Raptors Superfan, Olympian & Others to Receive Prestigious Transformation Awards Next Week

SATURDAY JUNE 4TH IS THE TRANSFORMATION AWARDS

Date: Saturday June 4^th, 2016

Venue: Royal York Hotel, 100 Front Street West, Toronto ON. M5J 1E3

Ticket: $200 per person

Time: Red Carpet Reception at 6 PM, Dinner & Awards at 7 PM

The Transformation Awards Gala features a red carpet reception, a sumptuous dinner, multicultural entertainment, inspiring recipients, high profile presenters, a classy ceremony and youth from the Crossover Mentorship Program. With a focus on leadership, excellence and innovation through cross-cultural integration, the project's mission is to inspire, transform, empower, showcase, celebrate, and integrate various elements of our heritage for a more perfect mosaic.

Prestigious Transformation Awards will be given out to highly accomplished individuals in 12 Categories. The Enterprise Award is going to Nav Bhatia, Hyundai Dealership Owner & Raptors Superfan; the Public Service Award goes to Hon. Justice Michael H. Tulloch, Judge, Ontario Court Of Appeal; the Heritage Award goes to Anthony Wilson-Smith, President & CEO, Historica Canada; the Harmony award goes to Arthur K. Miki, Educator and Activist; the Leadership Award is going to Saäd Rafi, CEO, 2015 Panam Games and ORPP; the Development Award is going to Judith Puttock, Board Chair, Women's Centre of York Region.

Olympian and Track and Field Legend Donovan Bailey receives the Excellence Award; the Innovation Award goes to Kundan Joshi, Founder and CEO, The AppLabb; The Entertainment Award goes to Jackie Richardson, Legendary Singer and Actor; the Media Award goes to Anthony Farnell, Chief Meteorologist, Global TV and the Community Service Award goes to Marek Goldyn, Founder & President, European Club of Canada.

Inquiries:

[email protected]

Tel: (416) 755-7788

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS NOW

19 Waterman Avenue, Suite 207

Toronto ON M4B 1Y2 Canada

www.DiversityMagazine.ca

2016 TRANSFORMATION AWARDS RECIPIENTS

ENTERPRISE AWARD | Nav Bhatia

Hyundai Dealership President and Raptors Superfan

Nav Bhatia is known as The Superfan of the Toronto Raptors, one of the leading teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He recently became the Raptors South Asian Community Ambassador, working alongside global music superstar Drake. Bhatia also owns the number one Hyundai dealership in Canada, with locations in Mississauga and Rexdale. Bhatia spends more than $300,000 a year on Raptors tickets, many of them given away to kids to enjoy basketball games.

Bhatia has been Hyundai's top salesperson in Canada. He once sold 150 cars in four months. He took over a Hyundai dealership in Mississauga that was on the verge of bankruptcy and in three years, it became the top dealership in Canada. Bhatia became a partner and then sole owner in 2003. By 2013, the Mississauga outlet led all other dealerships in the Canadian chain, in the number of new vehicles sold. He receives the 2016 Transformation Award for Enterprise.

LEADERSHIP AWARD | Saäd Rafi

CEO, 2015 Panam Games and ORPP AC

Saäd Rafi was the CEO of the Pan Am Games, the largest sporting event of its kind in Canada. Under his leadership, the games were a phenomenal success. He has served as Deputy Minister, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care; Deputy Minister, Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure; National Infrastructure Advisory and Project Finance Practice Leader at Deloitte & Touche LLP; Deputy Minister of Transportation; and the Deputy Minister of Community Safety.

Rafi has left reputable leadership footprints in the Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Economic Development and others. He is now the CEO of the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan Administration Corporation (ORPP AC). As CEO, Rafi is responsible for developing the organizational structure, engaging parties such as the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), and overseeing the set-up of the infrastructure and technology. He receives the 2016 Transformation Award for Leadership.

ENTERTAINMENT AWARD | Jackie Richardson

Legendary Singer and Actor

Jackie Richardson is a legendary singer and actor. She started with Brenda Russell in Toronto girl group, The Tiaras. A three-time nominee for the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television's Gemini Awards, she has won the Best Actress Award for The Gospel According to the Blues. In 2003, she was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Best Actress for Sins of the Father. In 2004, she won a Dora Award for the musical Cookin' At The Cookery.

