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Growing up in South Asia and the Middle East, Tania witnessed poverty and marginalization first-hand. It was her experiences living abroad that has taught her the importance of giving back.Tania’s previous work experiences include being an outreach speaker for an international development organization, working at a consulting firm supporting charities with their capital campaigns and as a youth leader and mentor for immigrants and refugees at a youth organization for two years. Currently, she is working with Humber River Hospital and its donors in supporting their $225 million campaign to build the first fully digital hospital in North America.

Shehzad is passionate about the not-for-profit sector and places a great value in family, relationships, health and the community. He is a Corporate Development Specialist at The Arthritis Society. Shehzad comes to the not for profit sector after over 20 years in the corporate sector where he worked  as an engineer, management consultant, corporate account manager and project manager.

Shehzad has an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arizona. His interests include biking, swimming and skiing.

Sara is currently the Autism Spectrum Disorder ConnectABILITY Project Coordinator at Autism Ontario. Since 2012 she has worked as a project manager in a variety of industries such as IT, eLearning, Film and Fundraising. From the age of 17 Sara worked in the field of Indigenous advocacy as a researcher for land and human rights claims. In 2010 she attained an MA in Public Archaeology from University College London with a thesis about First Nations cultural resources ‘co-management’ in Ontario. Sara counts herself lucky, having survived a polar bear encounter on an excavation in Nunavut and for finding a new line of work that does not require one to carry a double-barreled shotgun. Sara is very much looking forward to the AFP Inclusive Philanthropy Fellowship: meeting the other fellows, connecting with her mentor and learning more about the ever-evolving field of fundraising. Sara lives in Toronto and in her spare time sings with The Annex Singers.

Salomeh Ahmadi is a creative community builder. She has been working in community development for over six years. Her passion is engaging and empowering communities in order to unleash opportunities. She loves to come up with new solutions to complex problems through collaboration and creativity. She has founded the group Rexdale Lab, works currently for Pathways to Education and sits on the Lakeshore Arts Board and with AVNU.ca as Advisory. She successfully facilitates process efficiency through workshops, consultations and resource sharing in various areas in non-profit and is passionate to help social causes flourish. Follow her on Twitter @SalomehA

Mimosa is currently working at Soulpepper Theatre as a Development Manager. Upon completion of Humber College’s Fundraising Management program, Mimosa began her not-for-profit career in special events and sponsorship. Mimosa holds a BA Honours degree in Global Development Studies and History from Queen’s University and is currently working towards a MA in Communications at the University of Leicester. She is a consultant and workshop facilitator for the Youth Advocacy Training Institute. Mimosa is also a bookworm, pop culture enthusiast, wannabe globetrotter and sometimes blogger.

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Melodie was born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario. A University of Toronto graduate, Melodie has spent her career working in non-profits.

Melodie has worked for CNEWA Canada since 2012. Based in Ottawa, Catholic Near East Welfare Association supports Eastern Christians and churches, primarily in the Middle East. As Development Officer, she implements fundraising activities and shares about CNEWA’s international work.

Prior to CNEWA, she volunteered and worked for NET Ministries of Canada. Melodie continues to volunteer with various initiatives, sharing her musical talents and mentoring young adults. She is passionate about making a difference in the world around her.

You can find her at http://ca.linkedin.com/in/melodiegabriel and @melodiegabriel.

Lucia has worked in the not-for-profit sector for over 7 years and has a range of experience from working with government grant funding programs and large performing arts organizations to managing a small grassroots organization. Currently, Lucia is the Fund Development Officer at Sandgate Women’s Shelter, an organization that prides itself in working within a feminist, intersectional and anti-racist/anti-oppressive framework. A passionate traveller, Lucia feels most at ease while completely lost in a different culture and discovering what the world has to teach her. Lucia is delighted to be part of the Fellowship in Inclusion and Philanthropy and is looking forward to learning from her peers and mentors!

I have worked in the not-for-profit sector in design, communications and fundraising for most of my career, both in Canada and in Zimbabwe, my home country. Currently I am enjoying my role in resource development at the Mennonite Coalition for Refugee Support (MCRS) in Kitchener-Waterloo. There is an African Proverb; “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, you must go together.” The power of partnership and community is a vastly under used resource in our society, and I look forward to developing more of both through my involvement with the AFP.

Irshad Osman is a non-profit professional with extensive experience in corporate fund raising, project management, relationship building, and inter-faith activities. He is currently the Director of Development at Silent Voice Canada, a social service agency that serves the Deaf community in the GTA.

Irshad Osman volunteers his time with many Toronto-based organizations. He serves as the Director of Interfaith Relations, Cordoba Centre for Civic Engagement and Leadership and as a Steering Committee Member of ISARC and TAIC, Toronto-based coalitions to take action against poverty in Ontario.

He is also a frequent guest speaker at institutions where he promotes greater inter-community relations, co-existence, and active citizenship.

Prior to joining Silent Voice Canada, Irshad Osman worked as a Resource Development manager at United Way Toronto overseeing a fundraising portfolio worth of 3.5 Million Dollars.

He holds a graduate degree in Public Policy and Management from the University of Manchester, UK and undergraduate degree training in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Leiden, Netherlands and Naleemiah International University, Sri Lanka.

Frankie Chow is a passionate donor and fundraiser with over 4 years of experience working with not-for-profit organizations. Having been involved with philanthropy and volunteerism all his life, Frankie pursued his career in the not-for-profit sector through the Fundraising Management Program at Humber College. A lover of all things digital, technical, and social – Frankie has a keen interest in social media, digital marketing, and database technology to support data-driven fundraising campaigns. Frankie is currently the Coordinator, Database & Analytics at Southlake Regional Health Centre Foundation and also worked with a variety of other organizations such as Hospice Toronto, Belmont House, and Villa Charities. He is also involved with the professional fundraising community through his volunteer work with conferences that promote networking and learning for his fellow fundraisers such as Be Good Be Social in Toronto and York Region. Frankie is very excited to be a part of the AFP Diversity Fellowship Program and having the opportunity to examine ways he can bridge together the Chinese community with Canada’s passion for philanthropy.

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