Aaron Sardinha
Executive Director
Aaron Sardinha is an Antiracism Policy and Curriculum specialist with 15 years experience in non-profit and advocacy spaces.
He holds a Masters of Education from the University of Ottawa, where his thesis explored policies and curriculum in the OCDSB through a critical race lens focusing on Black Excellence and antiracism. Aaron comes from Toronto, where his family immigrated from Trinidad and Tobago. He loves reading, crocheting, working out, and spending time with his Boston Terrier.
Maria Gomez
Gender-Based Violence Coordinator
Maria (she/her) was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, and has called Prince Edward Island home for the past seven years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Diversity and Social Justice Studies from the University of PEI.
Maria brings a strong commitment to accessibility, equity, and inclusion to her work. She is certified in peer support and has extensive experience applying trauma-informed, person-centered practices. Her background and training inform her passion for creating supportive, inclusive environments where all individuals feel seen, heard, and valued.
Judith Mendiolea
Communications and Community Relations Coordinator
Judith Mendiolea is a multilingual journalist, writer and community engagement specialist with a background in languages and translation. Originally from Mexico, her experiences living in four different countries have shaped her deep understanding of intercultural communication and community-building.
She has written for various outlets with Postmedia Network, PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation and others, producing investigative stories on immigration, environmental justice, and community initiatives. As a documentary filmmaker, she has explored themes of societal, heritage, and environmental challenges in P.E.I. Judith’s work is driven by the belief that storytelling is a powerful tool for social awareness and change.
Cecilia Andrade
Family and Youth Support Coordinator
Cecilia Andrade Gutierrez is an International Relations graduate from Colima, Mexico, with a specialization in Asian-Pacific studies and a Diploma in Business Administration. Having lived in four countries, she brings a global perspective to her work. Cecilia has held various roles, including language teacher, youth settlement worker, and support worker for newcomer families in PEI.
In addition to her community work, Cecilia is currently pursuing a Project Management certification and is deeply committed to social justice, human rights, and fostering inclusive environments. Her experience in hospitality management has also strengthened her organizational and communication skills.
Cassidy McKellop
Project Coordinator – Youth Leadership Institute on Anti-Racism
Cassidy McKellop (she/her) is a Two-Spirit Mi’kmaq youth worker from Lennox Island First Nation, raised off-reserve in Charlottetown. She graduated from Holland College’s Child and Youth Care Worker Program in 2021 with a passion for giving back to her community and empowering Indigenous youth.
A dedicated advocate since her teens, Cassidy has embraced powerful experiences—sailing across the Atlantic in 2017 with 45 Indigenous youth, and completing a cultural exchange in Nandi, Kenya in 2018–2019. Since graduating, she’s worked in harm reduction and community care through roles such as Youth Justice Worker (NCPEI), Program Coordinator (MCPEI), and Community Health Coordinator (Healing Our Nations).
DivineAsia Miller
GBV Programs & Administrative Assistant
DivineAsia (she/any) is a third-year student in the Doctor of Clinical Psychology program at University of PEI. Her training has centered on providing therapy and diagnostic services to members of the PEI community, and her practice is guided by the perspective that clients are experts in their own experiences and best understood as a product of various systems and oppressive forces. Her dissertation is a program evaluation with the Alzheimer Society of PEI to help improve services and client well-being with a focus on incorporating the experience of people living with dementia, who are often marginalized in their own care.
DivineAsia sees research as a tool for advocacy, capable of uncovering what is most likely to be missed and spreading the benefits of doctoral education beyond academia.
Sobia Ali-Faisal
Circle of Protection Facilitator (aka Board President)
Sobia (she/her) is a Pakistani-Canadian woman who works from an anti-oppression, decolonial, and liberation psychology lens, incorporating an anti-patriarchal, Islamically spiritual worldview into her daily life. She holds a doctorate in Applied Social Psychology and post-doctoral training in public health, and taught in the Department of Psychology at UPEI before becoming ED at BIPOC USHR until 2024. Her research on Muslim sexual health has appeared in academic journals as well as Teen Vogue and Refinery29, and she is a regular voice on issues of race and racial justice in PEI media.
Hassan
Circle of Protection co-facilitator (aka Board Secretary)
Coming…
Michael Blackwood
Circle of Protection Record Keeper (aka Board Secretary)
Michael Blackwood (he/him) is a Jamaican-Canadian policy professional currently based in PEI (Epekwitk).
He holds a Master of Science in Pharmacy from Memorial University of Newfoundland, with a specialization in cannabis policy, and holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. His policy interests include health equity, chronic disease prevention and management, and the use of race-based data to inform equitable, data-driven health policies.
Ewa Mebiri
Circle of Protection Treasurer (aka Board Treasurer)
Ewa is a documentary filmmaker and storyteller committed to advancing racial equity, human rights, and inclusive policy. Through his work, he aims to use storytelling as a powerful tool to examine systemic injustices and amplify the lived experiences of BIPOC and immigrant communities. Through his initiative, Stories Through the Lens, he documents immigrant-owned businesses, highlighting their social and economic contributions to marginalized and island communities.
Thea da Costa
Circle of Protection Member
Thea da Costa is a policy professional and project manager with extensive experience across several areas of the PEI provincial government. Originally from China, Thea moved to PEI in 2017 to pursue her studies at UPEI. She currently works with the Department of Health and Wellness and has previously held roles in the Department of Agriculture and IT Shared Services.
Thea served on the PEI Anti-Racism Table for four years, where she contributed to initiatives promoting equity, inclusion, and community engagement across the province. She is deeply passionate about evidence-based policy and advancing community health. This year marks her first term on the Board of Directors at BIPOC USHR, where she is excited to support meaningful, community-led work.
Prabhatha Meduri
Circle of Protection Member
Prabhatha Meduri moved to PEI in 2021 from India for her second bachelor’s degree in psychology. Her transition from software engineer to public service and part time counseling is very similar to her thought process and personality. Her focus in work is a combination of social well-being, mental health advocacy in the BIPOC community, public service and AI use in human lives with an equity lens.
She believes in and works in an interdisciplinary manner both personally and professionally. Other than work she enjoys gardening, being close to nature, dancing, reading and watching TV.