PEOPLE & PARTNERS
We partner with brilliant independent consultants to form a community of expertise. With skills in research, design, strategy, editing, illustration, and organizational development, we work collaboratively to bring intersectional and unique projects to life.
Vijaya Chikermane
At 7.10 pm on an evening in September, the most extraordinary story of my life was unfolding as I welcomed my son into the world. Before this, the vast majority of my time was spent running an AIDS Service Organization and advocating for better living in the City of Toronto.
A growing family catalyzed change in my life and forced me to imagine more creative approaches to social justice work that allowed for balance. 7.10 stories was this change. A consultancy that forges learning and social change by visually and emotively connecting with people through art and storytelling.
With over 15 years of experience in health and gender equity work, public education, resource development, corporate giving and community engagement, I felt confident starting something new. As the former Executive Director at the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP), I explored and initiated multiple models of storytelling aimed at health promotion. Using this approach I was able to increase revenue by 36%, grow new programs and conduct original research. I was also immensely grateful to have led creative programs such as the More Than Fiction series that builds writing and storytelling capacity among people living with HIV to create shareable anthologies; and, the 'Story-sharing for Sexual Health' research study presented at the 2016 International AIDS Conference in South Africa.
Over the course of my career I have also worked with Essential Skills Ontario as a Knowledge Exchange Consultant and as Program Manager for a youth-based Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative with Earth Day Canada. In 2015 I was honoured to have received the Toronto Vital People Award for leadership in community development and I continue to work for positive social change in new and innovative capacities. Exploring diverse models of communication is a continued and iterative process and I am always learning of new ways to make information accessible and how to transform complex data into simple meaningful messages.
I hold an MSc in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and am trained in research methods, arts-based engagement, design thinking, transmedia storytelling and facilitation. I am an avid learner on Lynda.com and an aspiring writer of children's books. On any given day you will find a stack of books I want to read on my bedside table and empty pistachio shells in my pockets.
CORE PARTNERS
Lori A. Chambers
Lori Ann Chambers is a social work, and community researcher with over 17 years’ experience working with non-profits in Canada. She supports social profit makers tell research stories, developing strategies to gather, share, exchange and mobilize knowledge of their research and programs.
Lori specializes in qualitative research, literature reviews, and knowledge syntheses. She has developed creative ways to share knowledge and research evidence using academic publications and conferences, community reports and presentations, and videos, creative writing, and artistic performances. Her prior experience includes five years at the Ontario HIV Treatment Network as Program Coordinator of their Systemic Review Program. She has also consulted on research projects with Women’s College Hospital, Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Centre, Fife House Organization, Committee for Accessible AIDS Treatment, and the AIDS Committee of Toronto. Lori received a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from York University and a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Toronto. She is completing her Ph.D. in Social Work at McMaster University, where she is translating oral narratives research into poetry and spoken word performance.
COLLABORATORS
Nayar Consulting
Nayar Consulting supports non-profit leaders and organizations in Toronto to make positive and meaningful impacts in our collective communities. Their work with local, provincial and national organizations in diverse sectors including settlement, women’s rights and health care is marked by excellence and innovation. Nayar Consulting works with clients on organizational strategy and development, systems and service planning, equity planning, governance and board development, program reviews and partnership development.
Radha Nayar is the Founder and Principal at Nayar Consulting and is wholly dedicated to delivering results and cultivating rich and supportive client relationships. Radha has been leading Nayar Consulting for over 11 years and fuels her work by an immense passion for changing systems to be more equitable, accessible and just. She is a natural community builder and has been a contributing Board member for several organizations such as Media Action, Sherbourne Health Centre, Planned Parenthood Toronto and Shameless magazine.
Radha holds a Master of Social Work degree and complements her strategic professional lens with her lived experience as a racialized woman. Her client-centered approach is applied within strong anti-oppression, anti-racist and feminist frameworks.
Shaz Islam
Shaz Islam is a skilled communicator, writer and program coordinator with experiences spanning across multiple social service areas.
As the current HIV Support Coordinator at the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP) she has led multiple projects that engage communities on issues of stigma, disclosure and harm reduction. She is the community lead for vastly successful More Than Fiction series that builds writing and storytelling capacity among people living with HIV to create shareable anthologies and has presented this model at multiple forums and conferences. Her HIV and AIDS work in Ontario is extensive; she is a peer researcher with the CHIWOS study, a member of the Steering Committee at CAAT (Committee for Accessible AIDS Treatment) and is also a founding member of OPA+ (Ontario Positive Asians).
Shaz holds a diploma in journalism from Humber College and has written numerous articles featured on online and print publications. She currently supports social justice advocates with her expertise in copywriting, editing and writing.
Lyndsay Moir
Lyndsay is an artist, freelance graphic design, photographer and marketing professional. In 2013 she started Lyn Design, a graphic design company specializing in promotional print collateral, branding and artwork whose clients include Canadian Student Advisories and AVACO Monitech Canada Inc. At her day job Lyndsay works as a marketing agent in the automotive industry and for fun, she paints and illustrates beautiful landscapes.
Lyndsay has over ten years experience with creative projects in learning and professional environments. She has a degree in Media Studies from University of Guelph Humber, with a diploma in Creative Photography and a Digital Graphic Design Certificate from Humber College. She is most interested in how to present ideas and information to people in ways that are aesthetically beautiful, clean and simple.
Moon Rabbit Strategy
Moon Rabbit is a creative agency that loves to work with socially responsible people and organizations. We believe in intelligent design and provide branding & design services for all media platforms. We collaborate with our clients to co-create brands that are unique and speak to their communities. We enjoy the creative process as much as the end result and aim to do great work for our clients that we can showcase with pride.
Radhika is the creative force at Moon Rabbit. She is a mother of two who loves traveling and eating sushi. She has been helping clients build meaningful brands for over 12 years and knows how to translate complex problems into simple and powerful messages. She has a degree in Mass Communications and is a proud graduate of Art Direction from The Creative Circus in Atlanta, US.
Radhika primarily works with 7,10 Stories on a the 'Make Happy People' project, that aims to connect families to diverse children's literature.