PRIDE TORONTO - BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATES · 2020-01-29 · PRIDE TORONTO - BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATES ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES UP FOR ELECTION K W A S I K Y E I M E N S AH He/Him

PRIDE TORONTO - BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATES ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES UP FOR ELECTION

ALYSSA MOHABIR

She/Her

My name is Alyssa Mohabir. I am a queer woman of colour (pronouns she/her) – specifically coming from an Indo-Caribbean background. I have a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from York University and a Bachelor’s of Arts (Honours) in Political Studies from Queen’s University. Career-wise, I am soon to start my new job as a Senior Investor Relations Specialist in the corporate banking sector. As a queer woman of colour, I am concerned with the corporatization of the Toronto Pride Parade, as well as with representation within the organization of Pride Toronto itself. Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the entire world, and the board should be reflective of this. If elected, I will endeavour to give voice to the marginalized. Pride Toronto needs the input of women, of people of colour, of trans and non-binary people, of people of varying abilities, of colonized communities, of young people, just to name a few. Pride Toronto needs to belong to the people, not be under the purview of a privileged few, or big business. In my career, I have extensive experience working with multiple sensitive clients on a daily basis. I know what it is to be able to juggle various priorities, visions, and goals. I also have been regularly rewarded in a professional capacity for my communication skills. It is so important to be able to communicate the wishes of the community to the board in order to shape the events run by this organization, as well as ensure that there is clear communication from the board to the community, as historically, this has been an area which could use improvement as we move forward to the next iteration of the board. Lastly, a little bit about me as a person. I’m 27, and am an only child but have a massive extended family. I am all about family, friends, and especially my dog Remus. I’m a big foodie and an animal lover. My hobbies include reading, baking, and watching tv with my dog. I’m an open book, so feel free to ask me any questions. I would love to be a part of the board of Pride Toronto and to grow and move forward together.

55 Berkeley St. Toronto, ON M5A 2W5 | pridetoronto.com | @pridetoronto


KWASI KYEI MENSAH

He/Him

Kwasi Kyei Mensah holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Film and Television Production from the National Film and Television Institute in Accra, Ghana and for the most part of the previous decade had been working in communications and external relations for leading gold producer Newmont Mining Corporation’s Africa regional operations. In this role, Kwasi enhanced the corporation’s brand reputation and stakeholder engagement by aligning stakeholders with Africa's business objectives and priorities using strategic digital media tools as integrated into the overarching communications strategy. He also worked extensively with a number of other multinational and regional organizations, supporting economic empowerment, organizational effectiveness and growth strategies on short to long term contractual agreements within the industries of agritech, digital and social media marketing, media and entertainment, oil and gas, real estate and luxury travel and technology. Some notable associations are leading firms like Apex Advertising, Esoko, iFlix, NKACC, Vivo Energy Ghana (Royal Dutch Shell licensee), and Eagles Properties. In the areas of personal projects, Kwasi in 2017 put up a solo art exhibition titled Immanuel, inspiring patrons to see the beauty in love through a showcase of powerful black and white portraits and thought-provoking landscape renderings. Since arriving in Canada in the summer of 2018, Kwasi has lent his far-reaching business experience to the nonprofit sector, taking on the responsibility of growing and maintaining an engaged online presence for the Blackstone Foundation Library. In the AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) sector, Kwasi has established deep connections with key players within the African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) communities working with the Black Coalition on AIDS Prevention and the African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO). Kwasi is passionate about creative storytelling, documentary film and black and white photography and is deeply inspired by love, community and the power there lies in the collective consciousness and is currently chronicling stories of Love within Toronto’s African, Carribean and Black communities, with a focus on its often misrepresented and under-represented queer folk.



SAMANTHA FRASER

She/Her

Samantha Fraser is a queer community builder and realtor, living in the west end of Toronto. With almost 20 years of working in digital media, marketing, and non-profit event planning, she brings her enthusiasm for details and helping people to her career in reality. She is the founder of Playground, an intersectional and inclusive Toronto conference, historically focusing on all things sexuality, and expanding in July 2020 to focus also on many areas of self and community care. Samantha is one of two hosts of the long-running Tell Me Something Good storytelling events that take place bi-monthly at Glad Day Bookshop. She takes great pride in watching people blossom at all of the events she plans, big or small. Born in England, she has lived in many places including a barn in small-town Nova Scotia and the Tim Horton’s Camp in Northern Ontario. She loves travelling and mid-century modern, goes antiquing frequently, works hard to use her privilege for good, watches a lot of Star Trek, and deals with invisible disabilities daily. She lives with her two partners and multiple rescue cats, and would live with more if she could; cats that is. Samantha has led sex-ed and relationship workshops locally and at various conferences, including Momentum in DC, Playground, Atlanta Poly Weekend, and PolyCon Vancouver, where she was the keynote in 2013 sharing her book Not Your Mother's Playground. She has advocated for a better understanding of alternative relationships on/in CBC DocZone’s Thoroughly Modern Marriage & The Truth About Female Desire, Sirius XM's Todd Shapiro Show, CHCH News, NewsTalk 1010, Toronto Life, SexMatters TV, InnerSPACE, The Globe & Mail, Xtra, National Post, Metro, The Toronto Sun, and Filament Magazine. If not helping tenant clients fight against crooked landlords, decorating a house for sale, or planning an event, you can find her dreaming of future projects or the beach, while on the Internet or at 2 am when she probably should be sleeping.



