Our fellows, alphabetically

Zakaria works as a Program Coordinator at Toronto Community Housing Corporation’s Community Economic Development Division. Prior to this position, he was an intern in the Mayor’s Office of John Tory in Toronto building connections with marginalized communities to improve community development initiatives. In the past, Zakaria served as the chair to the Premier’s Youth Council on Opportunities where he led a group of 25 young leaders across Ontario as they gave policy advice to over 18 ministries in the Ontario Government on policy development which could improve outcomes for youth across Ontario. At Western, Zakaria advised the municipality of Sarnia on the development of their policy response to the legalization of cannabis, and he is currently completing a major research project on the city of London’s ongoing efforts to inform residents of the upcoming use of ranked ballots in their 2018 election. Zakaria hopes to build upon his local and provincial experience with policy development by gaining senior leadership skills needed to launch impactful public policy projects in Toronto.

Diane spent four years with CBC Saskatchewan, where she covered cross-cultural stories, First Nations economic development and health policy. In 2015, she was appointed the Dallas W. Smythe Chair in the Public Interest at the University of Regina, where she taught environment and health reporting. She has been interviewed by CTV’s Canada AM, CBC’s Power and Politics, as well as in the Globe and Mail. Currently, she operates a small consulting business in Saskatoon.

Amanda’s extensive background equips her to lead initiatives that align with the University of Calgary’s strategic objectives, particularly in community involvement and fostering partnerships with industry stakeholders. Her connection with the University of Calgary runs deep, having served on the Student’s Union executive, the Alumni Board of Directors, and as a Senator. Amanda’s dedication was honored with the Order of The University in 2008. She played a pivotal role in the Chancellor Search and Selection Committee, contributing to the appointment of the University’s 15th Chancellor, Jon Cornish. Amanda’s leadership and communication skills have earned her numerous accolades, including the Queen Jubilee II Platinum Jubilee Medal, Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40, the IABC’s Gold Quill Award in Community Relations, and the title of Alberta’s Most Enterprising Employee.

A proud alumna, she holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary, further cementing her legacy and commitment to the institution.

He engages expert advisors and worked directly with municipal public servants that are developing and implementing smart city projects and initiatives, and has helped develop over 50 learning products on topics such as open data, digital literacy, and data governance.

Nabeel is a skilled facilitator and public speaker with over a decade of experience, and has delivered over a dozen webinars and workshops on smart city issues alone. He is also a member of the Digital Communities Advisory Panel at the Centre for Free Expression at Ryerson University.

Nabeel has a background in social enterprise, community engagement, social innovation, and international development. He has a Masters in Environmental Studies at York University, specializing in urban planning, where his research focused on big data and urban planning, as well as a certificate in public administration from Ryerson University, Toronto and a degree in business administration from the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi.

Nabeel currently serves on the board of the Tessellate Institute, a charitable Muslim research institute, and was selected as an Aga Khan Foundation Canada Fellow in 2013-2014. In his spare time, Nabeel enjoys hiking, cooking, watching or playing cricket, and for a few glorious weeks in the summer, enjoying Pakistani mangoes.

Recently, Sakariya has worked to shift educational pipelines and inclusion efforts with his alma-mater, Ivey School of Business as a member of the EDI Council and a founder of BSIC (Black Students at Ivey Collective). He’s been able to help Ivey revamp their EDI strategy and partner with the private sector to implement transformative programming to Black students and advocate on their behalf to administration.

Sakariya is passionate about distributing opportunity and access to disenfranchised communities, especially those experiencing housing. Previously, he’s been part of a group of 10 young people across Toronto who worked on a Youth Engagement Strategy to help the city of Toronto how it can engage with disenfranchised and disinterested youth in their 20-year plan.

Additionally, he’s been involved as a Youth Fellow in the City of Toronto and has been featured on CBC Radio on numerous occasions regarding his work representing his community at various levels in Toronto.

Prior to joining the IMF, Ziana held increasingly senior positions within the federal government at Health Canada and Finance Canada, including as Assistant Chief of Staff to the Deputy Minister of Finance. Through this experience, Ziana has had the opportunity to work on a wide range of files, including affordable housing, national pharmacare and COVID-19 response measures for businesses, and has been deeply involved in the coordination of several federal budgets.
Ziana also has experience in the non-profit sector, working as a monitoring and evaluation advisor for CARE Malawi on the Southern African Nutrition Initiative.
Ziana holds a Bachelor of Arts and Science from McMaster University and a Master of Economics from the University of Toronto.

Tatheer is also on the Board of a local non-profit, Carty House, which provides transitional housing for women asylum seekers. She additionally led the Canadian Youth Delegation to the OECD 2018 Forum in Paris, France, and was a delegate with the Young Canadian Leaders Delegation to Germany in December 2018.

