Kel Smith (they/she) is a community organiser and writer based in Guelph, Ontario. They are the primary editor of Novitas, an independent magazine where they write about post-capitalist possibilities, ecological thinking, and the small community practices that help people live differently within the systems we currently have. Through the magazine’s Substack, Kel explores how speed, commodification, and individualism show up in everyday life, and how people create alternatives through care, shared work, and a renewed relationship with land. Their writing brings together ecological economics, hands-on experience, and stories from community life to show how resilience often grows in simple, local ways.
In their work and writing, Kel is focused on a central question: how do communities reshape their lives when the old ways no longer fit? They pay close attention to the relationships and structures that help people feel connected and capable like volunteer networks, a community gathering, or shared projects. Their approach to leadership is relational and collaborative, shaped by the belief that lasting change doesn’t come from sweeping transformation but from steady, grounded practices: looking after the land, looking after each other, and building the future slowly through direct action in the community.
Contact: kel@kelsmith.ca
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