கனடாவில் ஒரு தசாப்தத்திற்கு மேலாக தமிழ் சமூகம் தம் தேவைகளை பூர்த்தி செய்வதற்கும் தமது பண்பாட்டு அடையாளங்களை பேணிப்பாதுகாக்கவும் ஒரு சமூக அமையம் அவசியம் என கருதினார்கள். இதன் மூலம் சமூகத்தின் தேவைகளை ஒரே இடத்தில் நெறிப்படுத்தி, எம்மைப் போன்றே சாவல்களை சந்தித்து வரும் முதல் குடியின சமூகங்கள், கறுப்பின சமூகங்கள் மற்றும் பிற விளிம்பு நிலையிலுள்ள சமூகங்களின் தேவைகளை கருத்தில் கொண்டு தமிழ் சமூக மையம் காத்திரமான பங்கினை வகிக்கும் என்று நம்பினார்கள்.
Keerthana Rang is a communications professional who is inspired by community building, dedicated to making life easier through technology, and enjoys telling important, complex stories in everyday language.
She is the Corporate Communications Lead for Uber Canada where she is responsible for public announcements, media relations, and issues management. She has spent the majority of her career working in government and politics, including for Toronto Mayor John Tory, Metrolinx, and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty. She has also worked in the private sector for Radical Ventures, one of the world's largest AI funds, and at Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs for its Quayside project in Toronto.
In her spare time, you'll find her hanging out with her daughter Anika, volunteering with the Tamil Community Centre, staying up to date on breaking news through social media, or closing her rings on her Apple Watch.
Deepiga Vigneswaran is a Senior Advisor in the Development Division at Infrastructure Ontario (IO). She oversees all aspects of design, construction, and operational planning of development sites to support the delivery of large-scale capital projects enabling infrastructure investment around GO/LRT stations in Toronto and the Greater Golden Horseshoe.
Deepiga previously worked as an Investment Associate at EBG Investment Solutions, a boutique impact investment firm based in Zurich, Switzerland where she evaluated global real estate and private equity assets for institutional clients. Deepiga started her career as an Urban Planner and has a demonstrated history of working for both public and private organizations in the GTHA.
She holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies in Urban and Regional Planning (Specialization in Land Development and Minor in French) from the University of Waterloo, and a Master of Science in Real Estate (Specialization in Finance) from Lucerne University in Switzerland. Deepiga has a love for languages and is fluent in Tamil, French, and German. She volunteers her time to teach Tamil to both adults and children. Her work in this space has been guided by one of her personal philosophies, “உடல் மண்ணுக்கு, உயிர் தமிழுக்கு”.
Kubes Navaratnam is the Managing Partner at Nava Wilson LLP. Over the past 8 years, he has led the law firm to its current position as one of the top 10 real estate law firms in Ontario. He leads negotiations on complex real estate and corporate matters, including the formation of investment entities, and the development and construction of condominiums. He is a two-time honouree of Homes Magazine’s annual “Who’s Who of Real Estate”. Kubes is the Centennial College’s Legal Program Advisory Committee Chair.
Kubes received an LL.M. in international humanitarian law from the University of Toronto, a J.D. from the University of Western Ontario, and a B.Eng. in Computer Engineering from McMaster University. Kubes brings to the Tamil Community Centre a wealth of experience in guiding a real estate project through its full lifecycle: from financing to entitlement, and the eventual construction and delivery of a project. His background in humanitarian law and equity has left him with a keen interest in governance.
Kubes joined the Tamil Community Centre so he could help develop a platform for the next generation of Tamil kids (like his son) to be able to connect with their Tamil culture and community.
Shayenda Suyeshkumar is a seasoned leader with over a decade of experience in building customer-centric operations and leading high-impact transformations. As Director of Strategic Priorities at Vena Solutions, she collaborates cross-functionally to drive business planning, product launch strategies, and customer experience innovation. Her expertise spans change management, customer journey mapping, and program management, with a proven track record of delivering scalable solutions that supports customer facing teams and company-wide strategic goals.
