Meet The Team

Co-founder
Marissa MacKinnon
Marissa's life work has been centered around one core mission: creating safe, engaging, and structured environments where children can thrive. With a degree in Psychology specializing in early childhood development, her two decades of experience with children is as diverse as it is hands-on.
Marissa served as the Academy Director at Kamera Talent (children's division of Sutherland Models Toronto), interviewing aspiring young performers and managing a team of acting instructors, photographers, and makeup artists. She also spent 8 years as a professional nanny with Nannies on Call — a Toronto agency known for accepting only 10% of applicants — while simultaneously teaching English remotely to children in China as a certified ESL instructor.
Her last role in her home province of New Brunswick was as a Human Services Counselor, supporting children and youth with complex developmental, behavioural, and emotional needs, including autism and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
Once in the GTA, Marissa worked as a 911 Emergency Dispatcher for the Toronto Police Service, passing an extensive security screening process required of all dispatchers. She then spent 7 years climbing the ranks at a startup that grew into a multi-million dollar business, ultimately becoming Head of the company's Training Department after three promotions.
This rare blend of hands-on child development experience and proven operational leadership is what Marissa brings to The Craft Club — and precisely why every session is designed to be safe, structured, and genuinely fun for your child.

Co-founder
Catherine Roti
Catherine’s life work's mission is to: bridge the gap between rigorous academic education and creative self-expression. She holds psychology and geography degrees (Hons. B.A) and has her Bachelor's (B.Ed) and Master's in Education (M.Ed) as a classroom specialist focus. As an Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT) with a decade of experience within the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), her hands-on experience in the classroom is as deep as it is diverse.
Over the past 10 years, Catherine has taught and mentored students, from guiding kindergarteners through fine motor exploration to helping high schoolers refine their artistic voices. This extensive classroom tenure is paired with a strict background screening process and a high standard of trust required by Ontario's school boards, ensuring a safe, structured, and enriching environment for every student.
When Catherine is not teaching in the four walls of the classroom, you can often find her teaching in a pool. She holds many qualifications and is also a standard first aid (SFA) and cpr-c instructor and examiner. She finds many transferrable skills that are linked through play and the arts.
Beyond the traditional classroom, Catherine is a published author who understands firsthand what it takes to bring a creative vision to life. She injects this real-world artistic passion directly into the curriculum, transforming theory into tangible, exciting projects.
Catherine's blend of certified pedagogical expertise, diverse age-group experience, and proven creative achievement is what she brings to The Craft Club. She hopes that your child will be inspired, expressive, and enjoy all the memories made from their classes!