Our Circle

Fabian (he/him) was born in Egypt to Cuban Canadian parents and spent his childhood and adolescent years in Cuba, Mexico and China. He attained his Bachelor of Arts degree in ‘Society, Culture and Media’ from the University of East Anglia in England before graduating from the Vancouver Film School in the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl’ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples. His background has revolved around Freelance Producing and Film Production, holding several credits in various departments and working for prominent production companies in their respective countries (LIKE MINDED LABS & KICKSTART ENTERTAINEMNT – CANADA, EAGLE MEDIA – CHINA and BBC – UK); as well as directing, writing and producing several original short films; most recently developing a documentary about Cuban immigrants who after leaving their military service now reside in Vancouver. Fabian has also worked in non-profit organizations and business companies as a Marketing/Communication Assistant and joined Urban Ink in August 2022

Nick is originally from New Zealand, where he grew up in Invercargill at the bottom of the South Island. He moved with his wife to Vancouver in 2024 to explore new career opportunities. Nick has worked in Financial services for the last 9 years and is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He is currently working for a Vancouver based financial services company called Peoples Group as a Senior Financial Analyst. He hopes that his experience in finance and accounting will be a positive addition to the Board and be beneficial for Urban Ink.

An avid outdoorsman, Nick loves skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking and camping. He is particularly looking forward to exploring all the amazing natural landscapes in his new home of BC. Nick also has a particular interest in music and expresses his creativity through playing the guitar. He grew up learning the mythology and stories of the Māori people (the indigenous people of New Zealand) and is excited to further his knowledge of the Canadian indigenous culture.

My name is Lyle Dixon, I am from Siska Indian Band just out side of Lytton BC. My people are the ‘Nlaka’pamux. I should like to thank the Squamish, Musqueam and the Tswel watuth First Nations for allowing me to be on their territory.

I come from a large family with six sisters and had three brothers. My parents attended to St Georges Residential school in Lytton. I have a diploma in criminology that I attained at Native Education College (Vancouver) and Douglas College (New Westminster). I worked in that system for several years. I have a diploma in Family and Community counseling also attained at Native Education college that I followed with working at Coast Mental Health as a front line mental health worker.

I completed the Bachelor of Social Work Indigenous Specialization (BSW-IS) at the University of Victoria (UVic) in Victoria BC. Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of British Columbia (NCCABC) was good enough to hire me as a Native Court worker where I stayed for seven years at Vancouver Provincial court at 222 Main Street. I moved on to complete the Master of Social Work- Aboriginal Field of Study (MSW-AFS) at Sir Wilfrid Laurier University (Laurier) in Kitchener Ontario. I worked as a counsellor for a time before I moved on to teach at a post secondary level. I try to encourage my First Nations brothers and sisters to strive and succeed in what they want from life.

I did a semester as adjuct professor at University of British Columbia (UBC) where I taught a fourth year master of social work (MSW) course. I greatly enjoyed teaching at the Native Education College in the Criminology program, the Family and Community Counselling (FCC) courses as well as an Adult Basic Education Psychology course.

I work as a therapist. I focus on healing through medicine wheel teachings combined with cogntive behavioural therapy (CBT), narrative therapy and inner child work. I weave these western modalities with medicine wheel teachings. I have learnt that the medicine wheel teachings are valuable in my own life and share what knowledge I have attained with the people I work with.

My free time is used to do some volunteering at The Cultch, as theatre is a part of my life that brings me great pleasure. I am greatly honoured to be on the board of directors of Urban Ink.

Lauren Duffy (she/her) is a settler raised on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations and is of Irish and French-Canadian descent. She holds a bachelor of Fine Arts and Business, Digital Arts Communication from the University of Waterloo. She has a versatile background in financial services and advising on brand, digital, sponsorships, events and experiential marketing for arts, sport, and community organizations. Lauren believes that art can transform, whether its through storytelling, self-expression or formal visuality. She has worked on a wide range of arts programs and sponsorships including the Scotiabank Giller Prize, Hot Docs, Scotiabank Photography Award, New Generation Photography Award and the National Gallery of Canada. In her current work with PH&N Institutional, she is an active partner for their Indigenous investment services group. Passionate about arts accessibility, Lauren is excited to contribute her expertise to Urban Ink.