Umeeda Switlo
Umeeda Switlo was born in Uganda but was forced to flee the country at the age of 15 after Idi Amin expelled the Asian population of the country. Umeeda and her older sister left for the United States two weeks after the expulsion order and her parents and other siblings fled Uganda shortly thereafter and settled in Vancouver, BC. Umeeda joined them there once the school year was over. After finishing high school, Umeeda obtained a marine biology degree from the University of Victoria. She worked for both the Ministry of the Environment and Fisheries and Oceans for a time. She later became involved in various entrepreneurial pursuits, including opening a day care, owning and operating a ticketing agency, and managing music artists. She has also worked in the non-profit sector at the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the Canadian Cancer Society, CUSO International, and Naledo, a Belize-based social enterprise.