Board Members

Working Towards a Stronger & Healthier Community
ASAAP is led by dynamic and passionate directors on the Board elected by the membership.

Rayyan Kamal He/Him

Chair

Rayyan heads up diversity, equity, and inclusion at Mediabrands, a media and marketing company. Born and raised in Bangladesh, his work experience has taken him from investments in Singapore to management consulting in New York to HR in Toronto. In Singapore, he regularly volunteered as a Bangla-English translator at a subsidized medical clinic and in Bangladesh he reviewed applications for the inaugural class of Teach for Bangladesh fellows.

jasleen kaur johal, She/They

Secretary; Member, Policy and By-laws Committee

jasleen has been a member of the Board since May 2019, and has acted as its Secretary since March 2020. Contributing to the governance of a vital organization like ASAAP has brought her closer to the amazing community of South Asians (and beyond!) who push the boundary every day for what is possible. She believes deeply in the potential for mutual aid and people-power in and around the City. She holds a Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School and is a staff lawyer at the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario, where she delivers legal services and legal education in English and Punjabi.

Fallon P. Lobo, CPA, She/Her

Board Member

Finance Committee, Strategic Planning Committee and Fund Development Committee

Fallon is an Associate Manager at Clearhouse LLP where she leads public company audits in a variety of industries including life sciences, cannabis, mining and technology. Fallon has been with ASAAP since March 2020 as part of the Finance, Strategic Planning and Fund Development committees. An advocate for human rights and refugee causes, her past initiatives include serving with the City of Brockville as Treasurer for Refugees for Brockville and as the Regional Coordinator of Roofs for Refugees, where she served as an early founding member establishing the Canadian chapter of Refugees Welcome International.

Harsh Sinha, He/Him

Board Member

Harsh is a Program Manager managing a portfolio of complex automotive software projects, specializing in processes and policy. Born and raised in India, he traveled extensively before moving to Canada in 2019. He is deeply passionate about being of service to the community and helping the underprivileged. Harsh has volunteered extensively in fundraising, health advocacy, and event management. He has been an active volunteer at ASAAP since 2019 and joined the Board in September 2021. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and cooking.

Sabra Rezaei, She/Her

Board Member

Sabra Rezaei is an on-the-ground community activist, mental health worker, coordinator, and scholar. Sabra earned her Master's degree in Adult Education and Community Development at the University of Toronto and has been writing on queer diasporic studies and anti-capitalism and anti-imperialism in the Middle East. Sabra has been involved in political and social movements in Iran, where she has been born and raised. Sabra works as a coordinator and regional advocate on different projects related to incarcerated women and 2SLGBTQ+ communities at Elizabeth Fry Toronto and The Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry (CAEFS). Sabra also works with 2SLGBTQ+ refugees as a therapist. Her mental health practice is informed by her ever-deepening understanding of anti-oppression, anti-racism, feminism, and decolonization. When she is not working or protesting in the streets, you find her playing and teaching Santoor (a Middle Eastern instrument) or listening to music while petting her cat.

David KD Soomarie, He/Him/They/Them

Board Member

David KD Soomarie has dedicated two decades of his life to advocating for those less fortunate in society, specifically the sexual health and reproductive rights for young people and women, people living with HIV, and members of the LGBTQ community. He was one of the founding members of a national coalition and openly advocated for the inclusion of sexual orientation in Trinidad and Tobago’s laws and lead a national HIV/AIDS organization, Community Action Resource (CARe) for six and a half years before he migrated to Toronto in 2016.
In 2019, he was the recipient of the INSPIRE LGBTQ person of the year and the POZTO awards. He is currently sitting on the board of PASAN and the PHA advisory committee for the Ontario AIDS Network. He openly identifies as indo-Caribbean, queer, and HIV positive.

Chetan Muram He/Him/They

Vice-Chair, Chair of Policies, and By-Laws Committee

Chetan Muram is a Staff Lawyer at the Workers' Health and Safety Legal Clinic, where he represents low-income clients with respect to health and safety issues in the workplace and advocates for workplace legal reforms. Outside of work, he has been involved in health and human rights initiatives, previously serving as President of the Global Health and Human Rights Working Group at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and working at the Lawyers Collective, a NGO based in New Delhi, India focused on combating HIV/AIDS-related discrimination, promoting access to medicines and advocating for the right to health. Chetan has been an ASAAP board member since 2018.

