Jesse Asido is a creative entrepreneur, community builder and storyteller based in Scarborough, Ontario. Deeply passionate about Scarborough and its rich history, culture and talent, Jesse is dedicated to spotlighting the people, places and stories that make the community unique. His work blends humour, nostalgia and authenticity, creating content and initiatives that bring people together and spark local pride.
With a strong focus on community building, Jesse Asido believes in developing platforms that connect neighbours, celebrate hometown legends and inspire the next generation. His collaborative work includes partnerships with Scarborough Town Centre, the Toronto Zoo, SHN Foundation, UTSC and the Scarborough Shooting Stars, all rooted in strengthening local impact and elevating Scarborough’s voice.
An entrepreneur at heart, Jesse understands the power of storytelling in today’s digital landscape. He continuously explores innovative ways to use media and technology to grow brands while building meaningful, real world connections. His approach bridges past and present, honouring legacy while creating momentum for the future.
Driven, collaborative and proud of where he comes from, Jesse is committed to uniting community through creativity, culture and connection, always putting Scarborough at the forefront.
Andre De Grasse, CM, Ont, is the most decorated Olympian in Canadian history, having won seven medals throughout his career. At the 2016 Rio Games, Andre became the first Canadian to capture medals in all three sprint events in a single Olympics. At the Tokyo Summer Games, Andre did it again winning three more medals, including gold in the 200m.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Andre served as flag bearer for Canada at the opening ceremonies. Despite struggling with a hamstring injury, Andre lived up to his clutch performer reputation, anchoring the Canadian men’s 4x100m relay team to a dramatic gold medal.
The Scarborough-born athlete first made a name for himself in the summer of 2015, sprinting to victory in the 100m and 200m events at the Toronto Pan Am Games. Beyond the track, Andre is an accomplished author. He’s also acquired ownership stakes in various ventures, including the women’s professional soccer team, AFC Toronto.
Andre seeks to inspire and empower youth through the Andre De Grasse Family Foundation. He served as the honorary co-chair for the $330 million “Feel Out Loud” campaign for Kids Help Phone and supports student-athletes through the ADG Future Champions Scholarship Program.
Fefe Dobson is a true renaissance woman within the entertainment industry. Emerging as a pop / rock artist in the early 2000’s, Fefe stood out as an edgy black female outlier in a male dominated genre. Her Platinum Certified debut album earning her 4 consecutive top 10 radio singles, a #1 on the Billboard HeatSeekers album chart and 2 JUNO Award nominations.
After touring Europe supporting Justin Timberlake, Fefe dove into the acting world, appearing on the hit NBC series American Dreams. Fefe’s sophomore album featured one gold certified and two platinum certified top 10 singles and her acting career continued with a 2012 Canadian Screen Award nomination for Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in the film “Home Again”. She also led an initiative that raised over $300K for COVID-19 relief.
Fefe fondly remembers her formative years in Scarborough and spending time at Heron Park, The Zoo, Malvern Mall & Scarborough Town Center and the Morningside Cinema. She attended several local schools and notes Mrs Adams at Tom Longboat PS, Elaine Anderson at Fleming PS, Brad Parole at Heritage Park PS, and Anne Merriam and Bob Johnston at Wexford PS as people that had an enormous impact on her.
Fefe has penned hit songs for the biggest names in pop music, continues to write, record and release her own music, and act in feature films.
students who are underrepresented in postsecondary education. She is an in-demand public speaker, regularly addressing senior leaders around the world in a variety of business, academic and public policy venues. An exemplary role model and social justice advocate, she has earned numerous awards recognizing her excellence as a leader and mentor.
Stan is a life-long Scarborough resident. He graduated from Midland Ave. Public School in 1949 and from Scarboro Collegiate Institute in 1954. He edited the school yearbook at high school and was chosen as the valedictorian, both in 1954.
He received an Honours B.A. from Victoria College, University of Toronto in 1958. In 2007, he was chosen to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award from the college.At the Ontario College of Education in 1958-1959 he won a University of Toronto Honour Award for the music and lyrics of the All-Varsity Revue. He also won two scholarships for his academic prowess.
He joined the original staff of David and Mary Thomson Collegiate in 1959 and completed 35 years there on retirement in 1994. In 1984, he was the first classroom teacher to win the A. S. Taylor Award. In 1994, his principal, Sue Rowan, arranged to have the school auditorium named in his honour.
In 2004 he won a Meritus Award from the American Classical League. He was famous for the “bilingual” (English and Latin) singalongs he led at their annual gatherings. From 1998 to 2003 he was one of five teachers who updated the popular Cambridge Latin Course series.
In Scarborough Stan has been a fixture at St. Paul’s United Church for over 80 years, everything from a Sunday School pianist to Board Chairman. He edited the church newsletter for over 50 years. He was the “orchestra” for the Scarborough Gilbert and Sullivan Society from 1972 to 2009. He and his sister, Gwen, volunteered for a number of years playing for singalongs for patients in the Scarborough Health Network. In the early 1970s he was the pianist for the Canadian Women’s Gymnastics Team, arranging and playing their floor exercise music. In May he will be co-accompanist for the Serenata Singers’ 50th Anniversary concert.
From 1955 to 1962 he was the pianist at Bangor Lodge on Lake Muskoka. There he met his wife. Barbara. They have three children, plus spouses, nine grandchildren and four going on five great-grandchildren. In June they will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary.