JAD JABER

He/Him

Jad Jaber, Ph.D., is a social inclusion and gender expert, with a Doctorate from the European Graduate School, whose work focuses on gender equality and queer rights in the Arab and North Africa region. Bringing representation to some of the most vulnerable minorities in the world, Jaber is also a local artist whose surrealist mixed-media paintings promote consciousness-raising and cultural change in local communities. With publications by local and international institutions, including his 2018 publication, “Queer Arab Language” and his book, “Queer Arab Martyr” on Amazon, his identity-politics research in war-affected refugee/migrant communities, and lectures in the fields of queer theory and gender. Jaber has influenced youth and the academic community alike. He is currently implementing his second Workshop with ASAAP on “Collective healing through the Queer Migrant Community”. His first workshop was part of the “Naked Heart” Program in collaboration with GLAD Day Library on “Sensationalizing Queerness in the Middle East”. Jad’s Post-doctorate was focused on Feminist Economics, which falls in line with his WEE (Women Economic Empowerment) work with major international organizations, such as the World Bank and Save The Children, as a social expert (He is a certified Social Expert by the World Bank). Most recently, my work is focused on Queer Migrant Studies in Toronto. Issues that pertain to Queer Arabs migrants include Integration & Acculturation (A sensitive process that also includes supplementing them with culturally specific and nuanced knowledge to protect and root them), Inclusiveness, Psycho-emotional healing, Language Barriers, the initial “Shock” of being subjected to Global North Queer culture, as well as issues of awareness and health protection (HIV infections amongst new-coming queer PR has been discussed in certain research forums). This proposal also aims to expand towards other Global South minority communities in Toronto, such as Asian, Indian, Pakistani and African Diasporas.

SHAKIR RAHIM

He/Him

Shakir is a queer racialized man and a criminal defence lawyer. He has extensive prior board and governance experience in the LGBTQ2+ community. Shakir presently serves on the board of the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) where he is a member of the Leadership & Governance Committee. He previously served on the boards of JusticeTrans, the Prisoners with HIV/AIDS Support Action Network (PASAN), and the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP). Through his board experience, Shakir has been involved with policy development and formulation, strategic planning, Executive Director recruitment, financial oversight, stakeholder management, community outreach, and media relations. Shakir has also served the LGBTQ2+ community as an advisor and advocate. He is a member of the Poz Prevention Working Group of the Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance of Ontario (GMSH) and the Canadian Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization (CCRHC). In 2018, in the aftermath of the McArthur case, he co-led ASAAP’s advocacy campaign to establish the ongoing Independent Civilian Review into Missing Person Investigations. He also served on the Working Group that recommended the Review’s form, terms of reference, and Chair. Shakir has worked more broadly with diverse communities at the Community and Legal Aid Services Programme, a legal clinic in the Jane & Finch community, and Fair Change Community Services, which serves persons who are housing insecure. He holds a BA in political science from the University of Toronto and a JD from Osgoode Hall Law School, where he graduated with awards for excellence in criminal law, professionalism, legal ethics, and community service.



AL GNUS

He/Him

[PICTURE NOT SUBMITTED]

Hello everyone, thank you for this opportunity to tell you a bit about myself. For me, one of the highlights of the year is the incredible feeling of joy and exhilaration, when as a participant in the Pride Parade, the Parade turns the corner from Bloor to proceed down Yonge, knowing that for the next hour or so about one million people will be smiling and cheering and clapping and celebrating who we are. It is a powerful statement and instills within me a deep sense of gratitude for the amazing, diverse, inclusive community that we have here in Toronto. Of course the Parade and all the other Pride events are the result of the expertise, dedication and hard work of Pride and its members and volunteers. I would like to help - I’m a flexible, positive team player who is eager to meet challenges and is committed to professionalism and successful results. For the last two years, I have been a volunteer at ACT. Here are some of the skills obtained in a career in several institutions in the financial services industry: Active listener who was able to accurately reflect client concerns to team members in order to address the situation; Effective communicator with team members across all levels of the organization as well as external legal, audit and accounting professionals; Experience with financial statements; and Experience with contracts and agreements.

