York University has announced its Top 30 Alumni Under 30 for 2024, and this year six alumni come from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. This distinguished group of alumni under the age of 30 have displayed exemplary leadership and volunteerism to address deep and complex social challenges – both locally and globally.
“The York University Top 30 Alumni Under 30 program showcases the remarkable work that York’s young alumni have done to create positive change at home and abroad,” says Julie Lafford, assistant vice-president, alumni engagement. “The 2024 cohort is an accomplished group featuring creative artists, innovators in science, business leaders and champions for social justice."
The LA&PS Alumni in the Top 30 Alumni Under 30 for 2024 are:
Khadeja Elsibai
Public servant and community builder
BPA ’20, MPPAL ’22, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Khadeja Elsibai is a public servant, community builder, connector and people-oriented leader. Her passion for building community and creating spaces for learning and growth has mainly been unleashed within the public sector as member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada's Toronto Region Chapter (IPAC Toronto) and as co-chair of Future Leaders of Ontario (FLO), the inter-departmental network for new and young federal public servants based in Ontario. Through these leadership roles, Khadeja has co-led many initiatives including two mentorship programs, the organizing of IPAC Toronto’s flagship event, the Emerging Leaders Conference and launched IPAC Toronto’s Emerging New Professional Award, an award that recognizes emerging leaders in the GTHA’s public sector. Khadeja has also led many communications and outreach initiatives within the public sector, and co-organized many learning and networking events that aim to facilitate horizontal collaboration and the cross-pollination of knowledge to create opportunities for professional development. In addition, Khadeja assists with organizing community events and fundraising initiatives across North America for Molham Volunteering Team, a Syrian grassroots charity dedicated to supporting Syrians and Arabs in need across the Arab region.
John Lau
Sustainability leader
BA ’17, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
John Lau is a Senior Policy Advisor at the Ontario Energy Board's Energy Transition department. After graduating from York, John Lau helped combat climate change by working on energy and environment policy at Natural Resources Canada. John monitored and analyzed international and domestic clean energy policies and led cooperation between federal and provincial governments to report on the progress of clean energy policy implementation. John then joined the Natural Gas and Hydrogen team at Natural Resources Canada where he has led the federal government's policy and market analysis related to gaseous fuels. John also spearheaded projects focused on natural gas sector decarbonization and advancing progress toward net-zero emissions for Canada and its allies. John has been featured as a presenter at many conferences on climate change mitigation. These include conferences hosted by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Hydrogen Heating Network (HHN). John was also an independent expert reviewer for International Energy Agency (IEA) publications. John has been working to ensure that Canada’s clean-energy transition is successful and enlists participation and support from all Canadians and stakeholders. In 2020, John was recognized as one of Corporate Knight Magazine's Top 30 Under 30 Sustainability Leaders.
Nuria Madrenas
Art curation innovator
BA ’16, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Nuria Madrenas is the founder and principal of Tacit, an online gallery and art consultancy dedicated to female-identifying artists. Tacit was born out of the disparity in the art industry between women and men, where art by women accounts for 2% of the art sold. Nuria curates a collection of works available via the Tacit website for emerging and established collectors to build their collection. With a profound objective of reducing the gender disparity prevalent in the art industry, Nuria's vision has propelled Tacit to become a catalyst for change. Under Nuria's guidance, Tacit has not only provided a platform for female artists to showcase their talent but has also garnered attention from renowned publishing platforms such as Vogue Living, the London Free Press, The Globe and Mail, and Forbes. These features have further amplified the reach and impact of Tacit, solidifying its position as a trailblazer in the art industry. Through the art consulting wing, Tacit has worked with a variety of residential and commercial clients to curate art for their spaces, including condominium buildings, hotels, restaurants, office buildings and beyond.
Larissa Parekh
Community builder
BA ’17, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Larissa Parekh is a community-centered leader specializing in capacity development, community resilience, leadership, climate change and international development. Her passion for strengthening community resilience in vulnerable communities drives her to build meaningful connections and emphasize an asset-based approach to community development. Larissa’s commitment to community engagement started as an undergraduate student at York University where she worked with local organizations to provide funding and resources for vulnerable populations. As a student, her research explored how informal leadership and social capital drives the success of community-based adaptation methods to climate change and community resilience in the Global South, with an emphasis on rural, women-focused experiences. Larissa has served as a conference coordinator for a non-profit organization dedicated to creating spaces that advocate for the needs and interests of rural or remotely located communities and she continues to volunteer and offer support for their rural conferences to foster greater collaboration and connection. Larissa’s experience with community engagement contributes to her current work with communities, emphasizing vulnerable neighbourhoods and working to strengthen community resilience and preparedness against disasters and emergencies.
Leanne Prendergast
Anti-bullying advocate and author
BA ’16, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Leanne Prendergast is the founder and executive director of Love our Lives, a non-profit organization that works to help young girls and women live happy and healthy lives by using practical tools and measures to address issues of bullying, low self-esteem and other mental health issues. Leanne co-authored a self-help book, Getting to Know Me, based on her personal experience of being bullied as a child. The book provides support for girls, their families and other support workers in identifying the telltale signs of bullying and how to find help and support. Leanne is a motivational speaker, activist and a voice of change, both nationally and internationally. She provides workshops, seminars and programs within schools and community events to address the effects of bullying on girls and young women in schools, in relationships and within organizations. Leanne has been recognized for her service and community work by television programs, radio stations and newspapers and is a frequently requested speaker at many conferences and events, speaking at WE Day, and was featured in a TEDx Talk.
Sam Rockbrune
Community leader and social justice advocate
MA ’19, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Samantha (Sam) Rockbrune (she/her) is a leader in the non-profit sector with nearly ten years of experience in social and climate justice locally and nationally. She is a graduate of York University's Master of Arts in Socio-Legal Studies in which her research took a critical stance on law and policy. She is a co-founder and former board director of Students for Consent Culture Canada, a national non-profit working to end campus sexual violence and promote cultures of consent. Currently, Sam is the executive director for the Kawartha World Issues Centre (KWIC), an award-winning charity focused on connecting global issues to local initiatives in the Nogojiwanong area of Peterborough, Ontario. Under her leadership, KWIC has undertaken impactful community projects to advance and amplify gender equality locally and support youth climate justice projects. In 2023, Sam was also the interim executive director for. The Trent Aboriginal Cultural Knowledges and Sciences (TRACKS) youth program, facilitating dynamic, land-based youth programming that braids multiple scientific approaches by centring Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
The 2024 recipients have applied the skills, knowledge and learning experiences they gained at York towards community service that benefits the public good.
Launched in 2021, York’s Top 30 Alumni Under 30 program seeks to highlight the success and diversity of the University’s alumni community, while inspiring the next generation of young alumni leaders. To view the full list of 2024 recipients, and learn more about them, visit the Top 30 Alumni Under 30 web page.
Originally published in YFile.