Ali found connection between tech and community at NFFTT
Ali found connection between tech and community at NFFTT
Every year, hundreds of hands reach up into the branches of urban fruit trees, gathering fruit that would fall to waste, later sharing that fruit with community. So many people make this magic happen: tree registrants, fruit pickers, pick leaders, Steering Committee members, and more.
As we wrap up a record-breaking 2025, and look towards the 2026 season, we’re taking time to introduce some of the people who make Not Far From The Tree a vibrant part of Toronto.
Meet Ali!
Ali is a member of the Steering Committee whose passion for community connection and technical innovation led him to Not Far From The Tree. By blending his expertise in governance and technology with a hands-on approach to urban harvesting, Ali is dedicated to strengthening the systems that help our city share its abundance and grow more resilient together!
Driven by a desire to deepen his community roots, Ali was seeking opportunities to share his expertise in governance and technology with local grassroots projects. After a chance meeting with the Steering Committee Chair at a social mixer, he was immediately captivated by the mission of “Toronto’s fruit sharing program.”
Now serving as a member of the Steering Committee, he leverages his technical background to help streamline our digital strategy and long-term oversight (shout out to his work on the new Portal)! When he isn’t optimizing systems or volunteering, you can find him exploring the intersections of tech and social impact within the city.
What inspires you to volunteer your time as a Steering Committee member?
It provides me an opportunity to learn about different neighbourhoods across the city through a lens I had not given much thought to prior. Not Far From the Tree’s volunteer community is full of many forms of enthusiasts from which I have been able to learn a lot from in terms of tree health, fruit harvesting, fruit processing, and all sorts of recipes!
“Being connected to the Steering Committee and the broader ecosystem of social impact, social tech, and community organizing has brought a lot of optimism and hope into my life, and it makes me happy to reside in the Greater Toronto Area.”
How does your role on the committee connect to your personal or professional passions?
I appreciate applying my abilities of navigating digital transformation at scale in the enterprise to an impact driven project such as Not Far from the Tree. We run a tight ship and supporting the organization in making technology decisions that enable it to best serve the community has proven to be a fulfilling way to share the gifts that I have.
Why do you think it’s important for others to support NFFTT, whether through donations, volunteering, or spreading the word?
I think an organization like this has the potential to reshape the community landscape of a city, connecting people with their neighbours and communities in a way unlike any other club or social identity. We all get value from spending time in nature, spending time in community, and enjoying fresh fruit. Supporters enable us to not only support our day to day execution but support a bold vision for the future where we live in harmony with our surroundings.
What drew you to NFFTT’s mission of sharing the urban harvest?
I love the idea of using resources already available to develop both community engagement and a delicious harvest!
Further Reading
One cherry pick led Ryan to sharing over a decade with NFFTT