Lisa stepped into an interim board member position at SALCO in 2019. Lisa is a human rights, employment, and labour lawyer, and has worked throughout her career to improve access to justice for marginalized Ontarians. Having worked with a few Toronto legal clinics since her call to the bar, she truly understands and fully supports the vision and the daily practice of community legal clinic work. As a South Asian person, Lisa has also personally witnessed and understood the limits of these community legal clinics in their ability to provide appropriate legal services to our diverse South Asian communities.

Alizeh is a CPA (Chartered Professional Accountant) and is also a CA and CFA. She currently works with the Ontario Securities Commission with a focus on compliance and risk management. Alizeh has also volunteered her time with War Against Rape in Pakistan, and is connected to the work that SALCO does in multiple South Asian communities in Ontario.

Mackinder has a strong financial background and is currently a working at Sunlife Financial as a
Manager in the Reporting and Analysis Department, where he reviews financial
reporting to ensure compliance and alignment with the company’s mandate. Mackinder
is also working towards their Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation with
an expected completion in 2024. In the application to become a SALCO Board member
Mackinder noted a view that most institutions are inherently flawed, where the intended
demographics are not actually benefitting from their policies. Mackinder hopes to
volunteer with an organization that is actually helping. Mackinder also noted that a lot of
individuals from our community, especially the newcomers, are working multiple
jobs, are barely making ends meet, are getting taken advantage of by their employers,
their landlords, and he wants to be apart of an organization that champions against all
that.

Kish Mahmud is currently a Commercial Account Manager, RBC Commercial. Her role includes the implementation of robust market plan to achieve and exceed growth targets ensuring client centric execution and the analysis of financial statements for Not for Profit Clients. Kish has an extensive background in banking and financial management. Kish is hoping to leverage her education, work experience in the not for profit sector as well as her personal life experience with an organization whose values aligned with her own. She hopes to bring her own diverse background to the Board. Having both South Asian and Indigenous heritage, she feels strongly that the work the SALCO does is essential to create a healthy and sustainable ecosystem for an equitable future for all.

Priyanka is a lawyer
who practices in estates and civil litigation. Priyanka is deeply committed to supporting
South Asian causes. She was the President of the South Asian Law Students’
Association and was also mentored other South Asian women through the South Asian
Women Legal Mentorship Program. Priyanka was honoured to receive the Student
Award from the South Asian Bar Association (SABA). She remains a member of SABA. Priyanka’s professional work in estate litigation, civil litigation, and public policy has
further exposed me to the systemic challenges many South Asians encounter when
navigating the legal system. These experiences fuelled her desire to be part of an
organization like SALCO that is dedicated to breaking down these barriers in a culturally
and linguistically sensitive manner. She hopes to bring her passion, experience, and
dedication to SALCO, whose values align with her own.

Rashmi’s passion for criminal law is fueled by the experiences of her family growing up in Malvern, a marginalized neighbourhood in Scarborough. During law school, Rashmi focused on studies in criminal law, participated in the Gale Cup Moot Competition, and volunteered with the Queen’s Legal Aid Clinic and Prison Law Clinic, in order to gain as much practical experience as possible. After law school, Rashmi worked at Hicks Adams LLP, where, she conducted preliminary hearings and trials, numerous pre-trials, contested bail hearings, guilty pleas, sentencing hearings, and parole hearings. Rashmi now runs her own practice in criminal law. Rashmi is also one of the founding members of the Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty. It gives Rashmi great satisfaction to advocate for vulnerable and marginalized clients and recognizes that there is so much more to be done.  Rashmi currently works as a Crown Attorney in Ontario.

Shivali is a litigation lawyer specializing in employment and human rights law, who believes that creating greater access to justice is essential for positive change. She believes that the most meaningful change is born from work that integrates empathy and advocacy, and it is this belief that brought her to SALCO. Having experienced and observed the challenges faced by members of the South Asian community, Shivali values the opportunities, security, and guidance that SALCO’s initiatives provide, and hopes to be an ally in its mission. As a member of the Board of Directors, Shivali is eager to utilize her transferrable skills and passion to contribute to the ongoing growth and success of SALCO. In her spare time, you can find Shivali tackling sudoku puzzles and caring for any animal she comes across.

Shanjana currently works with the South Asian Women’s Rights Organization (SAWRO) as a
Women’s Activist Leader where she has participated in organizing and implementing
GBSV education programs, events, and training sessions. She also has a legal
background with a law degree and masters in law from Bangladesh. Shanjana’s interest
in joining the SALCO Board stems from her long-standing commitment to social justice
and her desire to empower the South Asian community in Ontario. She has always been
passionate about advocating for marginalized communities and ensuring everyone can
access legal resources and support. She hopes to bring a unique perspective to the
Board, combining her professional expertise with a personal commitment to the South
Asian community, her connection to the low-income Bangladeshi community, and her
background in legal practice, community outreach, and policy development will allow.

Chrishyami is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) who is now the Director of HR at the Canada Revenue Agency (Ontario Region), after several years as Assistant Director of Staffing and Recruitment. She served as the Employment Equity Champion as well as the Recruitment champion at the CRA and is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion.

She has also been involved in a variety of volunteer initiatives over the years, including being a former member of the GenNext Cabinet at United Way Greater Toronto and serving as chair of Golden Future South Africa, a volunteer led initiative aimed at empowering South Asian Youth to be leaders in their community. Chrishyami is committed to supporting the important work that SALCO does and ensure their continued success in supporting the most vulnerable. Her extensive HR experience is a significant asset to the board.

Rutvi is a second year law student at the University of Ottawa. Rutvi spent the summer of 2023 working at SALCO as a law stu-dent and got to learn a lot about the amazing work the staff there do. As her time at SALCO was ending, at the end of summer, she found myself seeking an avenue to continue to be part of the important work SALCO does. As a Board of Directors member, Rutvi plans to actively take part in supporting governance that allows SALCO to make the impact that they do on the lives of thousands of South Asians. As a law student, it will also allow her to bring forward the student perspective to discussions as well as allow learning how Board of Director decisions are made.

Tahlee is a human rights consultant
with the Toronto Transit Commission, and a foreign trained lawyer with a Masters in International Human
Rights. Her legal skills along with her demonstrated interest and experience in human rights issues will be a valuable asset to SALCO, including input into our own internal work with the United Nations. Tahlee has been
working exclusively with human rights issues in Ontario for 12 years in both the public and private sectors. At
mid-level in her career with significant expertise in the Ontario Human Rights Code, strategic direction, workplace investigations and law/policy analysis, she is seeking an opportunity that will allow them to utilize this experience to serve the South Asian community.

Marium is a seasoned legal professional, with extensive work experience in human resources, governance and compliance, and project management. Currently working for a children’s mental health agency in Toronto funded for by the Ministry of Health, Marium has a Master of Laws in International Human Rights with a focus on Refugee Law from University of London. She has previously worked for Amnesty International at the International Secretariat in London, UK leading its global campaign on the War on Terror and Guantanamo. In Toronto, Marium has previously served on the Board of Directors for Amnesty International Toronto and was one of organizers of the AI Toronto REEL Awareness Film Festival.