Our Team

Steering Committee members planning our candidates' sessions

Steering Committee members planning our candidates’ sessions

All IN started with residents of Ward 16 (Eglinton-Lawrence) in Toronto, and quickly grew to include other Torontonians who care about our city and our country.

While over 40 people were involved with those initial winter of 2015 meetings that set out our priorities, a smaller group of folks has worked to set up All IN’s foundation and to organize its initial events. You can meet our team below:

Dyanoosh Youssefi, Founder, Executive Director

Dyanoosh Youssefi, All IN’s founder, is a professor, a writer, a social justice advocate, and a former criminal defence attorney. In her 30+ years of volunteerism, which she started as a teenager, she’s worked with seniors, youth-at-risk, sex-workers, the homeless, and people with physical and mental challenges, has served on the Board of Directors of Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre and RESULTS-RÉSULTATS Canada, and volunteered in Canada, Israel, and Zimbabwe.  These days, she misses karate, painting, poetry writing, her criminal defence work, and playing an instrument (which she never learned.)

Leah Adema, Steering Committee, Governance Committee

Leah Adema completed a specialist in International Development Studies at the U of T. She currently works internationally, managing community development programs, including in maternal health and women’s economic empowerment. Closer to home, Leah feels that we should all be able to live in a community in which work and life can be sustainably balanced. She comes to All IN with the conviction that policies and communal action can promote justice and equity within Canada’s cities.

Howard Brown, Steering Committee

Howard Brown is President of Brown &‎ Cohen Communications & Public Affairs Inc., celebrating its 25th anniversary this year as one of Toronto’s most respected public relations companies. Howard has a long history of community involvement having served on many not-for-profits boards including the Canadian Club of Toronto, Public Affairs Association of Canada and the United Way agency, ‎People and Organizations in North Toronto (POINT). He was the first City of Toronto appointee to the board of directors of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Maureen Brown, Steering Committee, Governance Committee

Maureen has been a long time activist and feminist. She has worked on federal and municipal political campaigns and is currently President of the Eglinton-Lawrence Federal NDP Riding Association. She has been known to engage voters in fluent Mandarin. As a Certified Tea Sommelier, she particularly enjoys her politics with tea.

Mohamed Byhatt, Steering Committee, Governance Committee

Mohamed’s academic background is very broad (Remote Sensing, Exploration Geology, Environmental Sciences and Information Systems) and encompasses business and managerial experience gained in Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Nigeria. Currently he is Senior Vice President for Simcoe Renewable Energy Corporation.

Kay Ann Williams,  Steering Committee

Kay-Ann Williams PhD is a social scientist with wide ranging interests. She is interested in justice issues with regard to immigrants, housing, and food security. During the hours that she is not teaching at Seneca College, Kay-Ann can be found sharing good conversation and food with friends.

All IN also deeply appreciates the time, skills, and efforts of the following people. who have been instrumental in setting up the organization and moving us forward:

  • Jerry Newton, for patiently designing many drafts until we found the perfect logo, which he then designed
  • Ilana Wilner, our saviour and web-site expert, of Launchbox
  • Pat Martin, who offers her graphic design skills with a smile
  • Morgan Bailey, of the original team
  • Ray Wroblewski, of the original team
  • Daniel Westreich, of the original team
  • Elizabeth Ennis
  • Kaveh Shahrooz
  • John Krissilas
  • Thomas Gallezot
  • Eve Shah