Meet the Team
Chang Sun
Board Director
Chang Sun is a passionate and innovative software engineer dedicated to building technology-driven solutions that advance community well-being. He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from New York University and brings extensive experience in full-stack development, data engineering, and cloud technologies. Currently, Chang serves as a Senior Software Engineer at FactSet Research Systems, where he leads the development of AI-powered tools and platform integrations.
As a Board Director of IYOWS, Chang offers a unique perspective—blending analytical thinking with deep empathy for individual and collective wellness. His technical expertise and problem-solving skills help advance the organization’s mission to empower individuals through storytelling, mental health advocacy, and inclusive programming.
In addition, Chang serves as the Program Director for IYOWS’s AI for Youth Entrepreneurs initiative, where he designs and leads hands-on workshops, guest speaker events, and community-based projects.
Outside of the tech space, Chang is also an avid photographer and writer, continually exploring new ways to express the human experience. His work with the organization reflects a deep and unwavering commitment to making wellness and self-expression more accessible to all.
Yiwen Tao
Chair & Executive Director
Yiwen Tao is a community-based birth worker, counselor-in-training, and nonprofit leader dedicated to nurturing spaces of care, connection, and collective resilience. As the founder and Executive Director of IYOWS, she leads with a deep commitment to mental health equity, culturally responsive care, and storytelling as a tool for healing and empowerment.
Drawing from her lived experience as a Chinese Canadian mother and her background in doula work, psychology, and group facilitation, Yiwen designs and delivers inclusive programs that support immigrant and equity-deserving families across Greater Victoria. Her work bridges traditional wisdom and trauma-informed practice, with a strong grounding in narrative therapy, cultural somatics, community building, and transformative justice.
Whether leading parent groups, multicultural early education initiatives, or community-based mental health workshops, Yiwen centers empathy, relationality, and decolonial ethics in all that she does. She is currently completing her graduate training in counseling and is developing a therapeutic framework called Affective-Narrative Therapy to further her vision of accessible, story-centered mental health care.
Lucy Liang
Program Coordinator
Lucy Liang is a youth leader, community organizer, and content creator with a passion for storytelling and mental wellness. As Program Coordinator for the In Your Own Words Wellness Society, she helps design and run programs that support youth and equity-deserving communities through storytelling, connection, and creative expression.
In addition to her role at IYOWS, Lucy serves as the President of the City of Victoria Youth Council, where she leads projects that empower youth to have a say in local governance. She is also a varsity athlete, social entrepreneur, and beauty creator, using her platform to encourage confidence and self-expression among young people.
Harry Minaker
Director of Communications
Harry Minaker is a retired business owner with a professional background in communications and data-driven software services for the corporate sector. Now serving as Director of Communications for IYOWS, Harry brings both strategic insight and heartfelt dedication to amplifying the voices of newcomers and equity-deserving communities.
This new chapter of service is more than a role—it’s a meaningful challenge that fuels his ongoing personal growth and deepens his commitment to building an inclusive society. Having been profoundly enriched by his relationships within international communities, Harry is passionate about creating spaces where stories are shared, cultures are honoured, and mutual learning can thrive.
Jerry Shi
Board Director
Jerry Shi brings a unique blend of analytical expertise and heartfelt community engagement to his role as a Board Director with IYOWS. With a background in supply chain analytics and finance system project management, Jerry has spent his career bridging business and technology to create systems that support both efficiency and human well-being. Currently working in the supplement industry, Jerry is passionate about holistic health—particularly in addressing “sub-health” experiences and supporting individuals in building sustainable wellness practices.
Outside of his professional life, Jerry has a long-standing commitment to volunteerism and advocacy. As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, he is deeply invested in creating inclusive, healing-centered spaces where people feel safe, seen, and celebrated.
Jerry was introduced to IYOWS by his best friend and fellow board member Yiwen. He was drawn to the organization’s mission of cultural storytelling, intergenerational healing, and community-based education. Initiatives like ancestral remembrance ceremonies and multilingual parenting workshops resonated deeply with his own values and lived experience.
As a board member, Jerry is excited to support the organization’s strategic growth while helping it remain rooted in multicultural care and emotional wellness. For him, IYOWS is a space where every story matters—and he is delighted to be part of that vision.