| Lifetime/Outstanding Achievement Award |
| 2009: |
| Suresh Thakrar |
• | One of the most outstanding and respected leaders in the South Asian community |
• | Significant contribution to broaden and increase the respect of the Indo-Canadians |
• | Commissioner of the Ontario Securities Commission |
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| 2008: |
| Dr. Ashok Vijh and Dr. Ratna Ghosh |
• | Only couple of any origin in Canada’s history to have achieved many distinctions including Order of Canada, Order of Quebec, Order of Malta, Fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada, Fellowship in the European Academy of Arts, Humanities and Sciences, and Killiam Fellowship Prize |
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| 2007: |
| Dr. Budhendranauth Doobay |
• | Assistant Clinical Professor in Surgery at McMaster for over 20 years |
• | Well respected Cardiologist, Teacher and a leader of the South Asian Community |
• | Order of Ontario |
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| Humanitarian of the Year | Back to top |
| 2009: |
| Dr. Terry Papneja |
• | Dr. Terry Papneja and Associates Dental Office has been providing dental services for over 20 years. Underlying the practice is a solid work ethic. |
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| 2008: |
| Dr. Vivian S. Rambihar |
• | Toronto’s first South Asian community cardiologist celebrating 25 years of practice |
• | Founder of South Asian Heart in 1990 and Global Heart in 2005 |
• | Author of the several renowned books including Tsunami Chaos and Global Heart: using complexity science to rethink and make a better world, South Asian Heart: Preventing heart disease and South Asian Heart Guidelines |
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| 2007: |
| Dr. Shivendra Dwivedi |
• | Founder – Freedom From Poverty Foundation |
• | Fellow – Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Canada |
• | MDCM – McGill University |
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| Entrepreneur Award | Back to top |
| 2009: | |
| Soham Ajmera |
• | President fgf Brands Inc |
• | Founded Dough Delight in 1974 |
• | Founded fgf Brands Inc with his two sons Tejus and Ojus in 2004; Awarded ‘the Best New Food Product’ in North America |
• | Owner / Director of Speciality Rice Co. also with his two sons |
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| Male Entrepreneur | Back to top |
| 2008: | |
| Vikas Gupta | |
• | CEO & President of TransGaming Technologies |
• | Successfully grew company’s stock 850% over 18 months |
• | Director on the Board of The McCluhan Festival of the Future |
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| 2007: | |
| Bhim D. Asdhir | |
• | President and CEO Excel Funds Management Inc. |
• | Propelled Excel Funds to grow over 200% last year |
• | Under his vision, the Excel China Fund was the top performing Mutual Fund in Canada for 2006 |
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| Female Entrepreneur | Back to top |
| 2008: | |
| Nina Gupta | |
• | Founder, CEO & President of Greenlite Lighting Corporation |
• | Grew Greenlite into a $30M company in 10 years |
• | Raises public awareness around the harmful effects of traditional incandescent light bulbs in comparison to Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) |
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| 2007: | |
| Manishi Sagar | |
• | President and CEO of Kinderville Group |
• | Kinderville : First group of its kind to get an ISO 9002 Quality Certification |
• | Kinderville ranked in profit magazine’s Fastest Growing Companies in Canada |
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| Professional Male Award | Back to top |
| 2009: | |
| Dr. Vivek Rao | |
• | In 2001, at age 33, Dr. Rao became the youngest surgical appointee of the Division of Cardiac Surgery at Toronto General Hospital |
• | First surgical recruit to possess a doctorate degree in cardiovascular research |
• | Appointed to the Alfredo and Tresa DeGasperis Chair in Heart Failure Surgery at Toronto General Hospital |
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| 2008: | |
| Dr. Gopal Bhatnagar | |
• | Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Trillium Health Centre |
• | MD, University of Western Toronto, Dean’s Honour List, FRCS General Surgery, FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery |
• | One of the world’s most foremost cardiothoracic surgeons in off-pump or beating heart surgery |
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| 2007: | |
| Raj Anand | |
• | Partner – WeirFoulds LLP |
• | Chief Commissioner – Ontario Human Rights Commission (Jan 1988 – June 1989) |
• | Advocates Society Award for Justice (First Recipient, 1997) |
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| Professional Female Award | Back to top |
| 2009: | |
| Dr. Sonia Anand | |
• | Associate Professor, Department of Medicine |
• | Associate Member, Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics |
• | Team Leader, Cardiovascular Research in Gender (CARING) |
• | Director, Vascular Medicine Clinic, Hamilton Health Sciences CIHR Clinician-Scientist Phase 2 Award 2004-2009 |
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| 2008: | |
| Professor Poonam Puri | |
• | Received various awards including ‘Canada’s Top 40 Under 40,’ Arbor Award for alumni volunteerism and involvement and Gordon Cressy Student Leadership Award |
• | President of the Canadian Law and Economics Association (2006-08) |
• | Appointed as one of the research directors for the Investment Dealers Association sponsored Task Force to Modernise Securities Regulation (2005-2007) |
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| 2007: | |
| Sheila Kumari Singh | |
• | Chosen by Toronto Star as one of nine “People to watch in 2005” |
