20 Under 40: Joseph Pazzano
Meet Joseph Pazzano, 34, executive director, student wellness, accessibility and belonging at Fanshawe College and one of our 20 Under 40 Class of 2026 recipients
A SEASONED EQUITY, diversity and inclusion strategist, licensed attorney and educator, Joseph Pazzano has built a reputation for advancing bold, community-informed EDI strategies that dismantle systemic barriers and drive institutional change. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, he has worked across corporate, workers’ rights and appellate settings, and under his guidance, he has helped to transform Fanshawe College into a national leader in EDI, launching the college’s first-ever EDI Strategy, growing the team and budget exponentially, and helping Fanshawe earn a spot on Forbes’ list of Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity.
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What is your biggest career achievement so far, or the thing that you’re most proud of?
Diversity, equity and inclusion have become ‘bad’ words that organizations are retreating from, but the only failure is to give in to the voices that say this work isn’t worth doing. I’ve come to believe that being in equity work, advancing a culture of inclusion and human rights, is an act of resistance in these challenging times. For me, I’ve had lots of proud moments in my career, but I’m most proud of still being visibly and authentically in that fight.
“I’ve come to believe that being in equity work, advancing a culture of inclusion and human rights, is an act of resistance in these challenging times”
What is your biggest career ambition?
My only career goal is to make the biggest impact for the biggest number of people. So much of what we face as a society right now requires a commitment to transformative change. We have to rethink how we work, how we treat each other, how we dismantle systems that haven’t worked and rebuild them better, stronger and more people-centered.
When you’re not working, what are you most passionate about?
My four-year-old golden retriever Bartlet, named after President Bartlet of The West Wing. The most mindless reality television shows possible — currently Traitors is occupying lots of my time. Getting out hiking or on the water as much as possible. Watching and playing tennis. I could talk about the Williams sisters all day, every day!
If you couldn’t work in your current field, and money was no object, what job would you have?
I would open a bakery that served only butter tarts — butter tarts of all different flavours, but no raisins. Raisins ruin butter tarts!
What’s left for you to do, professionally or personally?
More dogs! Another Berner, more goldens, a sheepdog, a duck tolling retriever — I don’t ask for much! My husband tells me we can’t have more than one dog until we retire. I’m working on him, and I think I’m making progress. 
Interview by Kieran Delamont / Photos by Reid Lucier