Hamsha Pathmanathan is a Wildlife Biologist for the Government of the Northwest Territories. She has a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) in Zoology and Forest Conservation from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Environmental Studies in Environment and Resources Studies from the University of Waterloo, where she undertook research on implementing a multistrata agroforestry system in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka to improve biodiversity and increase food security for impoverished communities in the region. Hamsha has also volunteered on various projects in Nigeria ranging from gender equality, land rights, green entrepreneurship, and wildlife conservation. She is currently the Acting Chair of comdu.it Canada, an international development organization focused on leveraging diaspora technical knowledge and skills in Sri Lanka, and a former board member at the Ontario Council for International Cooperation .