Shakhlo Sharipova is a parent and proud resident of the Thorncliffe Park neighbourhood in Toronto and the founder of the Thorncliffe Park Autism Support Network (TPASN), a grassroots organization that aims to act as a bridge between society and families by providing culturally competent and evidence-based collaborative education, support and information sharing. She is passionate about enabling access for families to available programs and services and, as a community ambassador for the Reach for Change group, she connects residents to local organizations.

Shakhlo is also an advocate for the inclusion and equity of people living with disabilities. She helps newcomer women settle in Canadian society and supports a network of families who have children with special needs by organizing events and activities. She has extensive experience in project management and fundraising with one of her proudest moments being when she helped provide equipment to open a social cafe in Tajikistan that employs young adults on the autism spectrum. Shakhlo holds a medical degree and her personal interests are clinical psychology and baking.