Lynn Kobayashi

Lynn Deutscher Kobayashi is an intergenerational connector, passionate about community building and the enriching relationships that develop when working towards meaningful causes. She is a third generation (sansei) Japanese Canadian and president of the Greater Toronto Chapter, National Association of Japanese Canadians (Toronto NAJC). She is past-vice-president of the NAJC and past-chair of its human rights committee which she currently sits on. She is a founding member of the Asian Canadian Women’s Alliance. Her father Bill Kobayashi was Toronto NAJC President from 1986-1988. Lynn was in the House of Commons with her parents, sister and son on September 22nd, 1988 when the historic redress agreement was announced. 

She has a fine-arts degree and digital media management and business communications diplomas which she has utilized professionally and as a volunteer in diverse non-profit settings including education, healthcare, community services and social justice. A creative solution seeker, activist and athlete, she placed third in her age-group at the 2007 Boston Marathon and has held Canadian age-group and provincial records in distances from the mile to marathon.

Now retired, Lynn continues her commitment to change. Her mantra as a community organizer is to “turn good intentions into results”. Most recently she conceived of and was executive lead for a milestone human rights symposium organized by the Toronto NAJC celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the NJCCA-NAJC. She’s been a volunteer at OXFAM Canada, Fred Victor and team lead for a Syrian refugee sponsor group through the Lifeline Syria program.  Lynn got the Ethiopian community in Toronto running when she organized their participation in a fundraising run now into its 10th year. From 2011-2015 she and husband Pat Deutscher founded and chaired a fundraising gala to benefit AIDS orphans and traveled to Ethiopia to see the impact of the funds raised. They have one adult son.