::: ngomaproductions.com

about aisha wickham thomas
Through her communications consulting practice, ngoma productions, Aisha Wickham Thomas specializes in corporate communications, project management, marketing strategy, business plan development, copyediting, speechwriting, event planning and grant proposal writing.

With a specialty in the areas of urban music & culture, new media and broadcasting, Aisha's client list includes radio stations FLOW 93.5 (Toronto), 91.7 The Bounce (Edmonton) and 91.5 The Beat (Kitchener), the City of Hamilton, Centennial College, PhemPhat Productions (producers of the annual Honey Jam concert), R&B artist Gary Beals, Reggae artist Nana McLean, Jazz producer and musician Eddie Bullen, Canadian Idol judge Farley Flex, music industry icon Ivan Berry, award-winning DJ Baby Yu, platinum music producer Marcus Kane, Jazz legend Archie Alleyne and many others.

Aisha is an active leader in Canada's music industry and a well-respected advisor on issues relating to the youth demographic. In addition to running ngoma productions, she is the Executive Director of the Canadian Independent Recording Artists' Association (CIRAA), a national not-for-profit association exclusively representing Canadian independent recording artists. Serving over 4,000 members across Canada, CIRAA's mandate is focused on advocacy, education and member services.

As part of the management team at FLOW 93.5 since its inception in 2001, Aisha played key roles in the new media, programming and promotions departments. She was also responsible for the station’s community relations initiatives.

From 2004 to 2006, Aisha was Executive Director of the Urban Music Association of Canada (UMAC), a national member-driven, not-for-profit industry organization. In this role, she worked to promote the domestic and international profile of Canadian urban music and organized networking and professional development opportunities for members of the music and entertainment industry. She also oversaw the organization's nationally-televised annual Canadian Urban Music Awards.

Formerly an Economic Development Officer with the City of Toronto, Aisha has a keen interest in designing and implementing strategies that support the advancement Toronto's music, technology, new media and broadcasting industries.

As part of the Creative Cities Leadership team, a group of 20 leaders from the arts, cultural and government sectors, Aisha was part of a business development delegation put together by the provincial and municipal governments from 2004-2006 to advise Toronto on ways to reach its economic potential by engaging the creative industries. She helped to write the final report entitled Imagine a Toronto.

An active member of her community, Aisha volunteered as a teacher/mentor from 1992-2002 with the African Canadian Heritage Association, a Saturday program focusing on African history and culture. She has also taught an introductory broadcasting course at Centennial College's Centre for Creative Communications.

Aisha is the recipient of the 2002 National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment (NABFEME) Award for "Behind the Scenes Executive of the Year", the 1999 Canadian New Media Award for "Outstanding Young Woman" and the national Harry Jerome Award for leadership (1993).

Aisha holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts degree in Radio & Television Arts from Ryerson University.