Tariq Habibyar Founder & Executive Director, USA
Tariq is an entrepreneur, researcher, and storyteller who believes in the power of human togetherness.
As a content developer, facilitator, and speaker at Impact Paradigm, he helps people discover the wisdom hidden in stories, the kind that open our hearts and minds to new possibilities. He shows how the right stories can expand our perspectives, nurture empathy and kindness, and strengthen the bonds that hold our communities together.
Tariq holds a Master’s degree in Civics and Citizenship Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a PhD focused on understanding human stories from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. He taught English, literacy, and numeracy to girls and young women in underground schools in Afghanistan during the 1990s, when their education was forbidden.
That experience taught him something profound: education is an act of courage, a practice of hope, and a path to resilience and growth.
Tariq’s journey has led him through Canada, Germany, New Zealand, and the United States, where he’s both studied and worked.
Roya Habibyar Research Associate, Canada
Roya brings a combination of academic grounding, frontline community experience, and cross-cultural knowledge to her work at Impact Paradigm.
Holding a Bachelor of Economics from Herat University, her career has been shaped by a deep commitment to economic inclusion and the advancement of women’s rights in underserved communities.
Before joining Impact Paradigm, Roya worked across Afghanistan and Turkey, where she contributed to community engagement, financial administration, and the design and delivery of educational workshops for underserved populations. As a trainer and community advocate, she led programs advancing women’s rights and provided direct support to vulnerable groups, including women and orphaned children.
Her lived experience as a newcomer in Canada, combined with her background in economics and grassroots advocacy, gives Roya a grounded understanding of the barriers immigrant communities and underrepresented groups face, and what it takes to overcome them.
Roya speaks fluent English, Farsi, and Turkish.