Previously, Shayenda held leadership roles in customer journey and operations, where she successfully launched multiple enterprise systems, streamlined sales journey and quote to cash processes, and achieved significant cost savings. She also co-founded Network for Women at Vena Solutions, championing diversity and inclusion initiatives. Shayenda is driven by a commitment to align business objectives with exceptional customer experiences and empower teams to innovate, scale, and succeed.
In addition to her corporate achievements, Shayenda is passionate about giving back to her community. She has provided pro bono consulting, worked on capacity building initiatives with non-profit organizations in developing countries, and remains deeply connected to her Tamil heritage as a Bharatanatyam dancer.
Mayooran Thurairajah is a seasoned financial expert with over 28 years of experience in accounting, finance, and taxation. He works as Financial Controller at Ontario Tech University for over 10 years, where he oversees complex financial operations and ensures organizational
fiscal integrity.
Throughout his career, Mayooran has excelled in multiple disciplines, gaining valuable experience across manufacturing, service, accounting practice, and the not-for-profit sectors. As a successful entrepreneur, he has also operated his own accounting and taxation firm for over 15 years, providing expert guidance to businesses and individuals alike.
Mayooran holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (United Kingdom) and the Chartered Professional Accountants (Canada), credentials that highlight his commitment to excellence in financial management and strategic decision-making.
Ramanan Santhirasegarmoorthy is an entrepreneur, broadcaster, writer and motivational speaker and a passionate advocate for Tamil concerns in the GTA. He hosts a popular radio show on East FM 102.7, focusing on current affairs, self-development, capacity building and motivation. Through this role, and as a writer in public forums, Ramanan has bridged connections with the different cross-sections of the Tamil Canadian community including businesses, civic and political spheres, and service providers.
Ramanan’s relationships with the different intersectionalities of the Tamil Canadian community, through his years of volunteer work, made him instrumental in bringing together the wide range of stakeholders of the community to this project. His efforts were foundational in developing community consensus and setting up the Steering Committee to conduct the initial needs assessment for a Tamil Community Centre.
Ramanan brings a knowledge of both the breadth and depth of community stakeholder needs to the project. He has a keen interest in engaging all areas of the Tamil community to shape the Tamil Community Centre, and hopes to build an intergenerational space where all members of the community feel welcome and engaged.
Santha Panchalingam is an accomplished Canadian entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. Santha is the CEO of Santha Electrical & Plumbing Ltd., a company in operation for over 35 years in Canada. Santha has also garnered recognition for his community service, including the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Award and the Ontario Community Service Award.
Santha's notable achievements extend to his role as the President of the Canadian Tamils’ Chamber of Commerce for three years. During his tenure, he skillfully guided the Chamber through the challenges of the pandemic and facilitated its acquisition of a building without the need for a loan or mortgage. He was the most significant donor in supporting the Chamber's building project.
In addition to his business ventures, Santha maintains a philanthropic mindset and annually contributes tens of thousands of dollars to hospitals and community organizations. Beyond his impressive business and philanthropic endeavors, Santha Panchalingam is a dedicated family man, with a loving wife, three beautiful daughters, and a cherished granddaughter.
Sinnadurai Jeyakumar is a structural engineer with over 30 years experience of entrepreneurship. He graduated from the University of South Bank in the United Kingdom, and started his company, Innovative Detailing Services Inc. in 1992. He has worked on a variety of projects, but his career highlight has been working on the World Trade Centre, Towers 1 & 4, in New York, New York.
He is an active member of the community including business, political, and charitable organizations. He was the president of the Canadian Tamils’ Chamber of Commerce from 2013 – 2015. He was the Project Coordinator of the Canada Kandasamy temple building project. He supports local Hospital programs and his philanthropy spreads to initiatives in Sri Lanka to help children affected by war, through organizations such as VAROD and Anpuneri.
His active participation helps him excel in his professional, personal, and communal life.
