Siavash Shekarian
Siavash is the director and facilitator of the AzNo dialogue series, where he leads structured roundtables and podcast conversations designed to explore ideas, identify shared priorities, and generate practical blueprints for the future. A lawyer, policy advocate, and public commentator, Shekarian brings a distinctive interdisciplinary perspective to civic dialogue. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Toronto. This dual background in engineering and law informs his approach to public issues, combining systems thinking with a deep commitment to the rule of law and human dignity.
Throughout his career, Siavash has been actively engaged with Canadian policymakers and parliamentarians, advocating for evidence-based reforms and greater public participation in policy development. His work has brought him into direct dialogue with federal legislators and senior stakeholders, allowing him to contribute legal and policy insights on issues affecting governance and institutional accountability. Through these engagements, he has built invaluable advocacy channels that connect professional expertise with decision-makers in government.
Shekarian is the founder and CEO of Shekarian Law and has served in leadership roles within Canada’s legal community, including as Chair of the Business Immigration Committee at the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association and as Public Affairs Liaison for the Ontario Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Law Section. His work frequently brings together legal experts, policymakers, business leaders, and civil society actors to address complex institutional challenges.
He is also the founder of the Catalyst Canada initiative, a multi-sector platform that convened leading experts through a series of national roundtables to examine structural reforms to Canada’s immigration system. Through this initiative, Shekarian demonstrated a capacity to translate critique into constructive policy design by mobilizing diverse professional networks around shared goals.
As the facilitator of the AzNo discussions, Shekarian’s role is not to promote a political line but to guide thoughtful and respectful dialogue. His approach is grounded in the belief that meaningful progress requires the participation of many voices and the careful synthesis of competing ideas. By structuring conversations that bring together different perspectives, he aims to help participants move beyond debate toward practical solutions.
Shekarian’s work across law, public policy, and media reflects a consistent commitment to evidence-based reasoning, intellectual honesty, and principled civic engagement. Through the AzNo platform, he seeks to foster a space where complex questions can be examined openly and where collective insight can contribute to the design of a more just and functional future.