Aleem Punja

photo: Aleem Punja

Aleem Punja is a Registered Social Worker and strategic leader with over 20 years of experience advancing social policy initiatives and services for vulnerable communities. As Executive Director of the Future Ready Initiative, a national agency of the Aga Khan Council for Canada, he oversees programs supporting newcomers, reducing poverty, and improving quality of life through strategy, partnerships, and policy development.

Aleem holds a Master of Public Administration from Queen’s University and is a value-based, mission-driven, and collaborative leader skilled in supporting staff and volunteers. With direct experience serving on and working with Boards, he is a proven driver of innovation and operational excellence. He excels at cultivating strategic relationships with governments, stakeholders, funders, and donors, with expertise in integrating equity, diversity, and inclusion across organizations.

Aleem consults with the Barnes Training Institute and serves as Vice-Chair of the Board at Toronto Lands Corporation. He is a 2023/2024 CivicAction DiverseCity Fellow and a Maytree Policy School alumnus. In 2025, the Toronto Metropolitan University recognized him as a rising start in the category of changemakers and community builders.

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