Richardson has been involved with Milk and Honey, More Tales Of The City, Big Mama and The Willie Mae Thornton Story; starred with Christopher Reeve, Sidney Poitier, Jane Seymour and Keifer Sutherland; hosted radio, TV and stage shows; performed or recorded with Salome Bey, Doug Riley, Ray Charles, Alannah Myles, Celine Dion, Anne Murray, Oliver Jones, Andrew Craig, Molly Johnson, Debra Cox and others. She receives the 2016 Transformation Award for Entertainment.

HERITAGE AWARD | Anthony Wilson-Smith

President & CEO, Historica Canada

Anthony Wilson-Smith joined Historica Canada in 2012 after a long career in journalism, followed by senior executive positions at crown and financial services corporations. As a journalist, he served as author, columnist, foreign correspondent, editor and is a frequent public speaker. As a political and social commentator, he has appeared on many national as well as international radio and television networks.

Anthony has worked in 35 countries and in all of Canada's provinces and territories. He has served as a volunteer with national organizations. As President and CEO of Historica Canada, he oversees all operations and works with the Board of Directors to provide strategic vision. Historica Canada is the largest independent organization devoted to enhancing awareness of Canadian history and citizenship. He receives the 2016 Transformation Award for Advancing Canadian Heritage.

EXCELLENCE AWARD | Donovan Bailey

Track & Field Legend

Donovan Bailey is one of the greatest sprinters of all-time. A Hall of Fame track & field legend, he is a three-time world record holder, a two-time Olympic champion and a three-time world champion. He was named Track & Field News sprinter of the decade (1991-2001); the greatest sprinter in Canadian history; and anchor of all of Canada's gold medal team relay wins to date. Bailey broke the indoor 50 metre world record in 5.56 seconds, which still stands.

CEO of Bailey Inc., his vast global network and influence has led to appointments as board member, brand ambassador or spokesperson for Adidas, Coca-Cola, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Canada, Alzheimer's Research and Participaction. Bailey is a renowned sports analyst for leading broadcasters like BBC, CBC and others. 2016 marks the 20^th anniversary of Bailey's Olympic Gold Medal win for Canada. He receives the 2016 Transformation Award for Professional Excellence.

HARMONY AWARD | Arthur K. Miki

Educator and Activist

Arthur K. Miki was 5 when his family was part of the removal of Japanese Canadians from the West Coast to Manitoba in 1942. An order of Canada recipient, Miki is an advisor to the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, where he had served as Vice Chair. He has also served as President of the Japanese Cultural Association; Founder and President of the Asian Heritage Society in Manitoba; and President of the National Association of Japanese Canadians.

Miki led the redress settlement of 1988 for Japanese Canadians interned during World War II. He was Director, Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation, which administered the $12 million that became a $25 Million endowment fund for establishing the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. He served as school principal, lecturer at the University of Winnipeg, authored Japanese Canadian Redress Legacy (2003) and co-authored Shaku of Wondrous Grace (2007). He receives the 2016 Transformation Award for Advancing Harmony.

DEVELOPMENT AWARD | Judith Puttock

Board Chair, Women's Centre of York Region

Judith Puttock has worked as a senior human resources professional in four major Canadian corporations, consultant to leaders, and provided confidential executive coaching to senior leaders in corporations in Canada, and the United States. For the past twenty-five years, Judith has also volunteered her time with several not-for-profit organizations within York Region, to help deliver programs to women and families of diverse backgrounds.

Judith is the Board Chair for the Women's Centre of York Region (WCYR), which advances women's aspirations, racial harmony and fights oppression. The centre invests in women and their future in order to impact their lives, families and communities. President of Puttock Group, she has served as Director at Yellow Brick House, Human Resources Professionals of York Region and the Robert Thompson Family & Youth Centre. She receives the 2016 Transformation Award for Development.

