Welcome to the RADIUS team, Zoya & Marissa!

We’re growing! 
RADIUS is thrilled to welcome two new wonderful members to our team: Marissa Lawrence (left), First Peoples Enterprise Accelerator Program Manager, and Zoya Jiwa (right), Program Coordinator – SFU Programs & Fellowship.
Welcome aboard Zoya and Marissa! Read about them in their own words below:

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Marissa Lawrence
Marissa comes to RADIUS with a rich background of designing and convening community-bridging intercultural dialogue and education programming on topics ranging from democratic engagement, economic opportunity, to reconciliation. Over the past few years, Marissa worked with Reconciliation Canada where at a senior management level, developed and maintained strategic partnerships with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, organizations and businesses and managed the design and delivery of national public programming. She has a passion for developing and nurturing community connections and new relationships and thrives in meaningful community engagement.
With a background in communications, dialogue and mindful facilitation, Marissa is inspired to incorporate the process of action-oriented dialogue into all facets of her work.

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Zoya Jiwa
Zoya’s journey with RADIUS began in 2015 as a participant of the inaugural RADIUS Fellowship in Radical Doing, where she launched As We Are: an online fashion blog and community that shares the stories of people who are facing health challenges with courage and with style. Through her personal experiences with chronic illness, Zoya recognized that focus is often placed on living a vibrant life “when you are feeling better.” In response, has she created a positive and inspiring platform that encourages people to celebrate and embrace who they are, as they are, in this moment.
With interests in human-centred design, social systems thinking, and community program development, Zoya is excited to support early stage changemakers in developing their ideas that foster more just, sustainable, resilient communities.
Alongside her involvement with RADIUS and As We Are, Zoya is wrapping up her undergraduate degree at SFU, holding a major in Sociology and certificates in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Community Development. Zoya is a three time TEDx speaker, the recipient of the 2015 SFU Terry Fox Gold Medal and Prize, and the recipient of the 2016 YWCA Metro-Vancouver Young Woman of Distinction Award.

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