Alumni Journeys: From Studies to Success - DTS Alumni Panel and Reception
When and Where
Description
Join us for the annual DTS Alumni Panel and Reception! Learn what DTS graduates are doing now, how the DTS program helped them achieve their goals, and connect with alumni, students, and faculty in the DTS community.
This event will be an excellent opportunity to network and meet people who are currently working or studying in the DTS field. Alumni, graduate and undergraduate students, faculty and staff are all welcome.
Light food and refreshments will be served.
Meet the Panelists
Apefa Adjivon
Since graduating UofT in 2020, Apefa Adjivon’ s work has been focused on equity and inclusion, in local and global contexts.
She has addressed the United Nations at the UN Commission on Social Development and the Commission on the Status of Women, speaking on youth social programs and gender-based violence. She has also worked with the World Humanitarian Forum and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, advising on policy options for racialized youth
worldwide. In 2022, she completed a term as a member of the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee at the City of Toronto.
Most recently, she served as Co-chair of the Girl’s Action Foundation, an organization and national network that provides funds, training, and programming to over 100 girls’ programs in communities across Canada.
For her leadership in advocacy and policy, Apefa has been named one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women, a Forbes Fellow, a Resolution Fellow, Canada's top 30 under 30, one of 100 accomplished Black Canadian Women, and one of 100 Black Women to Watch in Canada.
Haset Aklilu
Haset is the Vice President of Product Marketing at Martal Group, where she leads product growth strategies and oversees marketing initiatives for B2B SaaS platforms. With over seven years of experience in product development, digital marketing, and operations, Haset has played a pivotal role in scaling businesses and driving revenue growth across tech and SaaS industries
In addition to her leadership in the corporate world, she has made contributions in the non-profit sector as well, having served as Chief Operations Officer for Ògo Tàwa Inc. and was an Operations Officer at WorldReader, Ghana, where she helped implement educational technology solutions in underserved communities.
Haset holds a Master’s in Development Studies from York University and an Honours BA from the University of Toronto where she majored in Political Science and minored in African Studies and Diaspora and Transnational Studies. Her academic background has sharpened her critical thinking and research skills, allowing her to approach the business world through a social science lens, ensuring a thoughtful and community-centered approach to her work.
Ibrahim Asadullah
Ibrahim Asadullah is an entrepreneur, insurance broker, and law student with a passion for business, technology, and global markets. A University of Toronto graduate, he played a key role in founding Sterling Insurance Brokers Ltd. in 2016, where he has spent nearly a decade helping businesses navigate commercial and professional liability insurance.
Currently pursuing a law degree at Osgoode Hall, Ibrahim is exploring the intersection of business, law, and technology while developing a SaaS product that leverages AI to streamline workflows for brokers. He has also spent time exploring business opportunities across Canada, the UK, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
A firm believer in lifelong learning and calculated risks, Ibrahim is passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation, helping others carve out unconventional career paths.
Sahar Golshan
Sahar Golshan is the author of the picture book So Loud! (Annick Press, 2024) She is a writer, a language learner, and the director of the short documentary KAR (2019). She is a winner of the Marina Nemat Award for Creative Writing in Non-Fiction and the Air Canada Short Film Award. Her writing has appeared in Room, Taclanese, Shameless, The Ex-Puritan, and Tongues: On Longing and Belonging through Language. She has taught creative writing at the University of Toronto, the University of Guelph, and the Toronto Public Library. She has had the immense privilege of working for education and social justice-driven organizations, including Canada World Youth, Indigenous Youth Roots (formerly known as CRE), SKETCH Working Arts, and The Walrus. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Diaspora and Transnational Studies from the University of Toronto and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph.