MEET THE AANGEN TEAM
Executive Director
Executive Team
Heading 1
Alicia
Gunning
(she/her)
Strategic Development Director
(647) 323-2787 ext. 701
Recruited to fine tune the organization’s communications, Alicia joined the Aangen team in the spring of 2018. Her business savvy and eye for detail had her quickly promoted to her current position. Alicia’s most cherished accomplishment is developing Aangen’s internal procedures to help the team run smoothly.
She enjoys snuggling with her rescue dog Falkor, spending time with her niece, and building her Instagram page. #aliciaandthebigthings
Hanna
Papkovich
(she/her)
Senior Operations Manager
(647) 323-2787 ext. 707
Joining Aangen in early 2023, Hanna has been an amazing addition to the executive team. Using her knowledge of the public sector and community needs, she has taken over overseeing Aangen’s daily operations, examining and optimising internal structures, and promoting teamwork and company culture. She has a particular interest in cooperation with stakeholders and furthering business development.
Outside of work, Hanna enjoys going for long walks on the trails near her home and trying new food experiences.
Managers
(she/her)
Catarina
Ledo
Cleaning Manager
(647) 323-2787 ext. 1
Catarina is Aangen’s Cleaning Manager and leads a team of cleaning staff. As a newcomer to Canada, she was a recipient of Aangen’s programs. Since 2015, she has been giving back to the organization that helped her establish herself and her family in a new country. Working for Aangen while taking care of her staff is what makes her most proud.
​In her free time, she enjoys cooking Portuguese dishes and raising her two kids to a soundtrack of Latin music.
Arran
Altimas
(he/him)
All Dried Up Kitchen Manager
(647) 323-2787 ext. 3
Arran has taken over as Aangen’s new ADU Manager, a position that requires empathy, food manufacturing knowledge and management—all of which Arran has and more. He joined Aangen after working 15 years in medical manufacturing and development, so helping vulnerable populations has always been a huge passion of his. In that respect, helping to grow ADU to reach more people and combat food insecurity is a perfect fit for him.
Arran is a passionate farmer and grows a big organic garden each year. He’s got lots of hobbies, including: leatherworking, knife-making, fishing, and swimming. But, most of all, Arran loves helping others through his work.
Braeda
Dowden
(she/her)
Caseworker
(647) 323-2787 ext. 706
In her role as caseworker Braeda provides social-emotional support to people in many of the programs at Aangen. It has always been important for her to do work that aligns with her values. She has been involved with social services for over 20 years and has a passion for program development, staff training, and advocacy work.
Braeda is an avid traveller and reader, and at any given time has a pile of books on the go.
Arpith
Sengupta
(he/him)
HR/CEP Manager
(647) 323-2787 ext. 6
Arpith’s role at Aangen is to help build and expand the HR department and provide his expertise in managing the CEP department. His role allows him to utilise his creative and social skills, and Aangen’s vision of breaking the cycle of poverty aligns perfectly with his personal beliefs. As an immigrant to Canada, he is so excited to have found a work family with a team of like-minded individuals.
When he’s not at work, he likes to spend time fostering cats and binge-watching horror flicks.
Madushan
"Maddy"
Periyasamy
"
(he/him)
Financial Coordinator
(647) 323-2787 ext. 703
Maddy began working at Aangen in November 2020 as a bookkeeper. His role includes speaking with customers and clients, banking, creating invoices, and anything related to finance and number-crunching. He loves being a part of a company that helps the community, and working in a friendly environment makes him happy. For Maddy, Aangen feels like a family.
Apart from working, he loves to travel, explore new things, late night drives, and reading as much as possible.
Leah
Waddel
(she/her)
Grant Researcher & Writer
(647) 323-2787 ext. 707
Leah is Aangen’s grant writer and researcher. Over time, she has transitioned into writing blogs and Aangen’s newsletter. Being able to have a meaningful impact on local at-risk communities while pursuing her passion for writing makes working at Aangen feel like home.
Outside of Aangen, Leah enjoys spending time playing video games, writing and reading stories, and hanging out with her parrot, Jack.
Gurbeen Bhasin
(she/her)
Aangen Founder
(647) 323-2787 ext. 702
Gurbeen Bhasin is the founder and executive director of Aangen. A trained social worker, Gurbeen established Aangen in 2000, following in the footsteps of her ancestors who always welcomed and supported community members facing challenges. Her primary purpose with Aangen is to foster personal empowerment and nurture communities by responding to community needs. Her professional journey has included serving as project manager of a global human rights initiative; a senior analyst at the Canadian Mental Health Association; and as an entrepreneur and creator in Toronto’s independent arts sector. Gurbeen holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan, a Master of Arts in international relations from the University of Windsor, and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from York University.
She is best known for her mile-wide smile, her funky shoes and her mom’s timeless life wisdom.
Managers
Coordinators
Mahrukh
Khan
(she/her)
Bookkeeper
Mahrukh joined Aangen in March of 2023 and is responsible for performing bookkeeping duties for the organisation. She manages Aangen’s financial records, accounts payable and received, and ensures bills are paid on time. In her work, Mahrukh wants to create a meaningful impact and positive change in the world, and loves the collaborative and community-oriented culture that Aangen fosters.
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When she’s not working, Mahrukh loves reading to unwind and relax after a long day. She’s especially fond of the Harry Potter series, and has reread the books over ten times over the years!