Our Team
MEET THE FIVE AMIGOS
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Brinda Shah
Event Manager
Matthew Candy
Event Manager
Melanie Hanniman
Event Manager
Semir Hadash
Event Manager
Aya El Azrak
Event Manager
Aya El Azrak - She/Her
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Aya left her native country of Morocco in 2016 to complete a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting at the University of Ottawa, where she held various executive roles in the Telfer Business club, Telfer International. As President of Telfer International during the onset of the pandemic, Aya had first-hand experience in transitioning from organizing in-person events to virtual events for international students.
Upon graduating, Aya worked various positions in Human Resources and Accounting until pivoting her career toward her true passion of events and is currently completing an Event Management graduate program at Algonquin College.
Aya strives to uplift the voices of the BIPOC community through events and providing them a platform to share their talents, wisdom, and experiences.
Brinda Shah - She/Her
Brinda comes with a background Project Management experience in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Her professional experiences and personal passions have led her to pursue a career in Event Management.
Brinda has planned numerous informal events and parties for friends and family, which led to her exploring her passion in events. Planning, organizing, and creative thinking are just some of her skills that she hopes to bring to the events industry.
Currently, a student in the Algonquin College Graduate Event Management Program, she hopes to return to the industry with her training in event management. She is also interested in bringing her creativity to the special and creative events world.
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Outside of work, Brinda enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants and cuisines, hiking, meeting new people, and attending live events.
Matthew Candy - He/Him
With a business dress from the University of New Brunswick and a current student of the Event Management program at Algonquin College, Matt is a relationship builder looking to stamp his mark on the event world.
Matt brings with him an extensive background in client services and tourism.
Outside of work, He is an avid golfer, passionate Montreal Canadiens fan, animal lover, and as a maritimer enjoys seafood.
With his time in the event industry, he hopes to expand his network and connect with as many people as possible to absorb and learn new skills each and every day.
Mel Hanniman - She/Her
Currently enrolled in the Event Management Graduate Program at Algonquin College, after previously graduating Music Business Administration from Durham College with honours, Mel is seeking to continue to pursue work opportunities in festivals that indulge her love of music, movies, food, and culture.
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She has participated in events such as Canadian Music Week, the Oshawa Music Awards, Oshawa Music Week, CMAO Awards, Bluesfest, and Nostalgia Fest, and continues to participate with VegOttawa Association and ABLE2.
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She values connection, sense of community, and her ability to help others as the main reasons she wants to be an event planner.
Outside of work, Mel enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, working out, watching horror movies, and attending live concerts.
Semir Hadash - He/Him
