Anna is Together Project’s Co-Founder and Co-Director, Management Lead. With her expertise in strategy, partnerships, resource development, governance and communications, Anna focuses on scaling out the Welcome Group Program. Working closely with her Co-Director, Anna has helped refine the program to better serve government-assisted refugees, CUAET Ukrainian Arrivals and refugee claimants. Post pandemic, Anna has supported the development of a new model of hybrid social support that includes both online and in-person volunteer engagement.

Andrew is the Co-Founder and Co-Director, Programs Lead at Together Project, responsible for designing and delivering the initiative’s Welcome Group Program, as well as building strong, cross-sectoral partnerships that have allowed for the program’s establishment and growth in multiple cities across Canada. He also leads Together Project’s impact measurement and works with research partners to share insights about community engagement in refugee integration with policymakers and practitioners. Andrew has over 15 years of experience working on community development, sustainability, and social impact projects across Africa, Europe, and North America, often at the intersection of the nonprofit, private, and public sectors.

Ahmed is the Ontario Programs Lead at Together Project, but before he became an official part of the team, he successfully completed two matches as a Welcome Group volunteer. With his professional background in business development and operations and his personal background as a refugee and newcomer, Ahmed has the compassion and vision to help the Together Project team manage multiple relationships with volunteers, refugees, and stakeholders. His past work is full of successful collaborations with global names in technology, and he brings his expertise to expand the reach and operations of Together Project.

Jennilee is the Communications and Programs Outreach Specialist at Together Project. She has worked with newcomers as a school settlement worker, journalist, community advocate, school board researcher, federal public servant, and as the founder of Filipino Talks, an initiative that builds bridges between Filipino families and Canadian school boards. She has an MA in Immigration and Settlement Studies, a BA in International Studies, and a post-graduate certificate from the Humber School for Writers. She is the author of Reuniting with Strangers— a novel about caregivers and family reunification across the Filipino-Canadian diaspora. Jennilee believes in the power of stories to increase civic engagement, to shine a spotlight on communities, and to capture moments of joy.

Leith Bishop is a former executive in the not-for-profit sector in Toronto. She has expertise in strategic operations and organizational design. Her professional specialty is around issues of inclusion and belonging. Together Project’s commitment to a new model of connecting newcomers and volunteers to accelerate integration attracted Leith to the organization right from its early days. She was invited to join the Steering Committee in September 2019, and to become Steering Committee Chair in January 2021.

As a former refugee, Mohammed was among the Ethiopian-Canadian leaders who opened Canada’s first dedicated Harari heritage and community space in what is now the Harari Heritage Centre. He has been a Welcome Group volunteer since 2016, making him one of Together Project’s longest-serving volunteers. As someone who has been helping to deliver and improve the Welcome Group Program over many years, Mohammed is bringing an array of volunteer expertise, community leadership, and a global vision for Together Project.

Hani Bashir’s experiences as a healthcare provider and a refugee form the cornerstone of his advocacy for equitable access to quality healthcare services. As a medical doctor and senior strategist in the medical and public health fields, Hani has particularly focused on child and women’s health. Along with participating in humanitarian relief efforts during conflicts, disasters, and emergencies, Hani has undertaken national and international missions with Doctors Without Borders, served as a program manager for Africa with NeedsList, a tech enterprise focused on community resilience, and co-founded the Immigrants Healthcare Support Network (IHSN), Through Our Eyes, and LinkU Corporation. Concurrently, he is a senior strategist with Uplift Agency, a sustainability, social impact & ESG consulting firm, and practices as a doctor at Health Service Executive (HSE) Ireland. With his diverse background in medicine, humanitarian response, and advocacy for refugee human rights, Hani Bashir brings his goals of fostering social connections, supporting integration priorities, and enhancing community involvement to Together Project.

Diane Brokenshire is passionate about building inclusive communities and supporting newcomers as they navigate life in a new country. Having been a newcomer herself in Asia, Europe, and the U.S., she understands firsthand the challenges of integration and the importance of meaningful connections.

With a career in human resources and strategy development, Diane has focused on mentorship, leadership development, and advancing gender equity, helping individuals and organizations grow. She remains committed to supporting newcomer communities through volunteering with Together Project and other organizations that foster inclusion and opportunity.

As a member of the Together Project Steering Committee, Diane brings her strategic insight, people-first approach, and passion for supporting others to help advance the organization’s mission.

Farah Kurji is TD Senior Manager Social Impact. She joined TD in 2017 as part of the launch of the TD Ready Commitment, which links the bank’s business, philanthropy and human capital to create social and environmental impact. Prior to TD, Farah worked with Hill+Knowlton Strategies in New York, advising organizations on how to embed and drive social impact. Farah’s time working with Roshan, an Afghanistan-based social enterprise, was a formative experience, teaching her how to build partnerships and bring teams together in the face of ambiguity. Her family’s first-hand experience with settlement and community volunteering, as well as her own experiences working in post-conflict and emerging contexts have fueled her interest in supporting newcomer communities in Canada. As a lifelong volunteer, Farah has worked with several non-profit organizations, including the LEADER Project, the First Micro-Finance Bank, the GSMA’s mWomen programme, FOCUS Humanitarian Agency and the Aga Khan Council for Canada. Farah holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School.

As one of Canada’s youngest multi-award-winning social entrepreneurs, Hanen Nanaa, a Syrian war survivor and refugee, founded the Books Art Music (BAM) Collective, which was a 2021 Toronto Arts for Youth Award finalist and recipient of the Mayor of Toronto Community Safety Award. Nanaa is a Senior Advisor at the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), a Master’s student in Public Policy, Administration, and Law at York University, and a founding member of Waard Ward Collective. She has served as a senior political advisor for the Minister’s Regional Office – Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and as a regional advisor for the federal member of parliament at the House of Commons. Along with studying Migration and Refugee Studies at the University of Oxford, she majored in politics and governance with a minor in law from Toronto Metropolitan University, where she was president of the Politics and Governance Association and managing editor of the Refugee Experience cluster at the Migration Initiative.

Nanaa’s journey is marked by numerous achievements and awards. She was nominated for DMZ’s 2024 woman of the year, and she received the 2023 Pam McConnell Award for Young Women in Leadership and the 2022 Alterna Prize for Women’s Social Leaders. She was named the 2019 UN Women – Woman of the Year at UofT and featured on CBC’s The Dream Team. Nanaa was also recognized with two prestigious awards: the 2023 Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award and the Youth Award of the Year.

Shadi joined Together Project’s Steering Committee due to the increasing need of refugees and newcomers to integrate in society and get the necessary support. Shadi brings a wide range of expertise in education, training and professional development, meaningful community engagement, volunteer management and events planning; in addition to his experience in settlement and supporting refugees and newcomers through counselling and mediation.

Alex, a newcomer to Canada, brings strong financial experience and a commitment to creating a welcoming community for refugees. Having previously been a newcomer in both the UK and the US, she understands the challenges of integrating into a new country, which fuels her passion for making a difference through Together Project. Professionally, Alex works in strategy and partnerships at Worldpay and was previously a Senior Manager at Bain and Company in their Financial Services practice. She brings a wide range of financial and strategy expertise to Together Project.