York University’s Top 30 Alumni Under 30 program celebrates inspiring and diverse alumni, 29 years old and younger, who are making a positive and impactful difference —both locally and abroad.
From Toronto to communities around the world, York’s young alumni are pushing the boundaries across sectors and borders. They are leaders, actively working to create meaningful change within their businesses, organizations and communities.
These changemakers reflect the values of York University—bold, inclusive, and dedicated to creating positive change.
Muhammad Abdulhafiz
(BHRM ’24, BEd ’24)
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Faculty of Education
Founder, Tutorizer
Oluwatimileyin Aina
(BSc ’24)
Faculty of Science
Founder, Booth and Beyond
Founder, Be the Change
Chimira Nicole Andres (PhD ’25)
Lassonde School of Engineering
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Planetary geophysicist and glacial geomorphologist
Wasi Syed Babar
(BA ’20, MPPAL ’25)
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Senior Program Manager, City of Toronto
Chief Operating Officer, Muslim Youth Revival
Bhabna Banerjee
(BFA ’20)
Faculty of Arts, Media, Performance and Design
Graphics Editor, The New York Times
Talha Aamer Chaudhry (BA ’18)
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Technology Consultant, Abacus
Dayana Davoudi
(BSc ’23)
Faculty of Health
Founder and Project Lead, TorontoTooth
Founder, MedLingua
Alexander DeSouza
(BFA ’18)
Faculty of Arts, Media, Performance and Design
Film director, writer and editor
Deepana Devadas
(LLM ’25)
Osgoode Hall Law School
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Lawyer, Marketing Strategist and Community Builder
Sammie Dhillon
(MMgt ’22, MBA ’24)
Schulich School of Business
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Manager in Lean Transformation Services, KPMG
Emily Duckett
(BFA ’22)
Faculty of Arts, Media, Performance and Design
Multidisciplinary artist and choreographer
Tolu Faromika
(MA ’25)
Faculty of Health
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Podcast Host and Founder, The BrainCore Podcast
Ahmed Gad
(BA ’19)
Glendon
Consultant, Department of Sustainable Democracy and Special Missions, Organization of American States
Adam Garisto
(BA ’20, MMgt ’21)
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Schulich School of Business
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Speechwriter, Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
Aveen Ghahremani
(BHS ’24, MHIA ’25 )
Faculty of Health
Schulich School of Business
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Healthcare Leader and Iranian-Canadian Human Rights Advocate
Merve Kolcak
(BA ’18, MES ’21)
Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Urban Planner and Project Manager, The Biglieri Group
Esther Martinez
(BEd ’21, BA ’21, MEd ’24)
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Educator and Founder, Raíces
Alison Pratt (IBA ’20)
Glendon
Senior Migration Officer, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Parmin Rahimpoor-Marnani
(BSc ’23, MSc ’25)
Faculty of Health
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Clinical Research Assistant, Dermatology
Erik Robeznieks
(BSc ’19)
Faculty of Health
Associate Director of Adaptive Sports & Fitness, University of Michigan
Fernanda Sierra Suárez
(BA ’20)
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Community artist
Chinoye Sunny
(MES ’21)
Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Development Planner, City of Richmond Hill
Winnie Yu
(BFA ’22, MSc ’20)
Faculty of Health
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Founding Partner, FinMed
About York U's Top 30 Alumni Under 30
Launched in 2021, York’s Top 30 Alumni Under 30 program seeks to highlight the success and diversity of the University’s young alumni community, while inspiring the next generation of young alumni leaders to make a positive difference locally and globally. For more information on past recipients, click here. Nominations for the next Top 30 Alumni Under 30 list will open this Fall, click here to learn more.