John Christy Johnson - Top 30 Under 30

“I urge you to pay back to community, leave a trail of breadcrumbs for the prospective engineer, scientist, or astronaut, and pass the baton as you strive for personal success.”

-John Christy Johnson

Age: 22

Hometown: Angadical, Kerala, India

Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta

Affiliations: University of Alberta Rehabilitation Robotics Laboratory, ClickandPush Accessibility Inc., TEDxUAlberta

What influenced you to become a change-maker?

As an Indo-Canadian and identical twin, I spend a fair proportion of my time thinking about fairness and equitability. How can we level the playing field of society for participation of all? I am an advocate of “leaving no person behind” and passionate about universal design, accessibility, and engineering a more inclusive society.

I collaborate with a team of engineers, scientists, and artists at the Rehabilitation Robotics Lab. A few of us co-created a start-up called ClickandPush Accessibility Inc. to develop a centralized mapping app highlighting barriers to wheelchair mobility and universal access. We formed an accessibility advisory council united by a common desire—to create safe, inclusive physical spaces where people of all capacities are valued, respected, and empowered. We are currently working to map the University of Alberta to make the institution a leader in accessibility

How does your work promote gender equality in Canada and around the world?

Discrimination, bias, expectations, and stereotyping are limiting the potential of girls and women around the globe and, in doing so, deterring sustainable development. One way my work bridges this gap is through sparking interest in STEM for girls and women. At our laboratory, we routinely showcase interactive tours of our cutting-edge innovations in virtual reality and robotics. Catalyzed by work of organizations such as Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology (WISEST), we’ve been able to engage with high school girls and young mothers. We hope this early exposure recruits women into STEM fields
around the world.

Storytelling represents a powerful way to question societal gender norms and roles. In selecting speakers for TEDxUAlberta, I gathered and vetted a diverse roster of women hailing from disciplines where they are traditionally underrepresented, including politics, tech, and engineering, bringing them to the global spotlight.

More 2019 Top 30 Alumni

Koshin Mohomoud

"The most important thing for anyone wanting to make a change is to get involved. Whether you are able to volunteer a little bit of your time or a lot, it is always important." -Koshin Mohomoud Age: 29 Hometown: Surrey, British Columbia Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: Edmonton Somali Professionals I am currently a senior policy advisor with the Government of Alberta. Prior to my current role, I worked in both the public and private sectors and spent time working in my...

Lindsay Brouwer

"We need to promote the idea that your gender does not limit you with what you chose to do with your life." -Lindsay Brouwer Age: 28 Hometown: Lethbrdige, Alberta Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: Young Nurses Take Action Foundation,Canadian Association of Medical Teams Abroad, Project Amazonas, Stollery Children’s Hospital First and foremost, my parents were the most influential people in shaping who I have become. They provided me with constant unconditional love and...

Amber Rai

"To be a change-maker, you must identify an issue that needs to be addressed, think of ways to bring about the change, and evaluate your efforts to ensure you are making the impact that you hoped for." -Amber Rai Age: 20 Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta Currently Residing In: Sherwood Park, Alberta Affiliations: Learning Beyond Borders, HEAL International Ever since I joined the Learning Beyond Borders club over five years ago, I have been working on programs to help students in rural Uganda....

Ameer Farooq

"To improve gender equality, we need to understand the issue through data and research and make informed decisions that get at the heart of the problem." -Ameer Farooq Age: 29 Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta Currently Residing In: Calgary, Alberta Affiliations: Alberta Health Services The corridors of Mohammad Ali Jinnah Hospital are smeared with the stains of spit-up paan. There are people everywhere—under the stairs, in every chair, in every bed, some moaning, some simply staring with large...

Emilie Duchesne

"Knowing when to take and give space for others is the very first step in taking a stance against gender inequality." -Emilie Duchesne Age: 25 Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: Youth Empowerment and Supports Services (YESS), Comité Francoqueer de l’Ouest, Francophonie Jeunesse de l’Alberta (FJA) Who I am is shaped and moulded by my belief in equity and inclusion for all types of people. I am a passionate, part-time social work student currently...

Tina Guo

"As young individuals, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to advocate for marginalized populations, and strive to effect positive change in our communities." -Tina Guo Age: 22 Hometown: Calgary, Alberta Currently Residing In: Calgary, Alberta Affiliations: Students Against Domestic Abuse Association, Outrun the Stigma Calgary, Student Run Clinic Born to a poor, first-generation immigrant family, I understood at a tender age the irreplaceability of diligence and tenacity. However,...

Elizabeth Roden

"You don’t have to do something on a grand scale; just live your values and stand up for what you believe in." -Elizabeth Roden Age: 29 Hometown: Glendon, Alberta Currently Residing In: Calgary, Alberta Affiliations: Operation Eyesight (ACGC Member) From an early age, I’ve always believed that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. I helped form a leadership group at my high school and was eager to learn more about world issues. In 2007, I moved to Calgary to pursue a degree...

Sara Kardash

"Listen to the stories of the women and gender-diverse people in our communities and take the time to unpack your unconscious biases." -Sara Kardash Age: 22 Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: Engineers Without Borders Canada (ACGC Member) I am in my final year of civil environmental engineering at the University of Alberta, where I have been involved with the on-campus Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Canada chapter as co-president. I went into...

Karl Narvacan

"Be inclusive and accepting of other people’s ideas and habits, and you can be a changemaker for gender equality." -Karl Narvacan Age: 29 Hometown: Manila, Philippines Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Centre Society, Choosing Wisely Canada As first-generation immigrants from the Philippines, our family faced a common challenge—navigating the health care system. I vividly remember going to the ER one day when I had a severe toothache, only to...

Adam Goodwin

"Incorporate changes to address gender equality in your daily life. This can be in your own community, at the regional level, or through an international opportunity." -Adam Goodwin Age: 29 Hometown: Red Deer, Alberta Currently Residing In: Red Deer, Alberta Affiliations: Sport4one I spend a considerable amount of my personal time investing in the sport for development and peace industry. The industry employs sport as a means for economic, environmental, and social development. I became a...