Award Finalists
Community Excellence Award
Friend of the Community Award
Professional Excellence Award
Community Excellence Award
Friend of the Community Award
Professional Excellence Award
Abdifatah Hussein is a Somali Provincial Youth Outreach Worker, a certified mental health peer crisis responder, and the co-founder of Hidaayah House. He believes empowerment is one of the most liberating tools we can give a community, and it’s the bedrock of Hidaayah House, a collaborative movement, where he acts as its Co-Founder. He is currently a Provincial Youth Outreach Worker in the province of Ontario, a certified mental health peer support, a trusted crisis responder, host, facilitator and more.
Since he began this work he has hosted 200+ events and workshops ranging a wide number of topics, and has collaborated with a number of communities and individuals across the GTA to give underserved communities the resources needed to create their own solutions. Aside from creating creative spaces for our community to come together, most of his work centers around creating alternatives to communal crisis response, mental health intervention, and more. He sincerely believes in the power of love and positive reinforcement to create long-standing change.
The organization he co-founded, Hidaayah House, was born out of a dire need to address the dramatic increase in gun violence, incarceration rates, and drug use within the Somali Youth Diaspora and how they correlate with a decrease in socio-economic opportunities within the community. By providing emergency support to communities, and hosting creative events to bring people together, Hidaayah House has become a place that communities across the GTA can rely on. They hope to open a community centre in the future to have a consistent physical space that communities across the city can come to when they need support most.
Fitriya Mohamed is a basketball player, mentor, and activist for Muslim women in sports. Her love for sports, particularly basketball, began in an elementary school gym class in Canada after immigrating from Ethiopia. In her senior year of high school, she was awarded Female Athlete of the Year, becoming the first Muslim woman to win the award in her high school. Years later, she became the founder and Executive Director of MWSBL (Muslim Women’s Summer Basketball League), a Toronto-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering sisterhood and mentorship in an inclusive environment that empowers and advocates for Muslim women through basketball.
Fitriya holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from Brock University and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Sport Management in which her thesis focuses on Muslim female athletes’ advocacy and activist initiatives in sport. She is a basketball ambassador for Hijabi Ballers, a Toronto-based non-profit that seeks to recognize and celebrate the athleticism of Muslim girls and women. She is also a co-lead for one of their program called the Black Muslimah Fund, a program that aims to increase sport participation of Black Muslim girls and women in the Greater Toronto Area. Fitriya was named a change maker by Nike, the Toronto Star, and CBC Radio.
Haris Khan’s contributions extend far beyond his volunteer work, as he actively participates in initiatives that promote social justice, equality, and diversity.
Haris, through his leadership and professional abilities has made a notable difference in Canada. His contributions to charitable causes and his efforts to raise awareness of social issues in Canada were recognized in 2015 when he received the CBC Saskatchewan Future 40 Award. This prestigious honor acknowledged his exceptional achievement of raising over $25,000 for charity through his Stand Up for Change comedy show series, which supported numerous organizations.
Haris has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities through his involvement with the University of Regina Student Union (URSU). In 2017, he was elected as the Vice President of URSU, and the following year, he became the URSU President & University of Regina Board of Governor, representing over 15,000 students provincially and federally in Canada. His election to this position as a visible minority member marked a significant milestone in the history of the University of Regina. During his tenure, he introduced innovative programs and services that had a positive impact on the campus community. In recognition of his exceptional leadership and service to the U of R campus community, Haris was awarded the University of Regina President’s Awards for Service Excellence and RCE Saskatchewan Award.
In the face of personal tragedy during the COVID-19 pandemic, Haris exemplified resilience and dedication. Despite losing both of his parents to the virus within a short 3-month period, he continued to play an instrumental role in serving the citizens of Saskatchewan and uplifting the community of Regina. His professional contributions to the Saskatchewan Vaccine Verification project for eHealth Saskatchewan (Ministry of Health) led to his recognition with the Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Public Service by the Government of Saskatchewan in 2022.
To honor his late parents’ memory, Haris led and organized the Ramadan food drive, gathering a team of volunteers and raising donations from the Regina community during the COVID19 pandemic. The initiative aimed to home deliver hot meals to financially needy students and individuals who had lost family members to COVID-19. Haris’ compassionate act of delivering over 2,005 free hot meals for continuously 30 days, valued at over $20,000, received media coverage from local and international media outlet such as the BBC World (UK).
