Mayra Gonzalez is a non-disabled, cisgender, heterosexual settler located on the unceded traditional territory of the Musqueam speaking people. She is a racialized, Mexican, immigrant from Colima, where she lived before moving to so-called Canada. Mayra has lived experiences with racial trauma, depression, and anxiety. She understands the complexities of navigating mental health challenges and connection between them and systemic oppression.

Mayra has facilitated connection and resiliency with diverse community members who have faced complex barriers by supporting them through her work and volunteering in non-profits, higher education settings, and social services organizations.

She recently graduated as a counsellor and is curious about the impact of the gender and racial discourses that shape the single narratives of women international students, immigrants, and refugees navigating their journeys through education and workplace environments in Canada. Her work as a counsellor is influenced by her unique blend of lived experiences and social identities.

Mayra centers justice-oriented values in her work, offering an integrative approach to therapy. She draws from client-centered, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive practices. Believing that counselling fosters resilience through self-understanding, awareness of the impact of the system, and positive change, she aligns her support with her clients’ aspirations. Mayra collaborates with clients through a transformative process, embracing vulnerability and uncertainty as the birthplace of possibilities. She cultivates a safe space where moments of choice can become clear, presenting learning opportunities while honoring clients’ current journeys.

When she’s not learning, Mayra enjoys chasing sunrises, practicing yoga, connecting with nature, savoring coffee, and engaging in meaningful conversations with people.

Ilhan Abdullahi is a dedicated community organizer, storyteller, and educator residing on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Committed to addressing health and social inequities, she focuses particularly on Black youth and newcomers. Drawing inspiration from her family’s journey as newcomers in Canada, Ilhan actively engages in community outreach, research, and organizing efforts to contribute to the collective liberation of the communities she is a part of. For the past 5 years, Ilhan has been working as the Health Promotion Lab Manager at RADIUS, running the ideation and business validation model programs centered on health equity. Most recently, she is currently pursuing a Ph.D. to explore the role of community organizing and social innovation in public health systems transformation. 

Imane Tounsi is passionate about community capacity building and the wealth of knowledge immigrants can bring to decision-making tables. Originally from Rabat, Morocco, she is an uninvited settler living and working on the stolen territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) & səlil̓wətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She is a holder of a Master’s degree in International Relations & Diplomacy and a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Communications from Juniata College in Central Pennsylvania. Having worked for different non-profits in the Lower Mainland has allowed her to work closely with immigrants and refugees where she created youth-led settlement programs with a human-centered, trauma-informed approach. Currently, she holds the position of Operations Manager with the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition (CDPC) where she gets to work along some incredible humans to change the narrative around substance use and advocate for the folks experiencing systemic marginalization.In her spare time, you’ll find her building community connections, most probably over food and dance.

My name is Amani Bagende (He/Him). A Canadian Citizen from Burundi, graduated from the American Hotel and Lodge Institute and awarded the Leadership Certificate from the Metro Vancouver Alliance. Founder and President of Swahili Vision International Association, the non for profit organization registered in BC since 2018 with mission to promote and educate all about the Swahili Cultural Heritage. The organization have been recognized in BC Legislature and acknowledged by BC Premier John Horgan and the Premier Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau since 2019 and recently awarded certificate from BC Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism(2020 and 2021) for his effort on the Intercultural Trust and Breaking barriers and currently Swahili language is in UBC programs,the organization is working in collaboration with Aboriginal Land Trust for the new, affordable housing project for indigenous and swahili people.

The Swahili Vision International Association’s goal is to create a Swahili Culture Centre in order to serve all individuals interested in the Swahili Cultural Heritage. My passion for building a stronger community comes after my experiences working with other NGOs back in 1996 when I co-founded the primary school for refugees marginalized children and families for Kitale refugees camp in Tanzania. After immigrated in I continue to work ,assist and serve refugees/new immigrants through the Immigration Services Society of BC in 2003 as an Interpreter for English and Swahili languages and after been working for Jet Set Sport and Co-sport for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic winter games I continue my passion of serving the marginalized people from the Vancouver Downtown Eastside and discover how people in communities are facing so many challenges I decided to join other communities people to found the Burundi Community Association of BC which I ended up to serve as a co-founder and Vice President.

Sean Ko is committed to challenging and dismantling systems of oppression, with a focus on creating spaces where equity and justice are prioritized. Through their experiences with forced migration and growing up in environments shaped by systemic oppression, they have come to understand that true belonging is found within communities that offer safety and truly believe in collective liberation.

Their work as an advocate and researcher is grounded in the principles of justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Over the years, Sean has collaborated with various community programs to confront the impacts of racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, elitism and ableism, particularly in the context of supporting LGBTQ+ refugee claimants and addressing the mental health challenges faced by refugees in British Columbia.

As a part of RADIUS’s grant development team, Sean is committed to making this grant accessible by moving away from traditional, restrictive funding practices that reinforce existing inequalities. They advocate for eliminating rigid spending requirements, overly burdensome and ableist reporting demands, and application processes that unfairly advantage those already in positions of privilege—such as prioritizing organizations with prior grant experience under the guise of ensuring trustworthiness. Sean believes that these conventional approaches can further marginalize and suppress the potential of resilient communities. Instead, they seek to create a grant process that is approachable, equitable, inclusive, and empowering to communities that have always fought for their right to thrive.

Sean aims to contribute to the creation of equitable opportunities that address the root causes of marginalization and exclusion. They believe in the importance of designing and advocating for spaces where people are not forced to exhibit resilience in the face of oppression but are instead supported in their full humanity.

Shraddha Varma is a passionate advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in the Canadian workforce. With a Master’s degree in Intercultural and International Communication and extensive experience in Marketing, her career has spanned roles in content creation, sales, client engagement, and employment services. She brings valuable grantmaking expertise to her work, focusing on supporting migrant and BIPOC communities through targeted funding initiatives. Through her involvement in the Migrant Systems Change Leadership program, Shraddha is developing a strategic plan to dismantle barriers, such as the requirement for local work experience, that hinder migrant workers’ opportunities.

Thábata da Costa (she/her/ela) loves to support organizations and communities in building caring spaces and driving systemic change. She works on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion strategies to enable organizations to foster supportive work environments and allow individuals to thrive. She works in collaboration with a broad diversity of stakeholders to co-design and collaboratively implement initiatives to support inclusivity through knowledge mobilization, policy and organizational change.

Thábata is an expert in socioeconomic development and holds a Master’s Degree in International Studies and an MBA in International Relations. She is passionate about cultures, and new ideas and understands diversity as a great advantage in our society. In her spare time, she can be found with her nose in a book or running on a trail at Stanley Park.

Yara (she/her) comes from a long and rooted ancestry of proud Palestinians who are Indigenous to the now-eradicated village of Berbera, Gaza. She settled on Coast Salish lands in 2018, where she has been unraveling the ways her life has been shaped by colonialism, from being born a refugee to challenging the idea of statehood. Yara’s professional and personal interests meet at the intersections of migrant justice and leadership, Indigenous sovereignty, and policy change. In her own time, Yara enjoys weightlifting, taking walks, sharing meals with friends, and cuddling with her cat.