ED JOAQUIN PROFILE & BIO

"Career Volunteer, Fundraising Specialist and Events Organizer serving as Advisor and Director on many Community Boards."


Ed Joaquin organizes Canada's Largest Asian festival, Taste of Asia in Markham, Ontario. The festival was founded in the summer of 2003 as a band-aid solution to the SARS crisis in Canada, which helped revive the downturn in the local economies in Markham and York Region. Ed Joaquin's family doctor was the only physician that died in Canada due to the SARS crisis. This has propelled Ed Joaquin to continue to be vigilant in the promotion of Health Fairs in pursuit of educating Canadians of future epidemics. In June 2010, the Taste of Asia festival will be celebrating its 8th annual event and now collaborates with the City of Richmond, British Columbia to expand the popularity of the event across Canada, between the two most visibly diverse cities in Canada, attracting over 100,000 people annually.

Ed Joaquin was inspired to join the special events industry as a student at St. Elizabeth high school in Thornhill, Ontario in 1991 organizing hockey and sports collectable card shows as a hobby. The hobby grew to one of the largest networks of memorabilia touring shows in southern Ontario by the time he graduated. Opportunities continued in the non-profit sectors in Ontario when Ed began helping charities organize fundraising campaigns, and achieved phenomenal results for all of his organizations.


In 1999 Ed was attracted to the tiger economies of Asia, apprenticing with special events companies, entertainment venues, and restaurants as an aspiring Chef in Southeast Asia. After hands on training and mentorship overseas, in 2002 Ed returned to Canada to pursue his passion for community advocacy and political outreach and continues to organize and serve as a board member and fundraising advisor to over a dozen community organizations in Canada including the Markham Arts Council, Taste of Asia Festival, Markham Jazz Festival, Markham's Tourism Committee, Canadian Federation of Intercultural Friendship-Community Police Liason Committee, North American Association of Asian Professionals, Federation of Chinese Canadians in York Region, Philippine Chamber of Commerce-Toronto, Canada-Philippines Association, the Centre for Dreams, Fiesta Canada's Multicultural Day's World Potluck Fiesta, Helping Homeless Pets, the Barkham Dog Show, Markham District Veterans Association, Social Services Network's Health Fair, chair of the annual Markham Village Music Festival, and founder of the DiversityJobFair.ca.


Ed Joaquin studied culinary management at Humber College for a semester and apprenticed in restaurants in Metro Manila, Philippines. He resides in Markham, Ontario and is a member of the Markham Board of Trade, St. Patrick's Parish Knights of Columbus, Festivals & Events Ontario, the Markham District Veterans Association and is working to become a Professional Fundraising Specialist in Ontario.