Samya has been working with the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians since 2015 in different capacities including as a Project Coordinator, Project Manager; and has been the Executive Director of CASSA since 2017.
Samya attained her Masters of Public Policy degree from the University of Toronto’s School of Public Policy and Governance in June 2013. Prior to her Masters, Samya attained an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Toronto.  She has written policy papers on transportation, immigration & race relations, child care, housing, international development, economic development & innovation, and health care.
Prior to her employment at CASSA, Samya worked at the Affordable Housing Office at the City of Toronto as a Research Associate and Policy Consultant. During her time at the Affordable Housing Office, she worked on various housing-related portfolios supporting low-income and marginalized communities including Toronto Community Housing, and Affordable Homeownership. As a Toronto Urban Fellow for the City of Toronto, Samya worked at the Municipal Licensing and Standards division, conducting by-law reviews of business industries in Toronto.
samya@cassa.on.ca

Cynthia Saxena is a graduate of the University of Toronto where she majored in Political Science and Equity Studies. Cynthia has worked as a Junior Professional Consultant at UNICEF’s Regional Office in Bangkok where she was part of the Education team and worked on the Girl’s Education Initiative to ensure every girl learns and thrives. She has also worked at UNESCO in New Delhi in the education team during the COVID-lockdown in India where she created a teacher training course to help them manage students’ mental health. She has also interned at an NGO in India, worked in Public Affairs at the Ontario Legislative Building, and in marketing outreach with a renowned Author. Having lived in Canada and India, worked and studied in Berlin, Brussels, and Bangkok, Cynthia has been exposed to different types of governance models, cultural influences, and on- ground realities, equipping her with a very nuanced understanding of the world and polishing her emotional intelligence.
cynthia@cassa.on.ca

Mahdiba Chowdhury is a graduate student specialized in Mental Health Studies from the University of Toronto.  As CASSA’s Health Equity Coordinator, Mahdiba was responsible for planning, organizing, and coordinating CASSA’s 9^th and upcoming 10^th Annual Health Equity Summit. She also worked closely with community partners in the development of ethnocultural education and promotional materials. Mahdiba also works with UHN as a Qualitative Research Analyst investigating social, cultural, and religious barriers to accessing living donation and transplantation in South Asian and African, Caribbean and Black communities. She’s interested in learning knowledge-translation to enhance client-centered care, and promoting inclusivity for vulnerable groups.
mahdiba@cassa.on.ca

Khalood is the Social and Racial Equity Planning Coordinator at CASSA. She is also a graduate student at the University of Toronto, pursuing her Master’s of Arts in Development, Policy and Power and Human Geography. She has experience conducting community-based research and dialogues on social justice and equity issues. At CASSA, she is responsible for researching issues South Asians face in the City of Toronto, drafting and implementing strategies to advance CASSA’s racial justice and equity work, identifying and communicating ways in which the City of Torontocan address issues of racism, and coordinating with other partnering organizations with similar mandates.   
khalood@cassa.on.ca

Shania Bhopa is an enthusiastic health communicator, youth advocate and a self starter at her core. Shania has experience in the non-profit sector, communications and knowledge translation. She is a level one Doctoral Global Health Student and a recipient of the Canada Graduate Scholarship Masters Award from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Shania’s research interests include, lifestyle medicine, patient-physician communication, mental health, immigrant health and global health. She is passionate about wellness and holistic health at a community and global level and hopes to promote the access of health services to all. Shania recently published a children’s book to address complex health systems, in an accessible way. The book focused on the gut-brain connection and mindfulness and was peer reviewed by her Mother a Naturopath and her sister a Physician, offering young people a holistic perspective to health. In her free time, she hosts a global health podcast, is a personal trainer, and indulges in content creation through her wellness blog.
shania@cassa.on.ca

Yomna Omar is the Project Coordinator for CASSA’s ‘Legal Education for Refugee Women’ project. She earned a Master of Science degree in Global Health from McMaster University and holds staff and volunteer positions at various nonprofits. She is currently the Senior Global Programs Associate at Millie’s Bookshelf, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring displaced people worldwide have access to adequate reading resources to promote literacy and health education. Yomna also works as an Emergency Responder with the Canadian Red Cross; taking part in the COVID response.
Prior to this, Yomna provided logistical coordination and interpretation services and delivered training on sexual and reproductive health and SGBV in Greek refugee settlements with The Unmentionables, a nonprofit that provided sexual and reproductive health education, protection, and access to resources to refugees around the world.
yomna@cassa.on.ca

Gurbinder is the Human Resource Generalist for CASSA. She is a result-oriented professional with plenty of experience in HR operations. She is skilled in encompassing diversity & inclusion, talent and culture strategies, performance management, employee engagement, consulting, talent acquisition forecast and planning; design and implementation of policy and procedures in consideration with provincial and federal legislation. She has successful experience in working with complex business environments. She can swiftly align the organizational values to its structure, systems, and operational processes. Before CASSA, she was managing the Human Resources operations for Accor Plus and currently volunteering as a Human Resource Consultant with Single Mothers in Progress.
gurbinder@cassa.on.ca

Abiagom Dibia is the Administrative Assistant and Membership Coordinator for CASSA.  He has rich experience in Data Analysis and providing executive-level administrative & operational support. He has a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics, Certificate in Business Analysis from Sheridan College, Certificate in Customer Service Excellence and a Qualified Arbitrator of Toronto Commercial Arbitration Society.
He works with teams and provides support on all Administrative related tasks to ensure the smooth running of the Organization’s internal administration and its cost-effectiveness. He demonstrates the capacity to think strategically, exercise good judgement, a perceivable expertise in solving complex problems and critical thinking.
abiagom@cassa.on.ca

Tamil has completed Electronics & Communication Engineering at Madurai Kamaraj University, India. She was a Process and Product Quality Improvement Specialist at TVS and Nokia. She has been an internal auditor and visited China and Brazil for audits. She has undergone Six Sigma Green Belt training in Finland.

She has worked in different areas like accounting, administration, and interpretation. She is an active member in organizing events in the community for kids, families, and seniors. She is passionate about teaching the Tamil language and culture to kids in the community. She loves to try different recipes and explore new things.
tamil@cassa.on.ca

Charchit Atri is the Intake Specialist – Punjabi for CASSA’s COVID-19 Relief helpline. He is currently pursuing an Ontario Secondary School Diploma in International Business and Technology. He will be starting at the University of Toronto in September for Computer Science. Currently, at CASSA, Charchit is responsible for assisting callers with their inquiries related to COVID-19. He supports the cause of informing the public about the virus and what measures they can take to prevent transmission. Charchit has a passion for helping others, and during these times, he has taken this opportunity to pursue his passion in support of others. Between doing academic work and fulfilling his position at CASSA, Charchit stays busy with music, whether that be listening, playing, or making music.
charchit@cassa.on.ca

Anika is completing an Hon. Bachelor of Science, majoring in neuroscience and mental health studies from the University of Toronto Scarborough. Her future goals include pursuing a Master of Social Work specializing in the health and mental health of marginalized communities. Anika is passionate about making women from marginalized communities feel comfortable seeking help.  Anika has a variety of experiences in quantitative and qualitative research specifically in mental health and developmental psychology. She acquired valuable research experience from her research assistant positions at the memory clinic in  St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto. Anika is a big foodie, loves trying new cuisines from around the world. Her hobbies include travelling and reading. During her free time, she also loves listening to podcasts.
anika@cassa.on.ca