Team Category: General

Tina joined CCDI in 2022 as part of the Partner Relations team, where she supports hundreds of organizations in leveraging CCDI’s resources to strengthen their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies.

Originally from a small francophone community in Northeastern Ontario, in Robinson-Huron Treaty territory on the traditional territory of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, Tina moved to Toronto to broaden her experiences and develop a more global perspective. After more than a decade, she returned to her hometown to give back to her community.

Tina brings over 20 years of experience in client services and membership engagement, including seven years at a national non-profit in the science engagement sector, where she expanded membership models and integrated inclusive practices across events and programming. She also holds a graduate certificate in Leadership and Inclusion and is passionate about creating equitable workplaces where everyone has the opportunity to build a successful career.

Pangus Kung joined CCDI in 2019 and in his role serves as an integrator driving internal and external alignment to expand CCDI’s national impact through strategy execution, partner engagement, innovation, and process improvement. With over a decade of experience in partner and business relations working for two of the largest chambers of commerce in Canada (Vancouver and Toronto), Pangus has a wealth of experience interacting with diverse business communities across the country.

A graduate of the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, Pangus is originally from Vancouver but now resides in Toronto.

Pangus loves travel, food, and is an avid sports fan, with a passion for hockey, soccer (football), the Olympics, and building inclusion through sport.

Michelle is a dedicated researcher with over ten years of experience in both qualitative and quantitative research methods. She gets a deep sense of enjoyment when a research project and theory come together in just the right way to answer a question that is being asked.

At the core of her research portfolio Michelle is focused on a continual deep understanding of equity and justice including all of their nuanced forms. As a manager in Research Knowledge Solutions Michelle brings a constant curiosity to learn more about how we are all interconnected through her interests in history, sociology, philosophy, education, and language.

In addition to her research background, Michelle also joins the team with extensive teaching and facilitation experience, where a key tenet of her teaching has always been looking at how to seek equitable educational opportunities for all.

When not working, Michelle spends her time knitting, learning French, and hiking with her family.

Amelie Gagnon (she/her/elle) is an operations leader with over 15 years of experience disrupting the status quo and doing what she loves – helping organizations successfully carry on their vision with strategic thinking and direction. She has spent most of her career within the wellness, health, fitness, and sport industry. Amelie earned a law degree from the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM) and a master’s degree in sports administration from St. Thomas University (STU) in Miami.

Amelie is a lawyer by training, an extravert by nature and a connector of and with people by passion. She is an advocate for social change and transformation, using her resources to honor, support and partner with people, organizations and policies that align with her values and vision for a world of equity and justice. She loves a dance challenge, traveling the world and spending time with family.

Talar Dikijian, based in Montreal, joined CCDI in 2024. Before that, she held various Marketing positions with technology companies including Distributel, Insight, Matrox, Intelerad Medical Systems, and Stellar Elements. Her earliest experiences in event management, PR and product marketing shaped her commitment to collaboration between sales, marketing and communications teams. She loves finding ways to use Martech to orchestrate campaigns, leveraging the best of digital and in-person tactics to support a unified branding strategy. She believes in powerful content, storytelling and an always-learning culture. Talar has made it a personal goal to create opportunities to hire and coach students, with a special focus on neurodiversity.

Seeking a counterbalance to her work in the private sector, she volunteered at Chez Doris Women’s Shelter on weekends from 2007 to 2010. She was invited to join their Board in 2010, launched the Afternoon Tea annual fundraising event, and was nominated as Board President from 2014-2018.

Talar holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing Major) from Concordia University, a Certificate in Public Relations Management from McGill University and a Major in Political Science from the University of Montreal. She is fluent in English, French, and Armenian and is trying to learn Irish.

Talar enjoys testing new recipes for her family while binging on the latest Nordic Noir series, taking art and sewing classes, and walking her dog.

Thúy Dang joins CCDI as the Manager of Finance, bringing with her 25+ years of experience in various accounting and analyst functions.

She arrived in Canada amongst many other Vietnamese boat people during the 1980’s and Calgary has been her home since.

Outside of work, Thúy enjoys taking photos during her walks and hikes, calligraphy, and spending time with family.

Riya Nirmal Dalal immigrated to Canada in 2020 a few days before the COVID pandemic and paved her way towards employment without any Canadian experience and education. Back in India she had a promising career as an Assistant Professor. But in the new country, she had a chance to start from scratch, so she decided to try something new.

Riya achieved a master’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering as well as bachelor’s degree in the same field. She also holds Associate Cloud Engineer along with IT Support Professional certificates from Google. Besides her regular role, she also has a volunteering role at TEDxYYC as Website Specialist.

In her free time, Riya loves exploring the city and mountains. She goes for a hike whenever it’s possible. She also enjoys various food from different cuisines and restaurants. Apart from that, she also continues learning by taking various courses. Currently she has enrolled in a Google Project Management certification by Coursera.

Yingjun Chen is a dedicated professional poised to complete her Master of Arts degree at the University of Toronto, backed by over four years of expertise in interpretation and program management roles. Proficient in Mandarin, Cantonese, English, and French, Yingjun has effectively served diverse communities across social services, medical, and legal domains.

Notably, during her time working in post-secondary institutions, she once led an inclusive hiring program, opening doors for students with disabilities. Her prowess in program development, intercultural awareness, student support, and project management flourished during her interactions with international students. In addition to her linguistic adeptness, Yingjun has excelled in varied leadership and research roles. She has orchestrated leadership workshops, fostered team development, and championed engagement among peers while promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Motivated by her passion for bridging connections across languages and cultures, Yingjun consistently upholds high standards of excellence in her endeavors. Beyond her professional commitments, she finds solace in hiking, reading, and cherishing moments with her beloved dog and cat.

Viktória Belle (she/they), our Director of Learning and Knowledge Solutions, has spent over a decade in non-profit leadership and education, with a focus on transformative learning and gender equity. She holds multiple degrees in Early Childhood Education and in Social Work and is a certified Community and Workplace Traumatologist. She is currently completing her Master of Social Work and is looking forward to practicing as a registered psychotherapist in the future.  

Viktória immigrated to Turtle Island as a child and belongs to several diverse communities of identity, which shape their approach and values in education and community building. Viktoria has stewarded non-profits as an executive director and curriculum developer and has contributed to several national and international movements for equity, safety, and dignity.  

She lives along the Nottawasaga River with their spouse and animals where she spends a lot of time reading, enjoying the beautiful land and waters and participating in community care and grassroots advocacy initiatives.  

Vikash is an Accounting and Finance professional with seven years of experience in the Middle East as well as India. His adherence to the highest ethical standards of his profession as well as his wide ranging and unique skill set helped him to successfully execute his responsibilities in various positions including Senior Accountant and Finance Analyst. His expertise in the financial matters of various sectors like manufacturing, contracting, hospitality and banking saw him recognized as a subject matter expert (in his previous countries of operation).

His focus and dedication to his work as well as his quest for knowledge and best accounting practices enabled him to develop solutions that were transparent and compliant with the regulatory bodies where he worked.

His formal training has been in India and he holds a Masters in Business Administration in Finance from SRM University as well as a Bachelors of Commerce from University of Kerala.