Dirk J. Rodricks, Ph.D., He/Him

Member, Policy & Bylaws Committee;

Member, Board Development & Recruitment Committee

Dr. Dirk J. Rodricks is an Assistant Dean (New College) and a Sessional Lecturer (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education) at the University of Toronto (St. George Campus). His award-winning doctoral research examined the experiences of Queer Desi/South Asian young adults in the Greater Toronto Area. A member of the Board of Directors since March 2016, Dirk has served as Secretary (2016-2019) and Board Chair (2019-2020), and is serving out his final two-year term. In his spare time, he enjoys playing with Disco, his pet cockapoo, and catching up on much-needed sleep.

Samilla Sivanathan, She/Her

Board Member

Samilla Sivanathan works in risk management at CPP Investments and has over 10 years of experience in the financial industry. Samilla earned her Master’s degree in Finance at Queen’s University. She strongly believes in giving back to the community, her past initiatives include mentoring young professionals and fund raising for various charities. In her free time, Samilla enjoys travelling and learning about different cultures.

Gulshan Allibhai, She/Her

Board Member

Gulshan Allibhai, BSW, MSW, has practiced social work for 27 years, working as an educator and case manager in mental health, long-term care, and settlement of newcomers. She worked at CMHA Toronto in diversity, mental health promotion and community engagement and taught with the Internationally Educated Social Work Bridging Program and the Internationally Educated Psychology Bridging Program. She currently teaches at Seneca College in the Mental Health Certificate Program and at Wilfrid Laurier University in the MSW program. Gulshan was born in Uganda, Africa, and came to Canada as a refugee in 1972. Due to her own and her family’s experience as refugees, Gulshan’s main focus and interest are in the area of mental health and resettlement stress. She advocates for culturally competent services for newcomers in the area of employment and mental health.

Jad El Tal, He/Him

Board Member

Jad El Tal is a public policy specialist who serves as the Director of Research & Policy at the Canadian Arab Institute (CAI). A proud Lebanese-Canadian community connector, Jad grew up between Beirut, Dubai, Paris, and Toronto, and holds a Master’s of Public Policy from SciencesPo - Paris, and a Master’s of Global Affairs from the Munk School at the University of Toronto. Jad is a strong advocate for the Canadian-Arab community and is passionate about making Canada a better place for his community. Whether it’s through better job opportunities, improved housing, access to healthcare, or understanding the education system, he believes Arab-Canadians deserve to feel a stronger sense of belonging here. In his spare time, you can find Jad biking around Toronto, reading a book at a park, or catching up with his friends.

Pragya Mishra, She/Her

Board Member

Pragya works in public health research at Toronto Metropolitan University, looking at the impacts of communicable health burdens, such as COVID-19 and HIV, on multiple marginalized communities. Her passion for community empowerment and research drives her work in community-based research, health promotion, and advocacy for those who remain routinely overlooked in health policies and emergency responses. She holds a Master of Public Health and a graduate diploma from the United Nations University Institute of Water, Environment, and Health (UNU-INWEH) and continues to merge the world of public health and global health, such as through local initiatives supporting individuals with refugee status, immigrants, and those living with HIV, along with working with international nonprofits to promote sustainable development, and serving as a consultant to the Canadian Youth Delegate to the World Health Assembly. In her spare time, Pragya enjoys being active outdoors, pursuing creative outlets with community members, and spending time with loved ones and her pet.

Board Members

Working Towards a Stronger & Healthier Community ASAAP is led by dynamic and passionate directors on the Board elected by the membership.

Rayyan Kamal He/Him

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jasleen kaur johal, She/They

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Fallon P. Lobo, CPA, She/Her

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Harsh Sinha, He/Him

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Sabra Rezaei, She/Her

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David KD Soomarie, He/Him/They/Them

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Chetan Muram He/Him/They

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Dirk J. Rodricks, Ph.D., He/Him

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Samilla Sivanathan, She/Her

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Gulshan Allibhai, She/Her

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Jad El Tal, He/Him

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Pragya Mishra, She/Her

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Working Towards a Stronger & Healthier Community
ASAAP is led by dynamic and passionate directors on the Board elected by the membership.