He completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography at Emily Carr University and is a working artist, spending most of his professional life in camera roles in the motion picture industry. He grew up surrounded by politics, with politically active parents who demonstrated it was possible to raise a family while participating in organized advocacy, primarily pro-peace and environmental.

Throughout his life, Ishi has gotten involved in advocacy of his own whenever possible, getting elected as a student to sit on Emily Carr University’s Board of Governors and later joining the Vancouver School Board’s District Parental Advisory Council (DPAC). He has spent nearly the last 10 years as a member of DPAC, six of them as a general member and the last three as an Executive Member at-Large. This decade of experience with the VSB gives Ishi a unique and informed perspective of issues facing our education system, and knowledge of how the VSB functions, which will allow him to understand and properly address such issues.

Ishi believes in strong, thriving public education in Vancouver as the knowledge students learn now becomes a tool in their futures. He is passionate about student wellbeing and believes every learner should feel safe enough to be their whole self at school. He also believes we have a responsibility to protect and improve upon school land and other public assets for generations to come. Healthy public schools must meet the diverse needs of our communities, and Dinim will work to ensure that they have the right staff, resources, and supports to meet the learning needs of every student.

Ishi is drawn to the Vancouver Liberals because they welcome people with different political perspectives and reflect the diversity of our city. He believes that when a city has residents of so many varied backgrounds, collaborative work is essential in finding solutions for the issues that affect us all.

Outside of work and community involvement, Ishi enjoys gardening, cooking, strategy games, and staying fit. He rents a home in Arbutus Ridge with his wife and their two teenage daughters.