ABOUT US
Equity Through Music
OUR VISION
Breaking Down Walls Through The Power Of Music
For more than two decades, Small World Music has been celebrating cultural diversity and showcasing a range of local, domestic, and international talent to audiences across the Greater Toronto Area. Our vision goes beyond simply presenting culturally-diverse artists to include finding ways of working with, showcasing, and supporting underrepresented, marginalized, and newcomer professionals onstage and behind the scenes to encourage sustainable careers, and become a leader in the music industry.
OUR MISSION
We channel the transformative power of music to drive positive social change and equitable representation of diverse cultures. We do this by creating opportunities for underrepresented individuals, alongside engaging audiences to nurture belonging, deepen cultural understanding, and cultivate an inclusive community.
Engaging Audiences
Activate music to build connections, nurture belonging, deepen cultural understanding and cultivate an inclusive community.
Enabling Artists
Support culturally diverse artists to access and advance sustainable careers in music and culture.
Enriching the Ecosystem
Connect underrepresented talent with industry networks, serving as a catalyst for cultural equity and inclusion on and behind the stages.
MEET THE TEAM
Umair Jaffar
Chief Executive Officer
umair@smallworldmusic.com
Liberty Bhaloo
Director of Development
liberty@smallworldmusic.com
Reza Moghaddas
Programming Director
reza@smallworldmusic.com
Heather Kelly
Chief Marketing Officer
heather@smallworldmusic.com
Thao Nghiem
Community Engagement Manager
thao@smallworldmusic.com
Safura Nouman
Finance & Admin Manager
admin@smallworldmusic.com
Danielle Parris
Program + Production Coordinator
danielle@smallworldmusic.com
Shrishti Chouhan
Creative Lead
design@smallworldmusic.com
Nishar Mansuri
Content Marketing Strategist
nishar@smallworldmusic.com
Abdullah Jamal
Online Advertising Manager
abdullah@smallworldmusic.com
Paula Sofía
Community Development Coordinator & Incubator Lead
connect@smallworldmusic.com
Tudor Plopeanu
Development Officer
development@smallworldmusic.com
Donita Duario
Box Office & Programming Coordinator
donita@smallworldmusic.com
Nhu Le
Communication Coordinator
communications@smallworldmusic.com
Jieun Jung
Centre Coordinator
jieun@smallworldmusic.com
In Loving Memory of Alan Davis
Founder, Small World Music
22 Sep 1961 – 25 Jun 2025
Alan holds over three decades of music programming and community development experience. As the Founder of Small World Music, since 1997 he has planned and presented concert and festival programming in Toronto, mounting in the order of eight hundred events, supporting the careers of thousands of artists and celebrating with tens of thousands of audience members from diverse communities. From the Small World Centre, to major concert halls and free outdoor stages, a legacy of artistic success and audience engagement continues.
Send Condolences for AlanBOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ayesha Chatterjee
Chair
Past President
League of Canadian Poets
Vik Das
Treasurer
Associate Director
Desjardins
Mohamed Khimji
Director
David Allgood Professor in Business Law
Queen’s University
Amber Joyce
Director
Client Partner
Facebook
Yuwen Huang
Director
Innovation Manager
Reckitt
ANNUAL REPORT
SUPPORTERS
Small World Music gratefully acknowledges the following supporters:
COMMUNITY OF DONORS
2025 Program and
Campaign Supporters
Arts Advocate
David Cope
Mansoor Malik
Sustaining
Community Builder
Gilad Cohen
Celia Harte
Owais Lightwala
Lori Willcox
Jim Wallace
Community Builders
Lisa Caplan
John Campana
Kenneth Chang
Tracey-Ann Chin
Susan Fletcher
Edwin Gailits
Shân Gordon
Thomas Griffiths
Maxine Heppner
Sara Jina
David Myhre
Ashwin Nayak
Shahriar Nayeri
Eric Parker
Roman Pawlyshyn
John Ryerson
Rupal Shah
Haroon Siddiqui
Ryan Skrobar
George Stimpson
Hans Worm
2025 Founding Supporters:
Alan Davis Music Fund
Visionary
Sandeep Lal
Arts Advocate
Brian Parker
Sympl Solutions Ltd.
Popatia Family
Community Builders
Analisa Amoroso
Virginia Brooks
Chris Cawthray
The Council for Business and the Arts in Canada
Ingrid Crozier
Edward De Barros
Joanna De Souza
Malcolm Family Office and Wealth Management Inc.
The Fifth Estate
Mark Gartenberg
Catherine Gordon
Dina Graser
Josh Grossman
Ed Hanley
Ajay Heble
Meghan Hila
Clement Kent
James Kippen
Mary Landreth
Philip Lapidus
John Leeson
Nathalie Levesque
Mervon Mehta
Daniela Nardi
Ashwin Nayak
Shahriar Nayeri
Eric Parker
Guy Perry
Kelly Rintoul
Kartini Rivers
John Ryerson
Rick Sacks
Suba Sankaran
Rohini Soni
Ali Hussain Taiyeb
Masahiro Takahashi
Anh Tran
Marianna Tzabiras
Sundar Viswanathan
Rachel Ward
Jim Williamson
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Copyright © 2026 Small World Music. All rights reserved.
Charitable Registration Number: 88078 7213 RR0001
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