We are here to be your Companions!
About Us
Candid Companions consults and partners with changemakers to help them cultivate their capacities and achieve their social justice projects.
We believe that while every individual has capacity to create change, there are also times where collaboration can push an idea further. In this working relationship, we will share our knowledge, experiences, and ideas to support you as a companion would.
The collective skills and experiences shared by our team include organizational change, anti-oppressive and anti-racist practice, research, marketing, creative content, website design, and much more.
Vision & Values
Our vision is to foster a supportive space for inventive social change adventurers to test their iridescent ideas to create change.
*Hover your mouse over our values to read more!
Ingenuity
Every person carries unique knowledge,
worldviews, and past experiences, from which new initiatives can sprout through proactiveness and nurturing.
Transparency
We adopt a mindful posture to practice that invites nuances, open communication and
feedback without judgment.
Compassion
Compassion precedes and permeates the work we do, as ultimately we are human beings
working together for each other.
Integrity
A co-created space that highlights the importance of
fluidity in the work that we do. We are robust towards our goals but malleable in the ways we achieve them.
Diligence
Acknowledging that evergreen change does
not come easy, we uphold a culture where we fuel one another, we persevere together and we earnestly share accountability.
Credit: Teo Georgiev for Fine Acts
kandəd kəmˈpanyən
can·did com·pan·ion
noun
To us, being your companion means we strive to authentically connect with your social justice ideas and passion. We accompany you by listening to and understanding your vision, galvanizing your capacities, and sharing our expertise, skills, and experiences with you. As any good companion should, we will walk alongside you honestly, sincerely, and openheartedly.
Navigating the waters
You take the lead, and we will be at your side. We will help you watch for the rip currents or other dangers in the water. More importantly, we will help you spot opportunities so you can catch that big wave and turn your social justice ideas into reality.
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Cindy Nguyen (she/her), MSW, BBA
(Co-Founder)
Xin Chào, I'm ecstatic you're here! With a background in social work, business and social innovation, I would call myself a tri-sector innovator ready to investigate nuances, and uncover potential in collaborations and partnerships. I am also the creator of Cereus Context where revolutionary ideas bloom, and an idealist mindset is fostered.
Marrying these skills and passions, I'd offer a fresh perspective and guidance backed by years of experience and education, energy and skills on your initiatives and projects and as a companion, I would foster your ideas and go wherever the adventure takes us! With my teammates, you won't ever feel alone. A support system is here.
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Farrah Helwa (she/her), M.Cog.Sc., MSW, RSW
(Co-Founder)
Welcome! I am a social worker practicing in the realm of mental health, with a background in cognitive science and psychology. With my experience in research and clinical practice, continuing to identify and address knowledge gaps, while actively seeking more accessible ways to raise awareness about services is a fundamental piece of my role. I maintain a supportive presence in people's journeys of healing, navigating and engaging with systems and personal growth.
I will support you with the process of establishing, rebuilding or maintaining your relationship with social change. This includes defining and working towards your social change goals, while exploring strategies together to help manage challenges as they arise.
Companions
Kelvin Hau (he/him), MSW, RSW
(Contractor)
Hello! It's nice to meet you! As a social worker, my area of focus is mental health and accompanying people in their journeys of change and healing. I chose this work because of the support I received with leaning into my fears to change my life for the better. I want to pay this support forward to others who want to create healthier lives for themselves and the people around them.
As a companion, I aim to be a trustworthy ally who you can confide in about the worries and challenges that come with stirring change, and offer you support in navigating the decisions ahead.
Connect with Candid Companions!
