Our Team
-
Fareh Malik
PROGRAMS AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Fareh Malik is a poet, author, and spoken word performer based in the GTA, Ontario. In his emerging career, Fareh has won several awards for his writing. He was named the 2022 RBC PEN Canada New Voices Award winner. He was also the winner of Hamilton Art’s Shirley Elford Prize, The 2022 October Project Poetry Award, and MH Canada’s 2020 Poetry Contest. Fareh has had his poetry published in journals internationally. His debut book Streams That Lead Somewhere was longlisted for the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award. His work has been featured through establishments such as The Art Gallery of Hamilton, San Antonio’s McNay Art Museum, and The National Arts Centre. Fareh was also named a finalist for the 2021 Best of the Net anthology, a finalist for So To Speak’s 2021 Poetry Contest, and has been fascinated with taking his written and spoken work, and finding interdisciplinary homes for it.
Fareh Malik’s debut book Streams That Lead Somewhere was published in August 2022 with Mawenzi House Publishers. You can visit the Store section of the site to purchase it.
-
Sana Saidi
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Sana Saidi is an award-winning multifaceted Designer & Art Director from Tkaronto/Toronto, specializing in experimental and expressive design. Conceptual narratives enable Sana to communicate her ideas with the world, which further adds value to her craft. She finds meaning in her process, understanding all her design decisions and exploring all possibilities to produce memorable projects.
Our Board
-
Mohamed Shaheen
BOARD CHAIR AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Dr. Mohamed Shaheen completed his Bachelor’s degree at Dalhousie University, Halifax, before moving to Montreal to complete his Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering at McGill University. His doctoral research focused on low-power electronics for mobile and biomedical devices.
Mohamed has extensive experience in the innovation sector, having been involved in several technology startups, and is currently an Innovation Consultant advising the public and the non-profit sectors. In 2013, he founded the Silk Road Institute, an organization dedicated to creating captivating and professional artistic and cultural programming that strengthens Muslim representation, visibility, and contributions within the Canadian cultural mosaic. In 2018 the organization launched Canada’s and North America’s first professional Muslim theatre company. He now serves as the organization’s Chair of the Board of Directors.
Mohamed is a Fellow of the Ariane de Rothschild Fellowship in Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School. His writings have appeared in the Globe and Mail and the Montreal Gazette, and he has been featured on CBC Radio One. He is also an avid photographer.
-
Haniya Sheikh
BOARD VICE CHAIR
Haniya is a litigation lawyer at the Department of Justice with over 17 years of practice in multidisciplinary areas of the law, including dealing with high profile matters involving judicial reviews, civil and Charterissues. She is currently the Ward 12 Representative for the Parent Involvement Advisory Committee to the Toronto District School Board (TDSB).
-
Asad Moten
BOARD MEMBER
Asad Ali Moten is a lawyer with the Department of Justice, practicing litigation in its various forms. Before joining the federal government, Asad worked at a litigation boutique, as an adjudicator on several tribunals, in health care and health policy, and with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. Asad has previously served on the board of several arts organizations, including the South Asian Visual Arts Centre, MANIFESTO, and as Vice-Chair of the Regent Park Film Festival. Asad holds a Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School, a Masters of Public Health from Drexel University, and an Honours Bachelor of Science from McMaster University.
-
Narjis Karani
BOARD MEMBER
Narjis Karani is a designated Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with over a decade of experience within the finance industry, as an Auditor, Tax Professional & Academic. She graduated as a UofT Top Scholar and completed her CPA experience at KPMG LLP. before joining The Office of the Auditor General of Canada. Narjis specializes in several areas within finance, including small-medium enterprises, NPOs, charities, government entities & personal finances.
Narjis is a CBC Op-Ed contributor & an award-winning champion of civic engagement. She previously served on the board of The Canadian-Muslim Vote.
Narjis is an avid storyteller & public speaker. She brings her passion for screenwriting, painting & filmmaking to the Silk Road Institute with the hopes of contributing to diversity within the arts.
-
Zehra Abbas
BOARD MEMBER
Zehra is the founder and president of Studio.89, a non-profit community hub with a fair trade, vegan cafe. Studio.89 partners with local organizations and schools to empower marginalized youth through educational workshops and programs. This free community space has also created a home for a broad range of organizers to cultivate social impact initiatives. Studio.89 aims to benefit humans, animals, and the environment. Alongside Studio.89, Zehra leads its partner organization, Kind World Charity, to advance youth leadership development through empathy education based on neuroscience principles. Empathy is believed to be a key motivator of altruistic and compassionate behaviour.
Zehra is also the co-founder of Green Islam, which strives to inspire Muslims to incorporate Islamic teachings of ethics, justice, and compassion into their daily lives. Green Islam collates and produces research and advocacy toolkits. Zehra’s latest endeavour, Kind World Media, is the culmination of these and previous media-related experiences coming together to scale empathy-building through impactful storytelling. Zehra serves on the Advisory Board of Thrive Philanthropy. Her passion for making the world a kinder, more empathic place began in her youth, when she volunteered with organizations like The Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture and War Against Rape in Pakistan.