Ascend Canada

🌙✨ Eid Mubarak from Ascend Canada ✨🌙 As we mark the end of Ramadan, we extend warm wishes to all those celebrating Eid al-Fitr. Eid is a time of reflection, gratitude, generosity, and community. After a month of fasting and spiritual growth, it’s a moment to come together with family, friends, and colleagues to celebrate renewal and shared blessings. At Ascend Canada, we are proud to celebrate the diversity of our community and the many traditions that enrich our workplaces. Recognizing occasions like Eid is one of the ways we continue to foster inclusion, understanding, and belonging across our network. To everyone celebrating — may this Eid bring peace, joy, and prosperity to you and your loved ones. Eid Mubarak! 🌙✨ #EidMubarak #AscendCanada

Celebrate IWD 2026: Her Story, Her Strength: Giving Through Struggles, Gaining Beyond Borders Join the Ascend Canada Toronto Chapter for a special International Women’s Day gathering celebrating the resilience, courage, and journeys of women building lives across borders. Her Story, Her Strength is an evening dedicated to honouring the lived experiences of women who navigate careers, finances, and life with strength and independence. Together, we will share stories, exchange wisdom, and build a community rooted in support and empowerment.   Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT Location: BMO Eaton Centre Event Space, Toronto Ticket Price: $39.55 (non-Ascend member price), $28.25 (Ascend member price)   Panel Session: Stories of Strength Hear from inspiring leaders as they share personal and professional journeys, lessons from overcoming challenges, and insights on building fulfilling careers and lives. Panelists Suehlan Yu – Chief Human Resources Officer, Accenture Canada Glory Keong, PMP, G. Dipl. SRS – Director, Sustainability, BDO Canada LLP Arundati Dandapani, MLitt, CAIP, CIPP/C, CIPM – Founder & CEO, Generation1.ca Tazrian Alam, MA, CAMS – Director, Enterprise Risk Reporting, RBC Moderator: Anvita Bhatnagar – Manager, Corporate & Treasury, BMO Join us for an evening of reflection, inspiration, and meaningful connections as we celebrate the strength and stories of women across communities. Register now: https://lnkd.in/eU-FH7Tw

✨ Celebrating Lunar New Year with Ascend Canada We were thrilled to welcome ~130 attendees across our partner organizations to celebrate Lunar New Year together! This year’s celebration was especially meaningful as it marked our first event with Accenture as a partner, a wonderful milestone as we continue to grow our community and strengthen cross-organizational connections. The evening was filled with incredible energy, culture, and (of course) amazing food: 🥢 A crowd-favourite bao bar 🍜 A delicious ramen bar 🥩 Siu-yook roast pork 🧋 Bubble tea to top it all off One of the biggest highlights was the vibrant Lion Dance performance, the performers made their way through the crowd, bringing excitement, good fortune, and lots of smiles to everyone in the room. We also hosted a Best Dressed contest to celebrate Lunar New Year style and tradition, with 3 winners for women and 3 winners for men , the creativity and elegance on display did not disappoint! A special thank you to our board members - Kathleen, Farah, and Elaine — for joining us and supporting the celebration. We closed out the evening by sharing red pocket gifts (complete with chocolate coins) - a small token to wish everyone prosperity and success in the year ahead. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make this event such a memorable start to the Lunar New Year. Here’s to continued growth, partnership, and community in the year ahead!  #AscendCanada #LunarNewYear

As communities around the world welcome the Lunar New Year, we celebrate a time of renewal, reflection, and connection. This season is an opportunity to honor traditions, recognize the rich cultural heritage of Asian communities, and look ahead with optimism and purpose. May the year bring good health, new opportunities, and continued progress—both personally and professionally—for all. 2026 marks the Year of the Horse, a symbol of energy, resilience, and forward momentum. It reminds us to approach the year with determination, confidence, and a shared commitment to growth. At Ascend, we remain committed to empowering Pan-Asian leaders, fostering inclusive workplaces, and building bridges across communities. Together, we can create pathways for growth, belonging, and impact in the year ahead. Wishing everyone celebrating a joyful and prosperous New Year. #AscendCanada #LunarNewYear

When COVID-19 hit and domestic violence surged, Aditi Sivakumar focused on scale, access, and practical support. My Empowerment Platform became a national online hub connecting women and children facing violence to medical, legal, and educational resources across Canada. It’s advocacy built for real life, especially when people are isolated and need options fast. Read more about Aditi Sivakumar’s journey: https://lnkd.in/grbH9uDW #AscendCanada #DigitalImpact #CommunityCare

📣 Leadership Announcement | Ascend Canada Ascend Canada is pleased to announce the appointments of Andrew Kwong, FCPA, FCA as President and Kathleen Butterfield as Board Chair, effective January 1, 2026. Long-standing Board members and accomplished executives, Andrew and Kathleen bring deep governance expertise, strategic leadership, and a shared commitment to advancing Ascend Canada’s mission. Their appointments mark an exciting new chapter as Ascend Canada continues to expand its national impact—serving more than 6,000 members and 30+ corporate sponsors across Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. We also extend our sincere thanks to Alexander Peh, outgoing President, for his exceptional leadership and advocacy over the past several years. His contributions have left a lasting impact on the advancement of pan-Asian talent across corporate Canada. Please join us in congratulating Andrew and Kathleen as we look ahead to Ascend Canada’s next phase of growth and impact. #AscendCanada https://lnkd.in/ekxtKAkU

A lunch-time call from a +44 number led Aditi Sivakumar to an invitation from The Diana Award, recognition as the first Canadian Legacy Award recipient, and a meeting with Prince William at Kensington Palace. One question stayed with her: what’s next? That push to dream bigger became fuel for everything that followed. Read more about Aditi Sivakumar’s journey: https://lnkd.in/grbH9uDW #AscendCanada #LeadershipJourney #Changemakers

What started as a volunteer mix-up in Ottawa put Aditi Sivakumar inside a domestic violence shelter, and changed her path. Seeing the gap between what women needed and what was available, she created My Empowerment Packs, wellness kits paired with a community resource booklet for women facing violence and youth experiencing homelessness. That first step sparked work that would grow far beyond one city. Read more about Aditi’s journey: https://lnkd.in/grbH9uDW #AscendCanada #SocialImpact #WomensRights

Congratulations to Tzen-Yi Goh , one of Ascend Canada’s founding Board members, on your appointment as Practice Group Leader of the National Real Estate Group @McCarthy_Tetrault. It’s been a privilege for our community to know and learn from you over the years, and we’re thrilled to celebrate this milestone with you. Wishing you continued success!

🎄✨ Happy Holidays from all of us at Ascend! ✨🎄 As the year comes to a close, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the incredible volunteers, generous sponsors, dedicated partners, and supportive community who make Ascend possible. Your time, passion, and commitment are what truly power our mission and create meaningful impact all year long. We are so grateful for everything you’ve contributed and inspired. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season filled with warmth, rest, and celebration—and a bright, exciting year ahead. Thank you for helping us continue to rise, together. 🧡 #AscendCanada