My name is Nav Gill, and I am honoured to join the Board of Directors of the Canadian Stuttering Association.
I started stuttering when I was five years old. Growing up, there was little understanding of stuttering around me. Schoolyards often felt like battlegrounds, and like many people who stutter, I experienced bullying, isolation, and self doubt. Over time, those experiences shaped how I saw myself and the possibilities I believed were available to me. Eventually, I left high school believing my future would be far smaller than it ultimately became.
Turning point
The turning point in my life came when I learned I was going to become a father. While most parents dream about their child's future, I found myself wondering whether my child would stutter and face the same challenges I had. The thought of my child carrying the same fears, frustrations, and sense of isolation that had shaped so much of my own life was enough to change the direction of mine.
I made a decision that if my child ever walked a similar path, they would have something I never had. A role model who understood.
Confidence building journey
Before I rebuilt my education and career, I first had to rebuild my confidence. Without mentors, support groups, or role models who stuttered, I had to figure things out on my own. I learned to put myself in situations that scared me, to speak when it would have been easier to stay silent, and to keep showing up even when communication felt difficult. In many ways, learning to manage my speech wasn't the biggest challenge. Learning to believe in myself was.
That journey led me back to finish high school, earn a Bachelor of Commerce with High Honours from Carleton University, begin my career with a Big Four accounting firm, and eventually co found and operate my own firm for seven years. Along the way, I learned that our circumstances may shape us, but they do not have to define us.
Finding my people
What is remarkable to me is that despite living with a stutter my entire life, I never truly knew another person who stuttered until I connected with the CSA. For decades, I navigated the challenges of stuttering believing I was largely alone in that experience. I reached out because I wanted to give back. What I didn't expect was to discover a community of people who understood experiences I had spent a lifetime trying to explain.
After all those years, I finally found my people.
Serving on the CSA Board
That is why serving on the Board means so much to me. My focus is on building strategic alliances, partnerships, and fundraising initiatives that strengthen our community, expand awareness, and create opportunities for people who stutter across Canada.
I am incredibly optimistic about the future of the CSA. My greatest hope is that future generations never spend decades wondering if anyone else understands what they are going through. I hope they find community sooner. I hope they find confidence sooner. I hope they find belonging sooner.
For most of my life, I searched for someone who understood my story. Through the CSA, my hope is that more people discover they never have to search at all.
Nav Gill is a CSA Board Director in the role of Fundraising Coordinator. Nav holds a Bachelor of Commerce with High Honours from Carleton University and built his career at KPMG in audit and advisory. With over 17 years of experience in finance and strategy, he is the Founder of The Inked Ledger Inc., where he serves as a strategic finance advisor and fractional CFO, helping organizations scale, make better decisions, and build with intention.
In his words:
"Serving on the Board of Directors is deeply personal to me. I focus on building strategic partnerships and alliances that expand awareness, strengthen support systems, and create meaningful opportunities for those who stutter. As technology continues to evolve, particularly with the rise of AI and its focus on speed, I am passionate about ensuring innovation is guided by inclusion, creating space for voices to be heard, not overlooked. I believe the future should not be defined by how fast a voice speaks, but by the value it brings when it is heard."