Our journey began when the late Dr. Maria Eriksen, a Calgary-based clinical psychologist, was frustrated to see many of the janitorial staff at the hospital where she worked were internationally trained professionals. They could not practice in their professions due to obstacles such as the lack of credential recognition, limited Canadian experience, and high licensing costs.

When she learned of these barriers for skilled immigrants and refugees, and thought about this terrible waste of human potential, Dr. Eriksen took action.  She gathered a group of six friends: Eleanor Chiu, Amal Umar, Aziza Kotadia, Kerry Longpre, and Corinne Tessier.