Pathfinders Support Association is a federally-registered Canadian not-for-profit organization built to inform, guide, and link together supports along the resettlement journey. We’re a multinational team of volunteer humanitarians, lawyers, military and emergency response veterans, and media professionals, with the shared goal of helping Ukrainians enjoy a successful life.
Асоціація підтримки Pathfinders — це зареєстрована на федеральному рівні канадська некомерційна організація, створена для інформування, настанови та зв’язування підтримки на шляху переселення. Ми — багатонаціональна команда гуманітарних волонтерів, юристів, ветеранів військових і реагування на надзвичайні ситуації, а також медіа-професіоналів, зі спільною метою — допомогти українцям насолоджуватися успішним життям.
Who are the Pathfinders?
Randall Baran-Chong, Executive Director
Randall is a startup founder and venture capitalist, former Global Director of Digital Health Strategy and Ecosystems advising Ministries of Health globally and former Executive Director of HanVoice, Canada’s largest North Korean human rights and refugee NGO; drawing on his systems-building expertise, leads the vision to build the links of the chain and the go-forward strategy of the organization.
Danara Dourdoussova, Director of Legal & Policy
Danara is a seasoned human rights lawyer and former Legal Officer to the International Commission on Missing Persons and the Council of Europe; Danara helps in navigating legal/visa processes and advise on exception cases.
Michelle Akim, Deputy Director of Research
Trilingual in English, Russian and French, Michelle is a Montreal-based law student with research experience in refugee law. She helps Ukrainians with navigate communication and documentation as it pertains to Canadian immigration law and government agencies.
Vlada Kushnir, Deputy Director of Advocacy
Vlada is a war-displaced Ukrainian who formerly served in Ukraine’s anti-corruption bureau with her accounting/financial expertise. Originally from Irpin, she is a mother, and volunteer with other Ukrainian support organizations.
Kirill Plysenko, Co-Lead – Canada-Ukraine Professional Network
Kirill is an e-Commerce expert from Ukraine who supported Pathfinders while in Poland and now provides support in advocacy, policy, and employment support initiatives after resettling in Canada under the CUAET program with his family.
Bogdana Aleksandrova-Efe, Ph.D., Research Team
Bogdana is a war-displace Ukrainian and international economist and researcher with over 10 years of experience in consulting to governments of Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Georgia and other countries of Eastern Europe and Asia. Trainer on NGO leadership and professional advocacy. Co-author of several international reports, state policies and methodologies.
Production Team
Thiago Loureiro, Website Development and Technology
Tiana Gagic, Digital Product Design
Ivo Matić, Visual and Graphic Designer
Alumni
Brian Tseng-Nicodemus, Support Advisor
Naomi Olson, Ph.D, Translator and Support Advisor
Nina Sukhinenko, Translator and Support Advisor
Chloe Tse, Marketing Director
Martin Kuhn, Translator and Support Advisor
Barb Whelan, Administrative Director
Alexandra Keeler, Canada and Community Lead
Manager of the lifestyle social team at Corus Entertainment Inc. and freelance writer, Alexandra mobilizes our 35+ network of Canadian partners, and leads our social and digital strategy to grow and engage national audiences.
Andre Rossin-Arthiat, Director of Operational Security
Andre is an ex-Federal Officer with specialty in human trafficking, trained paramedic, drone operator and UN-registered law enforcement officer, Andre ensures operations are safe for our clients and our team along the journey.
Polina Kotlina, Poland Lead
Polina is a university student in management studies from Ukraine. Fluent in 4 languages (Ukrainian, English, Polish, and Russian), she assists Ukrainians with their CUAET applications, migration desicion-making, and pathways to get to Canada.
Maksym Dimekhin, Warsaw Lead
Max previously studied at the Academy of Customs of Ukraine, and is currently studying front-end web development. Fluent in Ukrainian and Russian, Max leads our team of volunteers on-the-ground in Warsaw, helping Ukrainians with their CUAET applications, flight plans, and other pathways to get to Canada.
Tamara Cherep, Ukrainian Translator
Tamara is a Ukraine support worker in the UK. She provides translation support for Pathfinders products and resources.
Liliya Dvornichenko, Multilingual Interpreter and Advisor
Liliya is a war-displaced Ukrainian from Kharkiv. She is assisting Ukrainians with their CUAET applications, migration decision-making, and pathways to get to Canada. Fluent in Ukrainian and English, Liliya also assists with translations for Pathfinders products and resources.
Mary Kvych, Multilingual Interpreter and Advisor
Mary is a university student of foreign languages and literature from Ukraine. Fluent in several languages (Ukrainian, English, and Russian), she plays a critical role in providing and explaining information to the diverse client base of the Pathfinders.
Plus a network of specialized volunteers across Ukraine, Poland, Canada, the EU, UK, and US.
In the Media
