Mark Intertas immigrated to Canada in 2007 from the Philippines, where he learned about the importance of community and the challenges poverty brings. His research interest is focused on co-operatives, Community Economic Development, and legal issues concerning First Nations. In 2017, he completed a Master’s degree in City Planning focused on the role of co-operatives in Winnipeg’s North End urban revitalization. He is currently attending the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba and is expected to graduate in 2020.