Born in Bahrain in 1982, Trevor Godinho immigrated with his family to Scarborough in 1989, a place that would become both a creative anchor and a defining part of his identity. Raised in the borough, he attended St. Elizabeth Seton for elementary school and later Francis Libermann and Wexford Collegiate Institute. It was during these formative years, under the mentorship of art teacher Mark DiMonte, that Trevor discovered his passion for the arts. Scarborough’s cultural diversity and community spirit continue to inform his perspective and storytelling.
Trevor went on to graduate from the University of Toronto Mississauga and Sheridan College, where he further refined his creative vision. Now with nearly two decades of experience, he is an internationally renowned photographer and multidisciplinary artist known for evocative, human-centered imagery. His work has appeared in Forbes, Vogue Italia, Elle (India and Canada), Sports Illustrated, Playboy (France and the US), FHM (France and India), Men’s Health (Australia), among others.
His career has taken him to global cultural hubs including New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, London, Milan, and Perth, where he has photographed politicians, acclaimed artists, and Hollywood A-listers. In 2017, Trevor was named Canadian Brand Ambassador for Swiss lighting company Elinchrom Limited.
Beyond photography, his practice spans painting, sculpture, and design, with exhibitions at institutions such as the Gardiner Museum and the Canadian War Museum. A dedicated mentor and community advocate, Trevor supports numerous charitable organizations. In December 2024, he received the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation for Honour Country Sacrifice, his long-term project documenting the stories and lived experiences of Canadian veterans and active service members
Dr. Ashleigh Molloy is an energized, motivated leader, multi/international award recipient. He is
recognized as a global leader in inclusion, equity, and diversity. He is a professor with Niagara University
in the Teacher Education Department (TED) and CEO/President of Transformation Education
International (TEI), a global leader in trans-formative professional development. He has consulted,
presented and delivered training at international conferences in over 20 countries (Europe, the Middle
East, Asia, Africa, Central America, Canada and many of the United States). He is a respected Keynote
speaker, author and an internationally renowned workshop presenter who has appeared on radio,
television, and digital media. He has devoted himself to the public good through building a community
(commune bono/the good of a community). He is focused on driving innovation and delivering
measurable results towards managing a sustainable transformation in inclusive education worldwide.
Dr. Molloy has received numerous awards internationally and in Canada from each level of government.
The most notable being the Order of Ontario Medal (provincial government), the Queen Elizabeth II
Diamond Jubilee Medal (House of Commons), and the Sesquicentennial Medal (the Senate of Canada).
Dr. Molloy is deeply committed to improving the quality of life for persons with disabilities and their
families. He works tirelessly to advance their cause and to raise awareness for accessibility for ALL.
Geetha Moorthy is a community leader, social entrepreneur, and founder of the SAAAC Autism Centre and its social enterprise, The Goodness Gift. After arriving in Canada as a refugee from Sri Lanka in 1983, she settled in Tuxedo Court, Scarborough where she rebuilt her life with resilience and purpose. Trained in finance, Geetha worked as an accountant by day while teaching Indian classical dance in the evenings, using the arts as a bridge for cultural expression and community connection.
Through her dance school, she organized annual fundraising performances in support of hospitals and autism organizations. Over time, she noticed a striking absence: South Asian families were not accessing the very services her shows supported. That observation sparked a mission rooted in equity and inclusion.
In 2008, Geetha launched SAAAC from her home, beginning with adapted dance classes for children with autism. Today, it is a nationally recognized organization supporting over 1,000 families annually across three sites in Scarborough. Its programs include diagnostic services, clinical therapy, caregiver mental health supports, and employment training.
Geetha’s work has earned national recognition, including the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award and a 2024 Top 25 Women of Influence nod cementing her as a changemaker advancing culturally responsive autism care.
Cathy and John Phillips, married for over 50 years, first met at Trinity College, U of T. John worked 20 years as a corporate lawyer at Blakes while Cathy raised our three kids, then worked as a psychologist supporting cancer patients at Princess Margaret Hospital and Wellspring.
In 1994, John jumped to a wireless startup Clearnet with offices at Consilium near STC. Clearnet was acquired by Telus in 2000. Since then, John has been an active angel investor, supporting Canadian enterprise and technology in over 65 Canadian startups. A big win in Shopify catapulted us to unanticipated wealth, and we resolved to use it to benefit people in underserved communities across Canada through our Northpine Foundation. Scarborough became a prime focus point.
They fell in love with Scarborough when one of our sons moved here and we followed suit. Awed by the sheer beauty of the natural spaces, we took full advantage walking with family through the many parks along the Waterfront Trail, Bluffers Park, and longer hikes on the Doris McCarthy and Highland Creek Trails. We marveled too at the vibrant multi- cultural communities and the opportunities and challenges posed by such cultural and socioeconomic diversity.
In the last five years, Northpine has committed over $ 30 million to programs, services and institutions in Scarborough that are helping people to develop and thrive. Highlights include a new Diagnostic Imaging Department and improved Emergency services at SHN; initiatives to reduce food insecurity and increase employment; helping SAAAC support more than 150 clients with autism in receiving training and employment; and rolling out multiple cradle to career investments in education in our most vulnerable neighborhoods. We are only just beginning!!!!