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Meet Our Team
Our team at Haven is comprised of individuals from diverse backgrounds spanning the globe, unified by a common mission: to offer better support to newcomers in Canada.
Alexis Buisson
Product / Engineering Manager
Our technology expert. Previously a Senior Developer at Shopify and at several Canadian start-ups.
Victor Lal
Founder and Executive Director
Victor has managed refugee resettlement to Canada since 2017 and has worked on the frontlines of the Ukrainian, Syrian and Palestinian crises.
Meg Black
Head of Content
Previously leading content for the Mayor of Toronto and various UN and non-profit organizations.
Catherine Goncalves
Social Media Manager
A social media expert, Catherine has scaled several brands to 1M+ followers and views.
Olga Vorobiova
English Language Teacher
A refugee from Ukraine, Olga has over 20 years of experience teaching English back home.
Larysa Sokolovska
English Language Teacher
A refugee from Ukraine, Larysa is based in Ottawa and is a talented teacher.
Areej Alasadi
English Language Teacher
A refugee from Syria, Areej has over 10 years of teaching experience in universities in Damascus.
Yuliia Shabaranska
English Language Teacher
Also a refugee from Ukraine, Yuliia is teaching our intermediate level English students.
Jordan Hutchings
Community Manager
Jordan has a sales background and loves to use his skillset to get more Canadians, communities and companies helping refugees.
Sofi Galuza
English Language Teacher
Olga Kasyan
English Language Teacher
Diana Serdiuk
English Language Teacher
Horia Faizi Sardarzada
English Language Teacher
Our Origin Story
In 2017, our founder, Victor, launched Canadians for Syria to sponsor the Beshmafs, a Syrian refugee family. Inspired by his own parents' refugee journey, Victor biked 2,600 km from Toronto to Cape Spear, raising $35,000 with the help of over 300 Canadians.
By 2018, our mission expanded. Victor swam 52 km across Lake Ontario, backed by a dedicated team, to advocate for more Syrian refugees. This effort rallied more than 400 Canadians and raised $60,000, sponsoring 14 refugees.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, we quickly responded with Hands On For Ukraine. Partnering with Ukrainian NGOs, we raised over $50,000, delivering crucial humanitarian supplies to thousands. Additionally, we secured over 1,300 nights of safe housing for 260 Ukrainian refugees, protecting them from human trafficking risks.
Created in October 2022, Haven is a registered Canadian charity that is making it easier for Canadians to help refugees resettling in our country. By engaging more Canadians companies and organizations, we want to massively improve how Canada resettles people fleeing conflict.