurology in Minneapolis. She was born in Canada but has called the Twin Cities home for over 10 years (with a brief but lovely stint in San Francisco’s Bay Area).

Olwen has always been an advocate for the importance of mental health care, and believes deeply in the power of community-building and support. She took a particular interest in understanding systemic injustice as she studied Political Science and Psychology at the University of Minnesota and has since seen firsthand how showing up for our communities can seemingly magically multiply the resources, care, and love we can all bring to the table, and how it can inspire others to do the same.

She has two associate’s degrees from Minneapolis College – one in Liberal Arts, and one in Sound Arts, to support her passion for making music. In her free time, Olwen enjoys finding new ways to create lush soundscapes, playing Dungeons & Dragons with her friends, experiencing live music in nature, and showing up with warmth and connection in her communities, even if in small but meaningful ways.