Building 21

On Doubt in Dance: A Conversation with Marisa Pauloni, Professeure de danse classique Les Studios Grands Ballet

Read in English here: www.building21.ca/podcast-articles/on-doubt-in-dance-a-conversation-with-marisa-pauloni

Marisa spent fifteen years developing her career as a professional classical and contemporary dancer. A graduate of the École Supérieure de Danse du Québec in 1995, she received honors twice during her training. Upon completing her studies, she was awarded two consecutive development grants—one from the Consulate General of France and the other from the Rosella Hightower International Dance Centre. She then landed her first one-year contract as a soloist with the Volkstheater Rostock in Germany.

After three years working as an independent artist, Marisa joined Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal (GBC) in 2000, where she built a successful career until June 2010. She then became ballet mistress for the internationally renowned company Lalala Human Steps and is regularly invited to teach by Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal.

Her classes focus on helping dancers refine their technique while nurturing their full potential for artistic expression.

Featuring: Marisa Pauloni, Professeure de danse classique, Les Studios Grands Ballet

What Happens When a University Shuts Down Its Most Creative Space?

The biggest thank you to everyone at CKUT Radio for making this possible.

Full credits: CKUT 90.3 FM & Karla Stephan

Article here: www.building21.ca/podcast-articles/the-distance-between-panels-mtl-cartoonist-michel-hellman

Michel Hellman, McConnell Professor of practice, is a comic book artist, illustrator and art teacher. He is the author of several graphic novels and has participated in numerous residencies and exhibitions. He is interested in the relationship between urban space and comics and, is currently working on a collaborative research and creation project with the CIRM to create a “cartographic" graphic novel focusing on different Montreal neighborhoods and detailing the experiences of their residents.

About "I'm Not Sure"

Co-hosted by: Ollivier Dyens & Anita Parmar

Canadian VC veteran Jim de Wilde talks to Ollivier and special co-host, Anita Parmar, about how history may guide future innovation.

Throughout his career as an educator and venture capitalist, Dr. Jim de Wilde has focused on the issues of global competitiveness and the commercialization of knowledge through activities in both the private sector and the public sector.   Since the early 1990's, Dr. de Wilde has also been involved in venture capital activities as President of JdW Strategic Ventures.    

In his venture capital activities, Dr. de Wilde served on the Investment Committee of iNovia Capital in Montreal and has been involved in the development of Canadian venture capital capacity since the 1990s.

In his teaching activities, he has been on the faculty of the University Of Western Ontario School Of Business (now Ivey) and the Faculty of Management at McGill University.  He has also taught venture capital strategies at the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto. He has a PhD in political science from McGill with a dissertation focusing on the Canadian public policy process and competitiveness in technology sectors. He continues his engagement with global education and selective venture capital opportunities primarily in sustainability innovation.

About "I'm Not Sure"

Co-hosted by: Ollivier Dyens & Anita Parmar

Last month, Dr. Norman B. Sandridge gave an exquisite talk at Building 21 on the topic 'Can we truly lead without the humanities?'. 

The talk was so good that we decided to share it as a podcast! The handout he prepared for the 2026 Mila-B21 Fellowship cohort can also be found below.

"Dr. Norman Sandridge is an Associate Professor of Classics in the Political Science Department at Howard University and co-founder of Kallion Leadership, an organization dedicated to designing and developing learning communities for those committed to leadership development through the study of the humanities.

He is also the author of Rise of the Benevolent Octopus: On the Conditions and Practices of Leadership Development, which introduces the metaphor of the “Benevolent Octopus” as a model for cultivating humane and intellectually generous leadership."

Handout here

Read the article on building21.ca here.

In this episode of "I’m Not Sure?", produced at Building 21 at McGill University, science fiction writer Alexander Weinstein reimagines fiction structured by hope, joy, pure celebration.

About "I'm Not Sure"

Co-hosted by: Ollivier Dyens & Isabella Chiaravallotti

Read the article in English here.

In this episode of "I’m Not Sure?", produced at Building 21 at McGill University, literary historian Frédéric Charbonneau reflects on a life shaped by curiosity and doubt.

About "I'm Not Sure"

Co-hosted by: Ollivier Dyens & Isabella Chiaravallotti

Every story need a listener. Going from personal trauma healing to building a more peaceful and just society.

In March, we had the pleasure of a talk from Michael Lapsley, founder of the Institute for Healing of Memories in South Africa. Here we present the introduction of his talk; for the whole event, including questions from students, please visit our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxtHb7K3bPw

In part 1 of this series, we discussed what it means for a human to grow up. But we're not the only organisms who develop and grow older. And some of the others have much more extreme changes in their lives than even the most awkward of adolescences.

Dr. Morgan Jackson and Viola H. Ruzzier discuss insect development, memory, and what growing up means for this very different group of beings.