Human Library: A Virtual Career Experience

Charmaine Williams, City Councillor

Just over a year ago, Charmaine Williams became the first Black woman elected to Brampton City Council, representing Wards 7 & 8. She is also the winner of the 2021 Naseem Somani Memorial Award for Leadership Excellence.

Her beliefs, values and courage to advocate for people are shaped by her professional and personal experiences. Prior to entering politics, she had a 19-year career as a certified Multi-Systemic Therapist as a behavioural consultant and counsellor. Councillor Williams has been a voice on behalf of families and children of all ages coping with domestic violence, mental illness, substance abuse, neglect, trauma, and other personal challenges. She has worked in a number of therapeutic programs and organizations like Associated Youth Services of Peel, Youth Substance Abuse Program, Peel Children’s Center and the Reach Out Center for Kids in Peel and the Halton Region. 

Councillor Williams believes that public service is the art of the possible, and her recent personal experience overcoming a debilitating health issue demonstrated her determination to pursue what is possible. She pushed through the obstacles to be able to enter public service in 2018, inspired and energized to work for her community.

Councillor Williams and her husband Steve live in Brampton with their five beautiful children. One of Councillor Williams’s favourite books is Becoming by Michelle Obama.

Neelam Advani, Assistant Branch Manager, RBC Meeting Place

Neelam Advani is an award-winning banking professional. Currently, she is the Assistant Branch Manager at the RBC Meeting Place. Neelam is a member of the Career Professionals of Canada, and is a Mentor at Acces Employment and Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC). She lived and worked in Hong Kong and Shanghai and has over 10 years of experience as a Business Development lead in the fashion supply chain. 

Neelam has a Masters in Life Science from Mumbai and is a Graduate of the Business Edge Executive Program at Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. She is also a member of the Board of the Regional Diversity Roundtable (RDR).

One of Neelam’s favourite reads is 21 Resilient Women: Stories of Courage, Growth and Transformation by Daisy Wright.

Yosh Perera, Manager, Health Promotion and Prevention Programs, Moyo Health & Community Services

Yosh (he/him) identifies as a queer, South Asian settler on this land and is a healthcare disruptor at heart. Equipped with formal education in Public Health and Clinical Medicine and currently working towards a Masters in Health Design from OCAD University, he has navigated a variety of experiences supporting health communications, primary healthcare delivery and community health promotion programs. His experiences are shaped by the importance of centering community voices and working with communities to support health equity gains.

Priya Malhotra, (Artist), Priya Malhotra Art

Priya Malhotra says art is her life. Growing up, she loved creating art in her spare time. However, she was never encouraged to explore her artistic talents. As an adult, she worked in the travel industry for many years. After she married and welcomed her children, she became a full-time mother during the formative years of her children’s lives. 

When she was ready to re-enter the workforce, she could no longer ignore her artistic yearnings and saw this as an opportunity waiting to be explored. This led to the creation of ‘Your Art City’. With time her art got recognized and she evolved her brand. She realized that she wanted her art to represent her—as an artist! This was the genesis of Priya Malhotra Art.  

Erin Walker, Librarian, Makerspace & Digital Literacies, Brampton Library

Erin Walker is a passionate advocate for digital literacy, hands-on making, creativity, and life-long learning. She has worked as a public librarian for 10 years and in her current role as Makerspace and Digital Literacies Librarian at Brampton Library she oversees services, instruction and programming for Makerspace Brampton sites, as well as throughout the library system. She also coordinates the Brampton Library On-the-go mobile van, bringing hands-on tech and maker experiences for all ages to sites throughout the City. 

Erin has a Masters of Library and Information Science from Western University and a post-graduate certificate in Book and Magazine Publishing from Centennial College. Prior to joining the library world, Erin worked in the Canadian children's book publishing field for several years. More recently, Erin earned her Certified Raspberry Pi Educator credential.