In 2023, Haris was honored by the Government of Canada with the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal in recognition of his remarkable contributions as a volunteer in Canada. His unwavering dedication and selfless service have had a profound impact on Canadian society. By embodying the values of inclusivity, respect, and compassion, Haris has effectively created a positive image of the Muslim community in Canada.
ISNA Canada is a non-profit organization in Canada that offers many programs and services to the Canadian community at large. During the COVID-19 pandemic, ISNA Canada re-adjusted its services and programs to serve the community through virtual programs and drive-thru community experiences. ISNA has three centers in Canada, located in Mississauga, Toronto and Yellowknife.
ISNA Canada strives to help Muslims put their faith into action by offering a variety of volunteer, educational and leadership opportunities. Some of these opportunities include: a monthly food bank that serves 600 families per month, programs like Walk the Talk that engages youth in community service, weekend Islamic and Arabic schools, Quran classes, kids camps and much more. With ISNA Canada’s vision for a community powered by youth, they are always looking for new ways to empower and energize young people to be catalysts for positive changes in the community.
Some of the other services that ISNA Canada provides to support Muslims include Islamically-integrated psychotherapy and mental health counseling, Halal certification, and outreach services like visiting the sick and food banks. They also offer a variety of programs for all ages in the community, such as community sports Islamic knowledge programs.
ISNA Canada is rising to the challenge of building a community powered by youth and have engaged over 1500 youth in their programs and services. They want to help youth flourish by giving them access to education, Islamic education loans a place to connect, and useful leadership roles to make their voices heard. ISNA offers a fun and safe space where youth in the community can host and participate in events that strengthen their brotherhood, sisterhood, and Islamic identity.
Muslimah Athletic Association (MAA) is an organization dedicated to providing exceptional sports and fitness opportunities for women in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
MAA’s mission is to create a space that empowers women to pursue their athletic aspirations while staying true to their values and identity. They understand the unique challenges that Muslim women face when it comes to engaging in athletic pursuits, such as cultural barriers, stereotypes, and the need for modesty. The organization aims to break these barriers and create an inclusive and supportive environment for women of all ages and fitness levels. enabling an atmosphere where women feel proud of their achievements and confident in expressing their individuality.
MAA programs and initiatives are designed to encourage women to embrace their passion for sports, push their limits, and reach their full potential. They offer a wide range of activities, including soccer, basketball, volleyball, dragon boat racing, boxing, and more.
Joining any league at the Muslimah Athletic Association means that you’ll be part of a vibrant community that celebrates diversity, empowers women, and breaks down societal barriers. Together, MAA strives to redefine the narrative surrounding Muslim women in sports and create a world where women can excel while staying true to their values. Women empower themselves, embrace their passion, and become unapologetic athletes with Muslimah Athletic Association.
Sania Chaudhry is a lawyer with Forte Workplace Law offering services to employers and employees in employment, labour and human rights matters, as well as conducting workplace investigations and respectful workplace training for clients in both Alberta and BC. Prior to that, she was Conduct Counsel at the Real Estate Council of Alberta, prior to which she practiced in family and immigration law. She is also a current part-time student at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law in their Masters of Law program, with her research focusing on critical race theory and administrative law in the context of reasonable apprehension of bias. She is also a sessional instructor at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law teaching critical race theory and law.
Sania is also a current Canadian Bar Association (CBA) Alberta Board Director, Board Liaison and Past Chair of the CBA Alberta Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Board Director of the Association of Women Lawyers Calgary, Outgoing Member of the CBA National Equality Subcommittee, Past President of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers – Western Chapter, Practice Group Leader and Secretary of The Advocates’ Society Regulatory & Administrative Law Group, Past Member of the Law Society of Alberta Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, Board Director of the Centre for Sexuality, Past Chair and Founder of the Alberta Chapter of the Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association and a Board Director for the National branch of the Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association.
Her op-ed highlighting intersectionality, gendered Islamophobia, and mental health in the legal profession was published in the Globe and Mail in 2022 and she has published other articles on EDI issues in the profession elsewhere as well over the years. She also spoke in 2022 at the Legal Education and Action Fund – Edmonton Equality Breakfast about gendered Islamophobia and concrete recommendations for change. In 2023, Sania spoke to members of the Alberta legislature about gendered Islamophobia and the need for an Islamophobia-specific provincial strategy.
Sania was appointed in 2022 onto the Alberta Anti-Racism Advisory Council and was promoted this year to Co-Chair of that Council. She also recently spoke on the CBA Every Lawyer Podcast about mental health in the legal profession, intersectionality, microaggressions, allyship, and tips for lawyers, law firms, and systemic recommendations for change to foster equity and wellness. She also recently spoke on the CCDI Leader Talks podcast about anti-Asian racism and gendered Islamophobia in the workplace and strategies to combat this in the workplace.
She was recognized in 2022 as a Top 30 Under 30 by the Alberta Council of Global Cooperation, the recipient of the Women Who Inspire Award by the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, and the Community Crusader Award by the South Asian Inspiration Awards. In 2023, she was awarded the Rising Star Award by the South Asian Bar Association of Calgary and was shortlisted as an Excellence Awardee in the Female Trailblazer (Private Practice) category for the Canadian Law Awards. She was recently shortlisted as one of 2023’s Top 25 Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyer Magazine.
Outside of law, Sania is a mother to a four-year-old daughter and enjoys spending time with her and cultivating her little one’s interests in art and science.
Garth J Foster. is a Partner at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, where his practice is focused on investment funds, registration and regulatory compliance. He also works with both public and private investment funds, including exchange traded funds. Garth frequently advises clients on the creation of new funds and associated matters and has also been involved in drafting fund documents, advisory agreements and distribution materials. He has drafted numerous applications for exemptive relief, and has been involved in various mutual fund and regulatory acquisitions. Garth also provides ongoing compliance and registration advice to advisors, dealers and investment fund managers, including mock audits. As a frequent commentator on policy initiatives in the investment funds, registration and regulatory compliance law areas, Garth’s expertise has been recognized by the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and Best Lawyers.
As Senior Partner at Fasken, Garth has supported MAX over a number of years as a sponsor, providing corporate space for MAX events. Garth is also a big proponent of diversity at Fasken, where at least one Muslim partner has been recruited under his watch.
Nav Bhatia (born July 9, 1951), nicknamed the Raptors Superfan, is a Canadian businessman and superfan of the Toronto Raptors basketball team. He founded and currently runs the Superfan Foundation to help unite people through the love of the sport. On June 19, 2018, Bhatia was named a recipient of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Award.
The superfan ‘spends $300k annually to send thousands of kids to Raptors games’. He ensures that people from different backgrounds — black, white, brown, rich, poor, Christian, Muslim — sit next to each other, in order to promote diversity and bring communities closer to each other.
In 2016 he became an official ambassador for World Vision’s Rise Up! Daughters of India campaign. It’s something near & dear to his heart, having witnessed first-hand the bias against females in India. His daughter Tia, was adopted from an orphanage in the country. Nav hopes that one day we will see an India where daughters are equally valued as sons.
Nav Bhatia has contributed significantly to the Muslim community through his superfan foundation, he recently partnered with Hoops for Her, a Muslim women’s basketball league, to ensure Muslim women have a safe space to play in their community. He provided Muslim girls with a safe space to play. Hoops for Her provides a space, where one did not exist otherwise, for Muslim women in the GTA to learn and play basketball in a comfortable, positive, and encouraging environment.
Beth brings 30 years of career experience leading in professional services firms and is active with several boards as a director. She actively engages in opportunities to coach, consult, and teach where she can help people and organizations achieve their full potential by leveraging her knowledge of leadership, strategy, governance and the professional services sector.
She is known for being an inclusive, results-oriented change leader and a mobilizer who inspires others to be a force of change. She embodies passion, commitment, energy, and a sense of purpose in everything she does. She believes in putting people at the centre of business strategy.
Formerly CEO of Dentons in Canada, she led a strategy focused on exceptional talent, profitable growth, and operational excellence. Prior to becoming the CEO of Dentons, she had 11 years of comprehensive C-Suite experience at KPMG Canada in a variety of leadership roles including Toronto Managing Partner, Canadian Managing Partner Community Leadership, Canadian Managing Partner Regions and Enterprise, and Chief Human Resources Officer.
She is passionate about community building and is currently active on the boards of incredible institutions including Hospital for SickKids, Woodgreen Foundation and CivicAction.
Her professional career of over 30 years has afforded her many opportunities to further causes she is passionate about. This includes the advancement of women in business, volunteering, and promoting a leadership mindset. These opportunities have culminated in awards that she is especially proud of – being selected among the Top 25 Canadian Women of Influence, recognized by YWCA Women of Distinction, and twice being named among Canada’s top 100 most powerful women.
Beth has supported MAX Training For Boards and developed the curriculum for Session 5 on HR, Governance, Board Development, and Compensation. She was instrumental in introducing MAX to CivicAction’s BoardShift, an organization that is focused on getting minorities, including Muslims on Boards.