BRENNAN SARICH

He/Him

Brennan Sarich (he/him) is a communications and marketing professional with experience working for non-profits, small and medium-sized businesses and charities. Some of his interests: Youth and education; Housing affordability for low-income individuals and families; Mental health support services and system improvement; Supporting local charities. He currently works as a digital communications specialist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). He attended Centennial College for Corporate Communications and Public Relations and went on to be a freelance public relations and marketing consultant for several years before a growing interest in applying his skills in the charitable and non-profit sector. Professional Competencies and Achievements: Charitable and non-profit communications management; including crisis communications; Digital innovation (apps, marketing, design); Social media growth and communications management. His goal in joining the board is to help build communities, inclusivity and engagement for the membership and stakeholders of Pride Toronto. He currently resides in downtown Toronto and is originally from Saskatoon, SK. He enjoys doing portrait photography and creating videos in his spare time.



ZAC SCHRAEDER He/Him

Zachary (Zac) defines himself first and foremost as a compassionate listener. He believes there is profound power in giving time and space to people to express their authentic, imperfect, evolving selves. Being listened to and seen is paramount in cultivating learning, change, and healing. He carries this with him in his career, personal life, and volunteer work. Professionally, Zac is an academic advisor, coach, and wellness educator at a Toronto college where his main role is to assist students one-on-one to visualize their goals, create plans for success, develop vital professional and self-care skills, and realize their own greatness. His goal is to see every student graduate and enjoy the fruits of their success. His next professional step is becoming a registered psychotherapist within the next year. He also sits on the Board of Directors for Adler Graduate Professional School in Toronto where he assists with the development of policies and procedures for the school’s programs in psychology, coaching, and continuing education for mental health professionals. Zac is a world traveller and is especially passionate about critiquing travel in terms of its whiteness, colonialism, cisnormativity, and heteronormativity. He has been a frequent guest on Alpaca My Bags, a Canadian travel podcast with an identity-first perspective on travel, where he has discussed issues related to travelling as a queer person, mindful travel, and how travel affects local populations. He is also a contributor to Pressed Magazine and Reader’s Digest Canada where he has written about queer travel among other topics. In his free time, Zac volunteers with the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture where he has helped refugees and victims of torture transition into life in Toronto. He has also spoken openly and candidly about his personal experiences as a survivor of a child to parent violence, most notably at Toronto’s 2018 Stand up for Passion . Zac endeavours to be on the Pride Toronto Board of Directors because he believes that the organization can leverage its influence and prominence to become an advocacy and outreach organization that focuses much more on education and mental health year-round. Pride is political, it is a celebration, it is representation & advocacy, and it is not confined to one month a year. It is also no secret that Pride Toronto has a history of not listening to its membership when making decisions. Refer to the first paragraph of this bio for how Zac seeks to change that. Finally, Zac also profoundly values diversity. The candidates you have been presented with are capable and qualified, there is no question. He kindly asks that you consider voting for candidates who are black, indigenous, people of colour, trans, women and who are from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds to ensure this happens – even if it means not voting for him. The Pride Toronto Board of Directors should, above all else, reflect the community it represents.



SHAHBAZ MAMDANI He/Him

Power of empowering… I believe in the power of uninhibited passion, the truth that triumphs over; over-committing and under delivering and in being nimble. I am a communications marketing professional, who works and volunteers for LGBTQI2S communities and social causes for effective and transparent campaign management and empowerment of its people. Some of my work spans across Pride Toronto 2019 (Volunteer member), BeADonor(Organ donor Advocate), CAS(Children’s Aid Society of Toronto – Registered Volunteer), Alliance for South Asian AIDS prevention (Former Communication Manager- 2019), Maple Leaf Clinic (PrEP advocacy for LGBTQI2S South Asian communities). As a strategist at the helm of all things, communications can have its perks and creative constraints. With diverse skill set and humility, backing my learnings stemmed from working on some diverse clientele, I have honed the power of conquering over "disease to please." With real power comes all the more rational backing and firm footing at providing unconventional thinking, uninhibited creativity, measured and sustained outcome. Remarkably so, I believe in liberating myself, my teams, and my clients. I relieved them of the mundane, humdrum of life and getting stuck in a rut called conservative ROI. Some of my best campaigns, synergized work, strategic y-o-y plans have been a result of being trusted, empowered and empowering my clients and team/s.


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PRIDE TORONTO - BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATES · 2020-01-29 · PRIDE TORONTO - BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATES ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES UP FOR ELECTION K W A S I K Y E I M E N S AH He/Him