uMentor Talk Show

Syed Uzair Hamdani is a Doctor of Medicine in the field of Gastroenterology.

He currently works at Northwest Ohio Gastroenterology Associates.

Uzair has been married for 15 years and is a father to three kids. He has two boys and a girl. Uzair has been living in Ohio for the past 4 years.

While in college, Saiyid Hasan Ali Rizvi focused his studies on politics and religion in the Middle East and the Islamic World. He studied subjects such as Islamic Jurisprudence, Arab-Israeli Conflict, Democracy & Reform in Post-Revolutionary Iran, American Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, Terrorism in International Relations, Israeli Politics, and Islam, Democracy, & Violence in the Islamic World. Saiyid Hasan began his formal Islamic studies in 2010 at the Imam Ali (as) Seminary in Orlando, FL and graduated in 2012.

Saiyid Hasan has been continuing his Islamic education in the holy city of Qum for past 5 years. He is focusing on a wide variety of subjects. His master’s degree focus is in Western studies where issues such as democracy, capitalism, materialism, science & religion, atheism, postmodernism, etc. are examined through the lens of Islamic Philosophy and Spirituality (‘irfan). He also concentrates his private research in the fields of Islamic Psychology, Islamic Education & Islamic Parenting.

Zaynab Dhalla is currently in her fourth year at Ryerson University, pursuing an undergraduate degree in social work and minor in Criminology. She currently sits on the Board of Directors on Ryerson Students Union, and works with Visions of Science Network for Learning to provide free STEM opportunities to low-income and marginalized kids. Zaynab is an award-winning, published and internationally acclaimed spoken word artist who uses her voice and passion to advocate for social justice, to raise awareness on issues such as Islamophobia, racism, sexism, xenophobia and more. Her work has a huge online presence, been featured on multiple platforms, been published and earned several awards. Zaynab and her teammates represented Ryerson University at the College University Poetry Slam Invitational Poetry Tournament (CUPSI) and placed 17th out of 66. She uses her words as a means of building ties within and between other communities. Zaynab believes in empowering youth to stand up against oppression.

Zakira Shyrose Jaffer-Dhalla is an award-winning, multilingual and internationally renowned Islamic lecturer who travels internationally to recite Majlis-e-Hussein around the world. She lectures on Islam at mosques, universities and private gatherings and is a prolific writer, playwright, motivational speaker, puppeteer and famous social media, TV and radio personality.

An Anti-Racist Educational Counsellor by profession, Zakira Shyrose is a graduate of York University (Toronto, Canada) and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Sociology and a Masters Degree in the field of Education. She has received numerous awards and has been recognized by Ahlulbayt TV with an “Award of Excellence“ for her outstanding contribution to female public speaking. Zakira Shyrose is also a social activist and has spoken twice outside the White House and as well as at outdoor assemblies including Stockholm, Sweden where she addressed a crowd of 10,000.

Mohamad El-Zein was born in Houston, Texas and was raised overseas in Lebanon. At the age of 7, Mohamad attended a Qur’an Academy in South Lebanon. At 10, he began reciting at international competitions. By age 12, he was awarded first place in Tajwid Al Qur’an in Lebanon. His family moved back to the States when he was 14, and Mohamad continued his journey there. A few years later he opened his own school of Qur’an and began teaching it to young children in the city of Dearborn. Now, he has over 400 students and is a very active member of the community. He recites Qur’an all over the world. You can find him at the Islamic Institute of America and Islamic Centre of America which he frequently attends. He has also read in Iran, Iraq and Canada.

Mohamad aims to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, Sheikh Atef El-Zein, who inspired his journey.

Zeeshan Shamji, a mother to two beautiful children, is an Indian-born native who moved to Long Island, New York to achieve her dream of becoming a professional licensed cosmetologist and makeup artist. With over 6 years of intense training and experience in bridal makeup and hair, and an award-winning diverse portfolio, Zeeshan stands unparalleled in her work and is highly sought after in the industry. She has also worked with a number of media outlets and fashion icons.

Zeeshan earned her credentials and training from the highly recognized Savio John Pereira (Mumbai, India), Asian Bridal Hair and Makeup by Zukreat (London), San Francisco Cosmetology and Aesthetics Empire Beauty School New York. Her brand, GlowZee, is a client’s destination for the latest trends, featuring the best there is to offer when it comes to getting “GLAMMed” up for their special day. Zeeshan loves to bring out each client’s natural beauty and enhance their special features with careful insight and an analyzed and personalized unique approach.

Anisa Ali has been the Family Mediator and Settlement Conference Facilitator for Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) Peel/York for the past 10 years. Prior to LAO, she worked for 8 years with the Ministry Of Attorney General Family Mediation Provider (Blue Hills Child and Family Services) at the Superior Court of Justice Newmarket, Ontario as a Family Mediator/Information Referral Coordinator. An accredited family mediator since 2002, she holds a Masters of Social Work degree from University of Windsor and a Bachelors of Arts from York University. She bring over 18 years of experience in the field of conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation and training.

Anisa volunteers as the current Chair of Peel Family Mediation Service and has been a Board member since 2011. For the past six years she has been responsible for Peel Family Mediation Annual Domestic Violence Symposium where she gather professionals and experts from within Ontario for day of enlightened training and networking.

Since 2015, Anisa has been a guest lecturer at York University Social Work (BSW & MSW) Family Mediation courses. She works on family mediation and domestic violence/power imbalance course development and training at Humber College ADR Program, Peel Family Mediation Services Internship training, Legal Aid Ontario training programs and community workshops within Greater Toronto Area and Kitchener-Waterloo area. Anisa also supervises BSW, MSW and Humber ADR students at her workplace throughout the year.

Tina Haralambopoulos received her undergraduate degree from Northern Illinois University in teaching and learning. She went on to pursue her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction, with a certification in English as a Second Language. She has been working as a teacher for 8 years and is currently a 4th grade teacher at a charter school in Chicago, Illinois.

In addition to teaching, Tina has taken on additional leadership opportunities. She is currently a school board member for DuPage High School District 88 and one of the newest members of the Umoja Outreach Foundation, focusing on the uAcademy branch.

Monira obtained her Bachelors of Applied Science in Public Health from Ryerson University, a degree which most commonly leads to a role as a health inspector. After a very brief period in inspection, she received an opportunity to join the education department of a private company and developed training programs for safe food handling. She later obtained a Masters of Education in Health Professions Education. With almost two decades of experience in food safety training, Monira is a sought after public speaker, trainer and consultant with a proven track record in assisting in the development and delivery of food safety training programs across Canada.

In her free time, Monira is passionate about working with youth in the community and is the coordinator of a weekly youth program for Muslim girls at a local centre.

Inspired by nature, healing body movement and breathing techniques, Theresa leads classes that suit all physical levels at various studios in the Durham, Ontario region. With a love for finding stillness within this chaotic world, Theresa guides each student to seek tranquility and self-appreciation. Theresa has been teaching Pilates and integrated movement since 2009. She has been teaching Yin and restorative yoga since 2017. Trained with Body Harmonics (Mat Pilates), Fountain of Youth Yoga (Yin & Chakra), Glow Yoga (Yin, Restorative Yoga and 250 hour YTT) and Second Wind (Pilates Mat and reformer)