Stephanie Bowman is a mom, a Member of Provincial Parliament, an accountant, a former bank executive, and a respected community leader. She recently served as a member of the board of the Bank of Canada. Prior to that, she was a senior executive with Scotiabank and a partner at Ernst & Young. She has more than 25 years of experience leading large, diverse teams in Canada and abroad. Stephanie is an advocate for diversity & inclusion, advancing women, and mentorship, and is a frequent speaker at leadership and diversity events.
As the new MPP of Don Valley West, Stephanie is enjoying the opportunity to connect with the Muslim community in her riding, especially in Thorncliffe Park. From regular community outreach, to supporting organizations that help the large Muslim and new-comer community in Thorncliffe Park, such as the Thorncliffe Food Bank and Canadian Community Services Organization, Stephanie is working hard to support and expand supports for the community.
She is especially grateful for the chance to support organizations that are led by the incredible Muslim women making change in her community, such as the Thorncliffe Park Autism Support Network, which supports children with Autism in the Thorncliffe and Flemingdon communities; the Women’s Cycling Network, and Thorncliffe Park Women’s Committee.
Stephanie has also advocated for these communities in the legislature, calling for better solutions and increased funding to healthcare, as members of Thorncliffe Park struggle to find a family doctor; calling for increased funding to programs that support English language learning and employment opportunities, as well as advocating against the removal of the Ontario Science Centre, which benefits members of Thorncliffe and Flemingdon Park communities with educational and employment opportunities.
Earl Davis has over 25 years of capital markets experience. Currently, Earl is a Managing Director at BMO Global Asset Management where he is the Head of Fixed Income and Money Markets. He sits on the BMO GAM investment committee and is the Executive Sponsor for the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council.
Previously, Earl was a Director at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan where he led Developed Markets Fixed Income and Currencies. In this role, he was responsible for managing over $85 billion of global fixed income assets and $100 billion in currency exposures.
Earl currently sits on the FSRA Pension Sector Technical Advisory Committee where he is involved in the development of provincial pension guidance on technical issues, proposed legislation and regulations.
Earl has supported MAX and helped the Muslim community by being a key panelist for both Session 1 and 6 on MAX Training For Boards. He has inspired hundreds of professionals in the MAX community.
Named one of Canada’s Rising Stars by The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, Hamza Haq stars as Bashir ‘Bash’ Hamed in the acclaimed CTV/NBC medical drama Transplant, for which he has been recognized with three consecutive Canadian Screen Awards for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The series centres around an ER doctor who fled his native Syria to come to Canada where he must overcome numerous obstacles to resume a career in the high stakes world of emergency medicine.
In 2018, Hamza appeared alongside William Shatner and Russell Peters as twins Amal and Gopal in the CTV mini-series Indian Detective, and earned critical acclaim as Raza Ali in the CBC drama This Life, for which he earned a 2018 Canadian Screen Award Nomination for Best Guest Performance. He will appear in the upcoming Saudi Arabian series Ruining Eid (working title) for Netflix.
Additional television credits include Quantico, Designated Survivor, The Bold Type, Being Human and Best Laid Plans. He hosted two seasons of the International Emmy Award nominated children’s series Look Kool and plays Jassie the CBC Gem digital original drama The 410.
On the big screen, Hamza appeared opposite Margaret Qualley in the My Salinger Year, which opened the 70th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2020, and played a supporting role in the French Canadian feature Viking which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022. He will appear next in the in the Canadian independent feature films With Love and a Major Organ which screened at SXSW in 2023, and will have its Canadian premiere at Montreal’s Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal in July, as well as Queen of My Dreams set to be released later this year.
Additional film credits include Bon Cop, Bad Cop 2 with Colm Feore, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan directed by Xavier Dolan and Darren Aronofsky’s Mother!
Hamza is a 2020 recipient of RBC’s top 25 Canadian Immigrants Award and recently partnered with the Canada Media Fund’s Made | Nous campaign as ambassador to celebrate Islamic History Month. He spoke at the 2021 TEDxTORONTO Fall digital event series ‘Uncharted’ using his public platform to speak on issues important to him, including refugees’ rights, racial injustice, and combating stereotypes; and was honoured as Playback’s Breakout Star of the Year.
Raised in Ottawa, Hamza is youngest of four siblings born in Saudi Arabia to Pakistani parents and has called Canada home since the age of nine. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies with a minor in Law from Carleton University.
In her current role, Nabeela oversees the operations and performance of Walmart Canada’s 400+ stores serving more than 1.5 million customers daily. She is one of The Globe and Mail’s 2022 Top Executives and has also been recognized by WXN as one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada and HRD’s Global 100 HR Leaders.