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD | Justice Michael H. Tulloch

Judge, Ontario Court Of Appeal

The Honourable Justice Michael H. Tulloch is the first African Canadian judge appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal in 2012 . He attended York University and Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Canada. After graduating from law school in 1989, he became an Assistant Crown Attorney in 1991, and later worked as a private defence lawyer. A highly respected role model, he was appointed Judge to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice In 2003.

Justice Tulloch has served as special prosecutor at the Department of Justice, and participated in reviews and commissions, including the Ontario Government Review of Civilian Oversight on Policing; the Review of the Ontario Legal Aid Plan and the Criminal Code Review. Tulloch is a former President of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers . Born in Jamaica, he came to Canada at the age of 9. He receives the 2016 Transformation Award for Public Service.

INNOVATION AWARD | Kundan Joshi

Founder and CEO, The AppLabb

Kundan Joshi is the Founder and CEO of The AppLabb, a product and service innovation firm focused on strategy, design and mobile app development. Headquartered in Toronto with offices in New York, Hong Kong, India and Australia, The AppLabb has created over 450 apps for clients ranging from leading enterprise clients like Unilever, Samsung, Dell and Rogers, to innovative start-ups. He holds a software engineering degree from the University of Western Ontario.

Joshi is also the founder of 15 other companies, including the StartupLabb, an accelerator for technology start-ups through which he invests in high potential start-ups; and Urbery, an on-demand crowd sourced grocery delivery service. He is also a motivational speaker, community leader, youth mentor, passionate start-up advisor and an advocate for new immigrants. He serves on several boards. He receives the 2016 Transformation Award for Innovation.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD | Andrea Chrisjohn

Council Fire Native Cultural Centre

Andrea Chrisjohn is an active member in native Canadian community circles through her work with the Council Fire Native Cultural Centre, an autonomous, vibrant cultural agency that involves and serves the indigenous community with confidence for and commitment to their well-being. The mandate of the organization is to provide counseling, material assistance and other direct services to First Nations people as well as to encourage and enhance spiritual and personal growth.

Chrisjohn served as Executive Director of the Chiefs of Ontario for 12 years. She has also worked with the Centre For Indigenous Sovereignty. Chrisjohn's home is the Onye:ta'ka First Nations near London, Ontario. She continues to advocate for the well-being and the prosperity of Aboriginal people. She has dedicated her life to serving native Canadian communities in various capacities as needed. She receives the 2016 Transformation Award for Lifetime Achievement.

MEDIA AWARD | Anthony Farnell

Chief Meteorologist, Global TV

Anthony Farnell has been the Chief Meteorologist at Global News since 2006. As Global National's hurricane expert, he reported live from Gravenhurst, Ontario, hours after one of the largest tornados in Canadian history. After graduating from Vermont's Lyndon State College in 2003, Farnell began his career at KPAX in Missoula, Montana. In 2005, he worked for Bellator Energy in Montreal, trading weather derivatives, before joining Global. He covered Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Farnell supports HOPE Volleyball, Safehaven Community Living and Toronto East General Hospital. He visits schools and libraries, where he and his sidekick, Storm - The Weather Dog, teach kids about meteorology. He has been on Good Morning America, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Conan O'Brien's show. Farnell's career highlights include covering the record-breaking winter of 2014 and the 2013 ice storm. He receives the 2016 Transformation Award for Excellence in Media.

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD | Marek Goldyn

Founder & President, European Club of Canada

Marek Goldyn is the Founder and CEO of the The European Club of Canada, which is dedicated to business and professional opportunities for Canada and Europe. He was the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of a Polish-Canadian Polonez News magazine and Producer of Radio Polonez. Goldyn is a Press photographer also known as Goldyn Foto. He is in process of forming Goldyn's Diplomatic Academy to provide training for current and future ambassadors as well as for other trade and diplomatic personnel.

Founder and Chairman of The Canadian Polish Foundation, Goldyn has served as Assistant to the Minister of Multiculturalism in Ontario. He studied Economics and Sociology at the University of Lodz, Poland. Recently he was appointed as an Adjunct Professor at Large at the Canadian Studies Resource Centre at the University of Lodz, Poland. Through The European Club of Canada Goldyn sponsors refugees, supports newcomers and spearheads the European Day at Queens Park, Ontario's legislature. He receives the 2016 Transformation Award for Community Service.