Staff

pronouns: they, them, theirs

Alistair is a queer mixed-Asian first-generation settler raised by refugee parents from Myanmar. They are an artist and community organizer dedicated to learning and unlearning as they strive to hold tender spaces for queer and trans communities in the Coast Salish Territories. Through building relationships that honor our unique histories and journeys in healing, Alistair hopes for a gentler future where all people have access to pleasure and quality of life. Outside of work, Alistair can be found pretending to be robots in a game of D&D or making PowerPoint presentations about why “Fallout: New Vegas” is a yee-haw masterpiece.

pronouns: they, them, theirs

Danielle is a mixed Settler and Two-spirit vagabond still trying to find their ties to the land and culture on Turtle Island. They are a self-proclaimed “rat man” who has no strong opinions about anything other than Indigenous autonomy, sovereignty, and physical comfort items. Danielle was born in and moved back to the unceded and ancestral lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Tsleil-Waututh nations. They lived on the traditional territories of the Nehiyaw, Denesuliné, Nakota Sioux, Anishinabae and Niitsitapi nations (Edmonton, Alberta) from 1998 to 2018. Their ancestors are a part of the Lake Babine nation, located near what is known as Burns Lake, British Columbia. They are interested in cosplay, anime (subs only), and abolishing colonial systems. Out of work they can be found on their couch getting their soul sucked through their wallet by Genshin Impact, or “just ma’ chillen” outside on a walk or in a park around the city.

pronouns: she, her, hers

Emily is a mixed race queer community organizer and arts practitioner. The descendant of South Asian, English and Austrian immigrants and an uninvited guest living on Coast Salish Territory, Emily works to find the magic living in the in-between, challenging and unpacking colonial constructions of race and sexuality on these lands. As the Mpowerment Coordinator of the Fraser East Region, Emily looks forward to returning to her rural routs, where powerful survival strategies have and continue to transform community! Outside of work, Emily is either lost in Pacific Spirit Park or being overly competitive playing Dutch Blitz. 

pronouns: he, him, his

Furqan was born in Pakistan and raised in Maldives. He moved to Vancouver Canada in 2013 to pursue an undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. Furqan’s all-time favourite Tv show is Grey’s Anatomy and is comfortably able to hold long conversations about it. Furqan is a HUGE marvel fan, loves baking and in his free time can be found hiking and biking around Vancouver. 

pronouns: he, him, his

Ivan is a healer, artist and educator of Afro-Caribbean, Tamil and Kalinago ancestry. He was born and raised in one of his ancestral homelands, Iere, Land of the Hummingbirds, Kalinago territory and moved to xʷməθkʷəy̓əm territory in 2012 seeking a change from colonially imposed anti-queer laws in the Caribbean. Ivan's work is melody of home, heart and hope always pulling him closer to his ancestors, and is focused on unmasking and undoing the many faces of colonization that move through his communities. He is a part-time organizer, full-time friend and big-time believer in the transformative power of relationships. 

pronouns: they/them

Iyol is a queer and non-binary migrant settler born and raised in Mexico-Tenochtitlan, currently living in the traditional, stolen territories of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ, and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm Nations. They hope to work towards building community and strong relations with fellow queer and trans people. Iyol is also excited to learn and share through peer-led education and community outreach as a Mycelium Program Coordinator. Outside of work, Iyol can be found taking a nap or immersed in deep thought while commuting, painting and caring for their nails, as well as spending hours talking with their loved ones.

pronouns: she, her, hers

Janna is a white settler living as an uninvited guest on this land. She grew up on Crawford Purchase land, nearby Treaty 57, in 'Ontario' and spent her adolescence as a queer, HCV+, street-involved youth, and drug user. She traveled for many years exploring the country, discovering music, and connecting with rural communities. These experiences led her to youth engagement programs and peer advocacy work. Quickly she fell in love with delivering workshops and deepened a passion for drug policy work and reducing stigmas enforced onto marginalized community members. As a woman of many interests Janna has worked as a birth doula, a sound engineer for live shows and film, a fisherman in northern 'Saskatchewan', a writer and life-skills coach, is slowly pursuing (through scholarships/bursaries) a bachelors degree in psychology, a certificate in animal behaviour, and is passionate in the field of mental health. Her favorite TV show (at the moment) is The Office and it should be noted that she is quite comfortable embarking on very long one-sided conversations with any dog willing to listen. 

pronouns: she, her, hers

In the past, Jessica has been involved as the Positive Programs Intern, and as a Camp Moomba alumni volunteer. She is happy to be back in such an awesome, supportive, fun space! Jessica is dedicated to volunteering and working with children and youth and is excited to bring that experience to her work here at YouthCO. In Jessica’s spare time, she enjoys conversing with friends outdoors, listening to Ed Sheeran’s musical talents, playing with her two cats, and is always down to have a caffeinated beverage or two.

pronouns: she, her, hers

Neh’tanis (Tanny) is a Métis, Cree, and Sioux Educator living in Smithers on the unceded land of the Wet’suwet’en Nation. Neh’tanis holds strong beliefs in Youth supporting, educating, and uplifting other Youth. She has always had a passion for harm reduction and holds strong beliefs in cultural based, non-stigmatizing, and non-oppressive approaches. Outside of work she can be found having adventures in nature with friends, going to music festivals, and hanging out with her cats.

pronouns: she, her, hers

Nona is the Yúusnewas Educator focused on Harm Reduction. Nona is from the Ditidaht First Nations. She moved to the unceded and ancestral lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Tsleil-Waututh nations in 2016 to finish her Bachelor of Education at UBC. She is excited about this role because it incorporates teaching, working with Indigenous youth and decolonzing work. Outside of the office, Nona can be found cuddling with her cat, hiking or exploring new places.

pronouns: she, her, hers

Samira's first official involvement with YouthCO was through developing and lead a workshop at the Positive Gathering, ABCs of HIV and as a Camp Moomba group leader. Wth the experience with working with such great people at YouthCO, Samira is excited to be working at YouthCO as the Program Intern. Her passion for talking about matters that are important to her and others and meet new faces is why she's glad to be at YouthCO. Samira is currently studying her way to become a nurse. As a nurse, Samira wants to bring a good vibe to her work with patients, in order to help people in a meaningful way. When Samira is not making great party conversation starters, she enjoys a bag of Cheetos because they are a cheesy heaven, filmmaking/editing, and watching late night TV series (at the moment, Castle).

pronouns: they, them, theirs

Stevie Thompson is a mixed-race, Queer, and Non-binary human. They are Cree from the Michel First Nation and of mixed settler ancestry from Scotland, Norway, and Russia. They grew up on traditional, stolen, Katzie territory in ‘Pitt Meadows’ and now live on the traditional, stolen territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) Nations in ‘Burnaby’. They are passionate about anti-oppression, decolonization, harm reduction, holistic wellbeing, and education. Stevie is at their happiest when surrounded by loved ones, floating in natural bodies of water, tending to their plants, or cuddling with dogs.