Prior to becoming the Chief Operations Officer, Nabeela led human resources and corporate affairs for Walmart Canada. Walmart Canada is one of Canada’s largest employers with over 100,000 associates.
Her career includes nearly 20 years of leadership and business development experience with three of the world’s most recognized brands – Walmart, IKEA and Starbucks Coffee in the US, Canada and Europe.Nabeela was previously Head of Digital Transformation at Ingka, leading IKEA’s digital and retail transformation globally across 41 countries.
In 2017, she was appointed to the TaskRabbit Board of Directors, a leading gig economy platform that has revolutionized digital two-sided marketplaces. In 2019, she joined the Future Skills Centre of Canada as a Board Advisor, a pan-Canadian effort focused on skills development and employment training to help Canadians transition in the changing economy. Nabeela also serves as a board member for the Miracle Foundation a US and India based organization which has the bold ambition to end the suffering of orphaned children and find a loving home for every single orphaned child in the world. Nabeela has also founded Muslim Haqq an organization dedicated to combating dangerous misinformation about Islam.
Nabeela graduated with a dual degree in Marketing and Supply Chain Management and Distribution from Indiana University and holds a master’s in Industrial and Organizational Behaviour from the University of Texas. She is a certified executive coach through the International Coaching Federation, a member of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches, a member of the Canadian Innovation Leaders Against Racism, an alumni and faculty member of Competent Boards.
Asma Shahsamand holds the position of the North America Ventures Open Innovation Market Leader, demonstrating her expertise in fostering collaborations and driving innovation. Throughout her extensive career, Asma has dedicated the past decade to bridging the gap between emerging technologies and strategic business initiatives. She has collaborated with major global Fortune 500 companies, facilitating the integration of new technologies into their overarching vision and implementing solutions to enhance organizational efficiency. Asma’s primary commitment lies in assisting clients in achieving exponential growth through innovation, all while maintaining a human-centered approach.
Presently, Asma’s primary focus revolves around curating a portfolio of startup ventures that address critical challenges faced by our clients. These carefully selected startups are then incorporated into market-ready solutions, with particular emphasis on data platforms, capital markets, and risk management.
Though being based in Toronto, Asma’s personal journey as a refugee and immigrant from Afghanistan to Canada over 25 years ago has instilled within her a deep passion for the experiences of refugees and newcomers in the country. Alongside her professional pursuits, Asma has actively contributed to the community by assisting refugees and newcomers with their resettlement, both through her role at Accenture and the Afghan Community. Asma holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a major in Accounting from Ryerson University.
Sabir Sami became Chief Executive Officer of KFC Division in January 2022 and reports directly to the CEO of Yum! Brands. In this role, Sami has global responsibility for driving the brand strategy and performance of KFC. He previously served in a dual role as KFC Division Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of KFC Asia, a role in which he led the global operations team and drove the KFC global operations agenda while overseeing Thailand, India, Asia Central and Greater Asia.
Prior to this, Sami was Managing Director for KFC Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan and Turkey markets, where he was instrumental in growing the business and establishing KFC as a Relevant, Easy and Distinctive brand in the regions. Sami joined Yum! in 2009 and worked on all three brands during his tenure as the General Manager of Yum! Canada and previously served as General Manager for the KFC Canada and Turkey businesses. Prior to Yum!, he served in various leadership roles at Procter & Gamble, the Coca-Cola Company and Reckitt Benckiser. Sami received his MBA from The University of Karachi in Pakistan.
Walied Soliman is the Canadian chair of Norton Rose Fulbright and co-chair of the Special Situations team. He is widely regarded as one of Canada’s leading lawyers in his field, having been involved in some of the most significant and complex M&A transactions and proxy battles in the country, advising buyers and sellers, boards, hostile bidders and shareholder activists. In addition, his practice focuses on restructurings, corporate finance, governance and structured products.
Mr. Soliman was mandated in 2020 by the government of Ontario to chair the Capital Markets Modernization Taskforce. In 2019, Mr. Soliman was chosen by the United Nations Association in Canada to be its Global Citizen Laureate for his professional merit and service to the community. He was the only lawyer featured in The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business Magazine Power 50 list in 2017, was designated as a “”Star Lawyer”” by Acritas for ranking in the top 28 lawyers globally, and has been continuously recognized by the most prestigious legal rankings over the years, including Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. Mr. Soliman sits on the boards of the BlackNorth Initiative against anti-Black racism, Ryerson University, and the Toronto SickKids Hospital Foundation.