Avenue Magazine's 2018 Top 40 under 40

Faculty of Arts alumni all over 2018 list of Edmonton's rising stars.

Donna McKinnon - 29 October 2018

Avenue Magazine has released its annual list of Edmonton's Top 40 under 40! And, as always, our Faculty of Arts alumni are well-represented. Congratulations (and thank you!) to our Arts 2018 movers and shakers! Check out the amazing ways they're putting their degrees to work by clicking on the links below.

Wedad Amiri ('11 BA, Sociology) Founder, CEO and designer, Afflatus Hijab. "She designs clothing for an underserved market and uses her brand to promote mental health."
Read more about Wedad here.

Maggie Barton Baird ('12 BFA, Drama) Manager, NEXTFest. "This event-planning superstar uses her talents to showcase Edmonton's emerging artists."
Read more about Maggie here.

Hunter Cardinal ('15 BFA, Drama) Director of Story, Naheyawin. "He's helping organizations re-shape their narratives and business practices to implement the values of the Treaties."
Read more about Hunter here.

Jacquelyn Cardinal ('14 BA, Sociology) Managing Director, Naheyawin. "Her technologist mindset helps her find and create tools that assist Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples reclaim the spirit of the Treaties."
Read more about Jacquelyn here.

Stephanie Chai ('09 BA, Human Geography) Manager, Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board. "She's changing the way people view downtown and the city at large."
Read more about Stephanie here.

Lana Cuthbertson ('10 BA, English and Film Studies) Chair and co-founder, ParityYEG; Director, Customer Experience Strategy, ATB Financial. "She's part of the rising tide lifting women into leadership roles in both politics and the corporate world."
Read more about Lana here.

Kristi Hansen ('04 BFA, Drama) Co-artistic director, The Maggie Tree; Co-artistic producer, Azimuth Theatre; Actor. "She's supporting emerging talent and helping bring a diversity of voices and bodies to the city's arts scene."
Read more about Kristi here.

Rylan Kafara ('06 BA, '12 MA, History and Classics) Program Lead, Inner City Recreation and Wellness Program, Bissell Centre and Boyle Street Community Services. "He's providing opportunities for people to effect change in the community and make their voices heard."
Read more about Rylan here.

Michiko Maruyama ('18 BDes, Industrial Design) Cardiac surgery resident, University of Alberta; Toy designer. "She eats adversity for lunch."
Read more about Michiko here.

Dan Nielsen ('08 BA, Political Science) President, Metro Cinema; Policy and Communications Advisor, Edmonton Mayor's Office. "He continues to evolve a hallmark of Edmonton's arts and culture scene with diverse, community-minded programming."
Read more about Dan here.

Jason Lee Norman ('06 BA, English and Film Studies) Author; Publisher, Monto Books. "He helps construct-and deconstruct-the identity of our growing, dynamic city."
Read more about Jason here.

Top 40 Under 40 - Calgary:

Vivek Shraya ('03 BA, English and Film Studies) Author, Artist, Musician; Assistant Professor. "Vivek has made waves in academia by creating a course that focuses on writers of colour. She is the author of six books, as well as the head of a new publishing imprint designed to launch young and racially diverse authors."
Read more about Vivek here.

Zain Velji ('10 BA, Political Science) Partner and Vice President, Strategy, Northweather. "Having worked on multiple political campaigns (including Obama's), Zain Velji is helping build Northweather into a busy political strategy company while working on several non-profit boards."
Read more about Zain here.