Claire Del Zotto is a second-year medical student at the University of Toronto mentoring younger students in STEM. She serves as a committee chair for the Ontario Medical Students Association, where she is organizing a three-day conference bringing over 100 medical student leaders from across Ontario to discuss healthcare innovation. She represents her faculty as co-organizer of the MD Program Orientation Week for over 300 incoming learners, raising over $70,000 in donations to ensure that cost was not a barrier to student participation. With an interest in healthy aging, she recently founded Scrubs and Shrubs, a mindfulness-focussed gardening group that connects medical students to older adults who have a shared interest in sustainability. Her current research addresses how limited access to menopause care impacts quality of life. 

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Winnie Yu is a medical student at the University of Toronto who is dedicated to health advocacy, learner affairs and community service. In a national leadership capacity with the Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS), she coordinates key projects and promotional initiatives ensuring events are promoted while contributing to improving CFMS’ engagement and social media presence. Winnie also led financial literacy initiatives designed to help students build confidence in managing their finances as a founding partner of a student financial literacy organization, FinMed. Through interactive workshops, she has connected with financial experts to discuss budgeting and debt management where students can ask questions and gain tools to make informed financial decisions. She also volunteers in community outreach initiatives that provide vision assessments and eye health education to underserved communities, strengthening access to essential eye care in the community.   

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Chinoye Sunny is a city-builder committed to creating vibrant, inclusive communities through both her professional work and volunteer leadership. As a Development Planner at the City of Richmond Hill, Chinoye plays an important role in shaping the future of housing, ensuring new developments are not only responsive to the housing crisis but also filled with the amenities that help communities thrive. Since earning her MES in Planning from ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ in 2021, Chinoye has been at the forefront of efforts to reduce housing inequities and expand access to essential services. Beyond her professional achievements, Chinoye is a dedicated volunteer and advocate for student engagement. She joined the MES York Planning Alumni Committee (MYPAC) in 2019 as a student member and now serves as the Chair of MYPAC. In this role, she has been instrumental in strengthening connections between students and alumni, organizing events that foster professional development, and cultivating a welcoming and inclusive planning community at York. 

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Fernanda Sierra Suárez is a community artist and arts worker, recently working as the community engagement and programs manager at Culture Days National, organizing the largest annual arts and culture festival in Canada. Over the past 15 years, Culture Days has hosted over 50,000 arts and culture community-based events reaching over 20 million people. Fernanda co-founded Creato Community, a grassroots organization dedicated to connecting, supporting and amplifying Latin American creatives in Canada. Through her community arts work, she engages newcomer and immigrant artists through free community-based arts programming, participatory art-making activities and career development events. She continues to give back to York as an annual guest speaker in HUMA 3207/4207 Doing Culture, and as a placement supervisor. 

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Eric Schiabel is the founder of FORM, a technology company building the memory infrastructure for luxury resale who previously worked at YSL Beauty. He brings a background in luxury brand strategy to FORM, which connects curated boutique inventory to provenance, historical context, and lifecycle data, enabling garments to move through the market without losing identity or value. Under his leadership, the company has onboarded millions of dollars in archival inventory, built a global community around fashion and resale, and secured venture backing as it develops new infrastructure for how luxury is discovered, understood, and recirculated. 

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Erik Robeznieks is a leader in adaptive sports who has dedicated his career to creating equitable opportunities in health, fitness, and sport for people with disabilities. At the University of Michigan, Erik leads strategy, operations, and partnerships for their sport programming. He has successfully secured over $1.7 million in grants and sponsorships, co-created the Adaptive Sports & Inclusive Recreation Initiative (ASIRI) and launched an innovative Adaptive Equipment Loan Program that removes financial barriers to sport participation. Beyond his professional roles, he serves as a mentor in the Global Sports Mentoring Program and contributes to boards such as Therapeutic Riding Inc., advancing inclusive wellness opportunities in the community and internationally." 

