SPECIALIZING IN LEADING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ANTI-OPPRESSION, DECOLONIZATION & EQUITY: MOTIVATING THESE CHANGES INTO ACTION.
WHO IS PARUL PANDYA? (SHE/HER)
I have a passion for arts and social change. Community Impact was founded in 2014 when I started receiving requests to collaborate from the various cohorts that I had worked with or served over the years.
Founder and Community Consultant, Parul Pandya has been skillfully working in non-profit in various roles through the past two decades - as a community builder, consultant, programmer and producer. After managing community grants for the largest government funder in Canada, she was sought after by organizations to continue her work on collective impact and for the last decade, she has ardently served these organizations in a variety of capacities.
Initially, Parul’s attraction to advocacy emerged through her work as a Queer South Asian freelance writer/poet, over two decades ago. This experience has fueled a deep passion for social justice and its intersectionality with the arts, which she teaches about at both, Centennial College and Humber College.
Her approach to exchange is a high engagement, encouraging participation through self-reflection, empathy, creativity and common understanding. On the personal side, Parul has a deep appreciation for plants, playing plant mom to over 80 in her urban jungle. In her downtime, she enjoys listening to all types of music, spending time attending or watching Toronto Raptors and Blue Jays games. In between all of this, she likes to mix in some true crime!
WHO IS SIENNA PANDYA-JAMES? (SHE/HER)
I have gained invaluable knowledge about community engagement, equity, and the vast number of resources that exist within Toronto.
Sienna Pandya-James is a graduate of the University of Toronto in History. She joined Community Impact as a Community Researcher and Events Administrator in the summer of 2020. Since then, she has assisted in numerous workshops and continued to create community resources that are shared with our learners and on behalf of various clients.
She believes that her experience as a person of both South Asian and Black cultural heritage offers her a unique perspective. In her experience navigating academic spaces, she has come to realize how essential representation and diversity are for young people that look like her. In her spare time, she can be found writing about intelligence history, or baking scones.
WHO IS SIENNA PANDYA-JAMES?
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WHO IS ANNALISSA CRISOSTOMO
(SHE/HER)
I am an educator, artist, and community facilitator with over 7 years of experience in Community Education and Engagement.
Annalisa holds an MEd in Adult Education & Community Development from OISE, University of Toronto and an Hons BA in Philosophy from York University.
She joined Community Impact as a Community Consultant in early 2022. Annalissa is passionate about the transformative power of creativity to ignite and nurture leadership, healing, and social change. Through her work and studies, she has cultivated a strong foundation in creative pedagogy, critical education and anti-oppression to empower diverse individuals and communities.
She currently works with Voice of Purpose as a Digital Content Manager supporting social media development, and community management and engagement. She is also the co-founder of ‘Healing While Healing’ - a women’s support network aimed at co-navigating womanhood, feminism and healing.
When she’s not working, Annalissa enjoys walking her dog, watching competition shows, and creating digital collages and poetry.
WHO IS LISHAI
PEEL? (SHE/HER)
I am an award-winning writer and community engaged artist with 10+ years experience working as an educator and consultant in the arts and culture sector in Toronto. Lishai joined our team in 2020 as a Community Consultant.
Lishai has worked with various institutions and community serving organizations, supporting them to think through matters of access, representation, and equity in the arts. Lishai’s work approach is fuelled by a recognition that people know what is best for their communities and any work that is carried out, programming or advocacy, must be deeply rooted in local contexts. Currently, she is raising a human, writing a book and dreaming about vaccinations and vacations.
WHO IS SABRINA FIELDS? (SHE/HER)
I am passionate about bringing images and words to life to tell compelling stories that need to be heard.
Sabrina is a Communications Specialist who has two years of experience working with communities, non-profit organizations, for-profit companies, and government agencies. She currently works for The Firelight Group, an Indigenous-owned research consultancy that works with Indigenous communities across Canada and beyond. There, she manages Firelight’s social media, graphic design, and coordinates with Indigenous communities to plan social media campaigns.
Sabrina graduated from York University with an Honours BA in Communication Studies, Summa Cum Laude, where she also completed a minor in Gender & Women’s Studies. During her undergrad, Sabrina’s experiences coming out as Queer, and being diagnosed with a mental illness, deeply impacted her world-view. She is deeply reflective, inquisitive and is constantly trying to expand her understanding of the world. She seeks out work that is meaningful, engaging, and impactful in communities.
In her spare time, you can often find Sabrina watching the Golden Girls in her slippers, playing Animal Crossing, watching video essays (nerd alert!) and eating sushi.