Team

Iryna is a research and development professional with experience in non-profit and international sectors, working primarily with women and immigrant-serving organizations. She has a doctoral degree in Comparative Gender Studies with specialization in Sociology and Social Anthropology and a master’s degree in Education. Experienced trainer and facilitator, she worked with the Global Learning and Development Center of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, delivering workshops on people management and performance conversation to equip managers with the tools to provide fair feedback and support a truly inclusive work environment.

Iryna’s research interests in migrant women and their community networks brought her in close contact with the vibrant world of women’s NGOs back in 2009, and she has been working with women’s organizations ever since, supporting them as a grant writer and reporting specialist. Strategic thinker and problem solver, she enjoys helping organizations to identify new opportunities and secure resources for established and emerging projects.

Shelly has an incredible wealth of life experience, reflective of her ability to be hands-on and creative, yet analytical. She has worked in the trades as a welder-fabricator and in the film industry as a Special Effects Technician.

She received a Master of Fine Arts and is an accomplished photographer and sculptor. Needing a lifestyle beyond the city, she developed her own farm. She also managed and raised funds for agri-food businesses.

She has a great capacity for analytical writing and helping people achieve success with their projects. Her rich life experience affords her great understanding and the power to write with knowledge.

Shirin brings over 20 years of leadership experience in many not-for-profit agencies in Canada and internationally. She has a Masters’ degree in Public Policy Administration and Law from York University and a Post Degree Diploma in Not-for-Profit Management from University of Western Ontario. Trained in Governance and Leadership from Kellogg Schulich School of Business, she has worked in world renowned agencies along with agencies serving many ethnic and diverse groups in Toronto.

Shirin is the CEO of GrantX Inc. and is a member of board of Heritage Toronto. She was also a member of McMicheal Women’s Council, was board member of Toronto Food Policy Council, Arab Community Centre of Toronto and served two terms as a national board of director for Aga Khan Education Services in India, where she played an active role in enhancing the primary education program funded by the European Union and World Bank.

Iryna is a research and development professional with experience in non-profit and international sectors, working primarily with women and immigrant-serving organizations. She has a doctoral degree in Comparative Gender Studies with specialization in Sociology and Social Anthropology and a master’s degree in Education. Experienced trainer and facilitator, she worked with the Global Learning and Development Center of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, delivering workshops on people management and performance conversation to equip managers with the tools to provide fair feedback and support a truly inclusive work environment.

Iryna’s research interests in migrant women and their community networks brought her in close contact with the vibrant world of women’s NGOs back in 2009, and she has been working with women’s organizations ever since, supporting them as a grant writer and reporting specialist. Strategic thinker and problem solver, she enjoys helping organizations to identify new opportunities and secure resources for established and emerging projects.

Sahar is an experienced finance professional with 10 years of experience in the banking, not-for-profit and public sector. Her specialization includes executing on business cases to support investment decisions, M&A and divestitures, strategy, and operations.

Sahar holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and is a CPA. She is also a guest lecturer for BBA and IMBA classes at the Schulich School of Business.

Sahar has a strong passion for helping those in need and a passion for the arts. She has previously served on the board for a few not-for-profit organizations in the areas of education and poverty/hunger.

Blesy is a connoisseur in public relations, development and promotion of the organization. She has been working for the welfare of women and children for over 3 years. Being the co-founder of Shekinah Charitable Trust, she focused on employment of women in rural areas of India. At John Wiley & Sons Publications, she worked as a Project Editor for more than 3 years.

After completing her bachelor’s in engineering, she is currently pursuing her studies in Worship leadership in Whitby, Canada. Her desire to help the needy and work for the empowerment of women, which she believes is never quenching. She also has a passion for singing and has been a Worship Leader for 12 years.

Shelly has an incredible wealth of life experience, reflective of her ability to be hands-on and creative, yet analytical. She has worked in the trades as a welder-fabricator and in the film industry as a Special Effects Technician.

She received a Master of Fine Arts and is an accomplished photographer and sculptor. Needing a lifestyle beyond the city, she developed her own farm. She also managed and raised funds for agri-food businesses.

She has a great capacity for analytical writing and helping people achieve success with their projects. Her rich life experience affords her great understanding and the power to write with knowledge.

Jennifer Xu is an Experience Creator and Music Industry Aficionado. She has a BA degree in Arts Management and Music & Culture from the University of Toronto.

She creates once in a lifetime experiences for her audience, and has done this through leading diverse teams and overseeing numerous programming at multidisciplinary arts festivals such as ARTSIDEOUT; through creating equitable and inclusive platforms of expression while leading student associations and university departmental programming; through planning, marketing, and coordinating concerts, talks, and festivals for various renowned Toronto music organizations such as Soundstreams, Wavelength Music, Indie Week and Canadian Music Week.

Jennifer will be attending the Events and Experience Management masters program at Goldsmiths University in fall.