COUNTDOWN TO TOAST

About Toast to Success

Toast to Success is CTPA's signature annual conference, designed to showcase and celebrate the achievements of professionals within our community. The event features impactful professional development sessions, a distinguished keynote address, and abundant networking opportunities throughout the day.

The Professional Excellence awards segment of the conference recognizes three outstanding Tamil professionals who have demonstrated significant career growth and a deep commitment to the community. The awards are divided into three nomination categories outlined below.

Emerging Professional Award Nomination

Established Professional Award Nomination

CTPA Alumni Award Nomination

Nomination Criteria

A professional in the early stages of their career, with exposure in their respective field, community and/or area of expertise.

Has graduated from post-secondary education or attained similar credentials (ex. Apprenticeships, training, certifications, diplomas…),and has up to 7 years of work experience.
Has made a significant impact (ex. achievements/contributions demonstrating nominee consistently going “above and beyond” the normal scope of their role) in their field and has supplemental materials and/or information to demonstrate and exemplify impact (media engagement, awards/recognition, research, etc).
Has outstanding voluntary footprints in their field and/or community.
Must provide two professional endorsement letters (if requested).

A seasoned professional with a proven track record of career growth and notable achievements within their field.

Has graduated from post-secondary education or attained similar credentials (ex. Apprenticeships, training, certifications, diplomas…) and has 7+ years of work experience.
Has passion, integrity, showcases exemplary role modeling and inspires others in the community.
Achieved distinction and recognition in their respective field/occupational portfolio.
Regarded as a leader and has made a significant impact in their career and community.
Has outstanding voluntary footprints in their field and community.
Demonstrated consistent contribution towards being heard and known within their profession.
Facilitated noticeable improvements and/or progressive shifts in their profession.
Must provide two professional endorsement letters (if requested).

This award celebrates an outstanding CTPA alumnus who has made a lasting impact both professionally and within the CTPA community.

Must have been an active member of the CTPA team in 2023 or earlier (current members are not eligible).
Demonstrated significant contributions to CTPA during their time on the team, going above and beyond to support the organization's mission.
Has a minimum of 5 years of work experience and has made notable strides in their professional career.
Actively involved in community-building efforts and contributes to the growth of the Tamil professional network.
Acknowledged for their voluntary efforts, mentorship, and meaningful contributions to both CTPA and the broader community.
Must provide two letters of recommendation from CTPA peers or professional colleagues (if requested).

STAY TUNED

Nominations for the 2021 Awards are now closed. Please stay tuned for next year's nominations.

Eligibility

Nominees must be a resident of Canada and of Tamil descent.
Nominees are eligible for re-nomination in subsequent years.
Nominees cannot be previous award winners of the same award category for which they had won.
Nominees can nominate themselves if they choose.

Why Nominate

By nominating someone, you are recognizing them as a source of inspiration who is making a difference in the lives of others. This is an opportunity to honor their accomplishments, validate their dedication, and elevate their professional and personal reputation. Nominations shine a well-deserved spotlight on individuals who have gone above and beyond, giving them the recognition they deserve within our community. Let’s take this moment to celebrate their hard work and contributions!

Method of Selection

The Awards Selection Committee, appointed by the Board, will be responsible for the selection of the winners for these awards. The Awards Selection Committee will consist of CTPA’s current Board of Directors and Advisory Board members. They will review the nomination applications and supporting documents, contact endorsers and interview prospective winners.

The Awards Selection Committee reserves the right to move a nominee to a category more suited to their strengths and skill sets without notification. When required, additional information may be requested. The Awards Selection Committee also has the right to refrain from granting a specific award when it is not deemed meritable.

Award Recognition

Award winners will be invited to attend the Toast to Success event held in person Sunday, October 20th 2024. More information including location will be confirmed soon.

Exclusions

Current members of the 2024 Board of Directors, 2024 Advisory Board, Awards Selection Committee, and CTPA's volunteer team are not eligible to apply. However, they are welcome to nominate a peer if they choose.

Submission Instructions

The deadline to submit the nomination package is September 30th, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST. All questions must be answered fully for award consideration. No late submissions will be accepted. Please note that only award winners selected by the committee will be contacted.

For further inquiries, contact Luckzani Balakrishnan, Head of Signature Events , by email at [email protected]

2022 Recipients

Vivetha Thambinathan

Vivetha Thambinathan is an Eelam Tamil activist-scholar, community-engaged researcher, and public health professional. Vivetha is a doctoral candidate in the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences program at Western University, where her research project focuses on refugee health justice, historical trauma, and arts-based healing within the Toronto Tamil refugee diaspora. She is the former Research Director at Washington-based PEARL (People for Equality and Relief in Lanka), a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for justice and self-determination for the Tamil people in the North-East of Sri Lanka. Driven by her passion for equity and justice in higher education, Vivetha also founded @diversityinacademia – a platform with over 100,000 followers – as a radical space to amplify voices typically excluded from narratives shared within the academy. Vivetha feels most inspired working at the intersections of community mobilization, creative storytelling, & healing justice.

Read her full story

Naren Balakrishnan

With over 18 years’ experience in information technology, including the last 14 years in professional services and consulting, Naren Balakrishnan helps companies access Government funding programs and to file maximized and substantiated tax credit claims. His clients represent a number of industries including Telecommunications, Software/IT, Electronics, Financial Services Institutions, Aerospace and Defence, Health-IT and Bio-Technology. He assists clients in a number of areas including: determination of eligible expenditures, preparation of technical reports, review of documentation, incorporating best practices to maximize claim size and handling potential CRA matters including audit defense. Naren is heavily involved in business development initiatives, working with international companies to enter the Canadian market, developing strategic partnerships with technology associations and working closely with start-up companies to help them get to the next level. He also works to mentor, connect and introduce companies to other accounting and business functions at Grant Thornton.

Read his full story

Click to learn more about our past recipients!

The Candian Tamil Professionals Association acknowledges Indigenous Peoples throughout Canada. This includes Inuit, Métis and more than 900,000 people living in more than 630 First Nations communities, and in cities and towns across these lands.

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