• | 1st prize winner, University of Toronto Horsey prize in recognition of outstanding accomplishments in Neurosurgical Clinical Research |
• | Innovative research in the field of neurosurgery |
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| Technology Award | Back to top |
| 2009: | |
| Dr. Jamal Deen | |
• | Currently a professor of Electrical Engineering at McMaster University and Editor of IEEEE Transactions on Electron Devices |
• | Elected as Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers and is an honorary member of the World of Innovation Foundation |
• | Has won the IBM faculty award and Humbolt Research Award in 2006 |
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| 2008: | |
| Dr. Karan Sher Singh | |
• | Industry expert in computer graphics |
• | Received various honours and awards including International Distinguished Scholar, Centennial Foundation of Canada award and ICES Visiting Professor Award |
• | Technical lead on two commercial projects that won technical Oscars. R&D Director for 2005 Oscar winning short animation film Ryan |
• | Co-directs a 40-year-old world famous graphics and human computer interaction lab DGP |
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| 2007: | |
| Dr. Nishith Goel | |
• | Founder and President - Cistel Technology |
• | Co-Founder ChiL Semi Conductor |
• | Cistel Technology named in the Deloitte and Touché North American Technology Fast 500 |
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| Young Achievers Award | Back to top |
| 2009: | |
| Suraj Kumar Gupta | |
• | DECA regional and provincial competition judge and placed top 5 in the DECA U Nationals in 2009. DECA is a not-for-profit organization that fosters business education in high school students |
• | Featured in The Globe and Mail column Me and My Money highlighting successful innovative investors |
• | Raised $10,000 for medical supplies in Sierra Leone as part of Free the Children initiatives |
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| 2008: | |
| Asha Suppiah | |
• | Developed a low cost and highly effective technique of spreading salt water on a corrugated rotating screen to increase the surface area required to evaporate the water |
• | Received ‘Top 20 Under 20’ award by Youth in Motion 2007 |
• | Two-time winner of the Pfizer Canada Award of Excellence, and won gold three times and silver three times at the Canada Wide Science Fair, along with numerous other awards |
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| 2007: | |
| Ankit Kapur | |
• | Founder and President – Vayu Wind Energy |
• | Vayu Energy – An industry trend setter in customized wind energy services |
• | Keynote speaker at the Organization of American States (OAS) Sustainable Development Committee Meeting in Ottawa |
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| Corporate Executive Award | Back to top |
| 2009: | |
| Hari Panday | |
• | Mr. Panday’s long and distinguished career in public accounting and banking industries spreads over 27 years in a variety of progressive senior management roles with leading domestic and international financial institutions |
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| 2008: | |
| Krishna Kapoor | |
• | President of Wellington West Holdings |
• | Force behind the development of Assante Corporation |
• | Launched a new indoor racquet sport called ‘short court’ (now better known as ricochet) |
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| 2007: | |
| Bharat Masrani, U.S.A | |
• | President & CEO, TD Banknorth |
• | Past Chairman, Risk Management Committee, Canadian Bankers Association |
• | Schulich School of Business, International Council Advisory Member |
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| President’s Award | Back to top |
| 2009: | |
| Dr. Asha Seth | |
• | Serves as a primary physician and consultant at the St. Joseph’s Health Centre |
• | Started an Obstetrician and Gynecologist family practice, focusing on preventative and rehabilitative treatments |
• | Awarded for contributions to the South Asian Women’s Centre for the Abused Women program |
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| 2008: | |
| Gary M. Comerford | |
• | Senior Vice-President, International for Sun Life Financial |
• | Responsibility for setting up a partnership between Sun Life Financial and Aditya Birla Group in India |
• | Mentor for Rotman MBA Program |
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| 2007: | |
| Subha Rajan (Tampi), India | |
• | Worked with the handicapped in Africa and Lepers Colony in Monrovia |
• | Overseeing the Canada desk at CII for 5 years |
• | Winner of the Dadha Bhai Naroji Millennium Award for Woman of the Millennium |
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| Member Award | Back to top |
| 2009: | |
| Surinder (Pal) Ghumman | |
• | Pal is a visionary and leader in public accounting field and a dedicated community builder |
• | Heads the ICCC’s Networking event for Mississauga |
• | Partner in a local accounting firm with 18-years experience specializing in all aspects of accounting, auditing, US and Canadian tax |
• | Acknowledged expert in Cross Border Taxation |
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| 2008: | |
| Rina Gill | |
• | National Director-BC Operations, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce |
• | Full-time entrepreneur of a full service advertising agency called The Hype Advertising Agency |
• | Over 12 years experience in Business, Marketing, Advertising, Customer Service, Charities, Events, Fashion and Public Relations |
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| 2007: | |
| Dr. Geetha Ramesh | |
• | Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce - Alberta Council |
• | Manager for Risk Assessment – Worley Parsons |
• | Founded an International |
| | Back to top |