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Alison Pratt is a dedicated Canadian diplomat who has turned her ambition for equity into action. As part of IRCC’s Foreign Service Development Program, she has completed overseas training in Abu Dhabi and a full posting in Ho Chi Minh City. In each location, she navigates sensitive immigration and visa cases, ensuring fairness, applying cultural sensitivity, and helping people whose lives hinge on these decisions. Outside government work, Alison gives back to the community. She served on the board of VoiceFound, advocating for survivors of human trafficking and exploitation. She also volunteered as a settlement assistant to guide newcomers in settling in Canada, and she continues her long-term commitment as a curriculum researcher with Planting Seeds International, building inclusive educational materials for communities in Guatemala. 

Alison Pratt est une diplomate canadienne qui a concrétisé ses ambitions en matière d’équité. Dans le cadre du programme de développement du service extérieur d’IRCC, elle a suivi une formation à Abu Dhabi, a été affectée à Hô Chi Minh-Ville. Elle s’occupe de dossiers délicats en matière d’immigration et de visas, en accordant une importance particulière à l’équité, en tenant compte des réalités culturelles et en aidant les personnes pour qui ces décisions sont cruciales. Au-delà de son travail au gouvernement, Mme Pratt s’investit dans la communauté. Elle a siégé au conseil d’administration de VoiceFound, qui défend les personnes survivantes de la traite et de l’exploitation d’êtres humains. Elle a également été bénévole en tant qu’assistante d’intégration pour aider les nouveaux arrivants à s’installer au Canada. Par ailleurs, elle poursuit son engagement à long terme en tant que chercheuse de programmes d’études auprès de Planting Seeds International, en élaborant du matériel éducatif inclusif pour les communautés du Guatemala. 

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Through pairing scientific inquiry and data analysis with community building, Parmin supports vulnerable patients in over 30 studies facing challenging skin conditions such as Atopic Dermatitis and Alopecia Areata through examining the effectiveness and safety of various treatments and medications. In 2021, Parmin co-founded the Undergraduate Health Research Exploration (UHRE), a non-for-profit program supporting over 200 students globally every year with securing undergraduate research positions. After graduation, Parmin also established Mentorious, an organization dedicated to helping students gain admissions into various graduate and professional school programs through one-on-one coaching and sharing informative, interactive social media content. Parmin also supports high school students of racial minority, low income and other underrepresented backgrounds who are interested in the medical field by hosting simulation days, fostering direct mentorship and establishing paid hospital and research internships through The Next Surgeon High School Mentorship program. 

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As the founder of Raíces, Esther Martinez leads an initiative that supports youth in their educational and career journeys through interactive workshops, as well as mentorship and networking opportunities that connect participants with professionals from diverse fields. Since its launch, Raíces has received strong engagement from parents, youth leaders, and the Latino community who recognize the need for dedicated support and greater representation across all sectors. Esther also represents York as a young alumni ambassador, supporting events and initiatives. She is also the vice-chair for the ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ Faculty of Education Alumni Network (YUEAN), where she strengthens alumni relations and fosters connection across the faculty community. 

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Merve Kolcak brings extensive experience in advancing inclusive, accessible, and community-centered urban development. At The Biglieri Group, she leads complex development applications through municipal approvals processes, working at the intersection of policy, design, and stakeholder engagement. Merve’s academic work has helped to advance a national dialogue on justice and inclusion in planning practice. She co-authored the article Accessibility and Disability: A Move Forward for the Planning Profession?, featured in Plan Canada magazine, and co-authored a book chapter entitled Engaging Black People and Power, examining community engagement and power structures in urban planning. Beyond practice, Merve has served on the Toronto Public Space Steering Committee, supporting public space advocacy initiatives across the city. She is also a member of the Pathways to Inclusion Committee through Urban Land Institute, contributing to efforts that advance diversity and inclusion within the built environment and planning practice. 

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