Gary Taxali

Illustrator, designer Chapters/Indigo signed an exclusive contract with

Gary Taxali

for a line of toys based on characters he created. The illustrator, artist, author and designer has won over 500 awards and his work has appeared in The New Times, Newsweek and GQ, among others. "I've no idea what I'm going to draw or paint. It just happens. When you go with the flow, you look forward to each day."

Hari Krishnan

Artistic Director, inDance Dancer, choreographer, teacher and dance scholar Hari Krishnan says, "Dance is my life, my very being, my consciousness. I approach dance with spirituality and with scholarship. I see the world through my dance." Krishnan is also the co-founder of The Mangala Initiative, a non-profit Canadian organization which provides economic assistance to disenfranchised communities of female artistes in South India. 12 Desi News May 2011

Kamala-Jean Gopie

Member, Federal Immigration and Refugee Board Member of the Federal Immigration and Refugee Board, the Ontario Advisory Council on Multiculturalism and Citizenship... Kamala Jean-Gopie is a passionate advocate of ethno-cultural equity. She campaigned to make the House of Commons more representative of women, minorities and immigrants. "My grandchildren are enriched by growing up in a multi-ethnic society," she says.

Dr. Joseph Kurian

Scientist, philanthropist In 1971, Dr Joseph Kurian mortgaged his home and borrowed $8,000 to set up Alpha Laboratories. The fourmember operation has grown into a multi-million dollar enterprise, employing 300. Dr Kurian established the Alpha Charitable Foundation to build a state-of-the art hospital in India and to set up a centre in Toronto to help street kids.

Lata Pada

Dancer, choreographer, Order of Canada Lata Pada says receiving the Order of Canada makes her more conscious of her responsibility to ensure more people see the arts as a viable career. She is the artistic director of Sampradaya Dance Creations and her mission is to create opportunities for the new generation, to do advocacy for the arts, to create space for South Asian arts in Canada.

Dr. Lucky Lakshmanan

Innovator, entrepreneur Internationally-renowned scientist, innovator and entrepreneur and teacher in the area of technologies for sustainable development, Dr Lucky Lakshmanan has over 40 years of experience in technology development and commercialization. He has led or facilitated a number of Canada-India business and technology initiatives. Dr Lakshmanan was instrumental in developing the Sringeri temple in Toronto.

Mandip Kaur Sandher

Environmental activist

"

If you want health and wealth, you have to ensure others have it too, otherwise there is no balance," says Mandip Kaur Sandher, who works to raise awareness of sanitation issues in India and around the globe. Working with the Sulabh Foundation, Sandher founded the Punjab Lioness Toilet Foundation and helped build toilets in her ancestral village in Punjab. "If you do something with your own hands, you see the change you are making."

MG Venkatesh Mannar

President, Micronutrient Initiative The iodized salt testing kit that Venkatesh Mannar designed for UNICEF is used around the world today. He has helped develop iodization programs in more than 40 countries with UNICEF and the World Bank, and was the driving force in the development of salt fortified with iron and iodine to help prevent anemia. Under his leadership, Micronutrient Initiative's programs reach around 500 million people worldwide.

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