Drishti News

Orene Askew grew up on the Squamish Nation Reserve. An Afro-Indigenous, she has faced adversity and confusion growing up because she is not your typical-looking indigenous woman, for she looks black. A politician and serving as a Squamish Nation elected Councillor, a motivational speaker, inspiring youths across the country with her story about being resilient, sharing a life-changing event, and her challenges of being mixed race. She is the youngest of 4 from a large family that includes 10 grandchildren.

As the CEO of Options Community Services, and Habitat Housing Society, Christine Mohr sees the impact that the inability to access affordable housing has on people’s sense of security and well-being. Christine is one of the leading forces behind the Women of Options Campaign, a life-changing initiative raising money for affordable housing units in Surrey, BC.

Paulina Cameron could not have written the script where she would be today. She looks back at what she cared about deeply. In that case, it makes absolute sense through careers and entrepreneurial endeavors, striving to be open to opportunities that held the possibility for growth, learning, relationship building, and impact.

Manpreet Dhillon ranked #15 globally on the 2020 EmPower Ethnic Minority Future Leaders list. She has over 20 years of leadership, coaching, human resources, and community development expertise. Professionally, she is an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Consultant and founder/CEO of Veza Global, a tech and consulting organization. She spent over 15 years working in gender equality and economic empowerment for marginalized and racialized individuals.

Pardeep Purewal is the daughter of Punjabi farmers and that is where her work ethic comes from. She was driven by their struggles and sacrifices for a better life. She began her career as a Co-op student with the Province in the Ministry Responsible for Multiculturalism. Later, she progressed to a Director level, resulting in an enriching career in the provincial government in the anti-racism, human rights, victim services, and crime prevention sectors. For the last ten years, she has had a rewarding role as a Communications Manager with a local municipality.

For more than 15 years, Anita Huberman has proudly served as the Surrey Board of Trade CEO. In this role, Anita and her team provide businesses and organizations with economic opportunities, connections, and more. She is also an Honorary Captain of the Royal Canadian Navy. Although she has led an impressive career history, Anita moved past many barriers to become the first South Asian woman to fill this role in Canada.

Jas Salh is an investment advisor and leader in the community she proudly serves. She considers herself to be a wealth advisor, as her business covers every aspect of her client’s financial journey from birth to retirement and beyond. While her business is thriving today, the road to success has been challenging, involving a lot of sweat, tears, and late nights tasks.