Tatheer holds a Masters of Science in Migration Studies from St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford and a Bachelors in Public Affairs and Policy Management from Carleton University.

Graham Anderson is an entrepreneur with a passion for solutions that conserve resources, improve livelihoods and support healthy communities.

Graham currently works with Ecotrust Canada as a Financial Strategist, where he brings seven years’ hands-on experience developing, launching and expanding social enterprises to his work with communities. In this role, Graham supports the development of businesses that are locally owned and community-driven, with a special focus on projects that support Indigenous communities to reduce the use of oil and diesel in heating local homes and buildings.

Graham is a Co-founder of Shift Delivery, an innovative business that uses cargo tricycles for goods distribution, and he serves on the board of East End Food Co-op in Vancouver as President and Marketing Committee Chair.

As an engaged citizen, Graham has served as a member of the City of Vancouver’s Active Transport Policy Council, attended the United Nations Climate Conference in Copenhagen as a Canadian Youth Delegate and developed a range of advocacy campaigns targeting democratic reform, regional transit improvements and climate action.

Graham studied Economics, Dialogue and Sustainable Community Development at Simon Fraser University. In his spare time, Graham loves playing ukulele, going on bike trips, and singing karaoke.

He has served in elections observation missions with Mission Leadership Québec in Guatemala, and with CANADEM in Ukraine. He is also on the United Nations’ Department of Peacekeeping Operations’ civilian expert roster, and works with the UN’s Alliance of Civilizations’ initiative to bridge the Western and Muslim worlds. In 2013 he was named a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum. His Twitter handle is @IanBAnderson.

Dale’s aspirations include the creation of an organization in Alberta which will advocate for and empower iyiniw children, families, and their communities. Dale currently works for the Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom Centre which provides second and third-level support services for band-operated schools across Alberta ensuring that iyiniw children learn their ways, their history, their customs, and their traditions.

Outside of school and work, Dale is a newly appointed kanawemawasîwapîwin Board Member for the maskêkosak newowacistwan nâtamâkêwin society which oversees the support services for children, youth, and families in maskêkosak (Enoch Cree Nation, AB). She is also a volunteer with Weaving Threads: An Indigenous Engagement Program with Kids Help Phone which aims to increase awareness of Kids Help Phone Services amongst iyiniw children and youth.

Dale notes that her greatest and most important role is that of a wife, mother, and grandmother. In her spare time, she can either be found in the bleachers of a hockey rink or a baseball field cheering on her children.

These experiences heightened her interest in international investment law, and lead her to pursue a graduate degree in law at the University of Toronto. As a graduate student in law she focused her studies on topics related to investment law, and her research was focused on the impact of the Investment Canada Act on foreign investment in Canada.

Jennifer serves as a volunteer summer camp counselor at Camp Ooch, a camp for kids affected by childhood cancer; and is actively involved with the organization throughout the year. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Math from McGill University, a Master of Arts in Economics, and a Master of Studies in Law both from the University of Toronto.

Michelle joined the federal public service through the Advanced Policy Analyst Program, a rotational development program that includes placements at the three central agencies. Over the course of her career, Michelle has had the opportunity to work on a wide range of files, including mental health, youth employment, pharmacare, and coordination of the federal Budget. In 2017, she was selected to participate in Canada Beyond 150, a Government of Canada leadership and skills development program, where she explored innovative policy tools through a project on reconciliation.

Michelle also serves as a Director on the Board of the Education Foundation of Ottawa, whose mission is to remove economic barriers to successful learning and participation in school.

Michelle holds a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management from Carleton University and a Master of Public Policy from Simon Fraser University.

Paul has spent the last decade designing interventions focused on improving outcomes for Black children, youth and families as it relates to: health and well-being, community violence, mental health and addictions, and the social service sector. His work is currently focused on social planning, health equity, and addressing the causes of neighbourhood distress and inequality.

Japman is passionate about learning and applying new skills, technologies, and frameworks to create more resilient, innovative, and valuable products, organizations, and systems. He is a past Board Member of the Trans Canada Trail and serves on a number of global committees related to education and skills development.

Driven by a more equitable, more accessible, and a higher quality of education, Japman focuses on enabling and empowering individuals through skills validation. Currently, Japman serves as Executive Vice President of Vametric Corporation, and is responsible for the overall growth and operationalization of the business.

Born and raised in Ottawa, Japman spent seven years living in Alberta, and now lives in Toronto. Outside of his work with Vametric, he facilitates real estate financing for large commercial projects, focusing on multi-residential housing amidst Canada’s current housing crisis. Outside of work, he’s most likely to be found on his bike, at a coffee shop, at a stand-up comedy show, or with family and friends.