Run it Like a Girl

For Dr. Kearn the idea of a work / life balance doesn’t really exist as she says they have been intertwined since her daughter was born during her undergraduate degree. In this episode Jodi talks about the importance of mentorship and why being a mentor is such a fundamentally important aspect of her life. 

Ainka Jess is an avid sports fan and became concerned with the decreased involvement of girls in sports when they reached their early teens.  On top of that Ainka was hearing from women who reported being shut-out of any sports-related discussion where men were involved. 
In response, Ainka formed She’s4sports, an organization that advocates for more equitable  representation of women in sports, by, among other things, profiling women involved in a wide variety of sport related careers. In this episode Ainka talks about speaking out when you see an issue, and not feeling like you have to wait for that perfect moment. 

Dr. Marlene Bagatto is an audiologist at the National Centre for Audiology at Western University in London, Ontario where she spends most of her time in the child amplification lab. Dr. Bagatto’s specific research is focused is on fitting babies for hearing aids, which is something that should happen as soon as possible after a problem is detected.

Dr. Bagatto says her work can be all consuming, and she says finding an appropriate work-life balance can be a challenge, but is something that everyone should learn how to manage. 

In this episode, Dr. Bagatto discusses her fascinating research, the importance of mentorship, and the mentors who have helped in her own career. Dr. Bagatto also shares some advice for those who are looking to find their own voices, and the importance of never downplaying your successes to anyone.

Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan had two challenges as she progressed through student leadership at Memorial University in her home province of Newfoundland. Not only was she female, but Ann Marie was always the youngest. She started university at 16 and ran for student government in her third year.  By the age of 21, Ann Marie had advanced through to president of the largest student union in Atlantic Canada, the third woman to hold that role.

Ann Marie is now the president of Loyalist College in Belleville, Ontario following a 5-year stint as the president and CEO of Newfoundland’s College of the North Atlantic. Her advice to young people:  take opportunities, don’t be afraid of failure, and seek out mentors.

Betsey Chung is the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for TD Canadian Banking, but her career path has been anything but a straight line. Following her graduation from the University of Toronto Betsey worked for a time in Canada and then headed to the United Kingdom to work as a consultant with KPMG.

While in the UK Betsey got her Masters of Business Administration from the London School of Business. Once back in Canada she entered the corporate world, working in executive roles with American Express and BMO before joining TD.

Betsey says she had to find her voice in the corporate world, and believes in cultivating an open and trusting environment within her team, where all voices are heard.

Hannah Taylor was only 5 when she saw a homeless man searching for food in a dumpster on a cold winter day in her hometown of Winnipeg. Even at that young age, the experience was so profound for Hannah, that she began fundraising to help out.

By the age of 8, she had formed the LadyBug Foundation, a non-profit organization aimed at fighting homelessness and poverty. At 22, Hannah’s foundation has raised around 4-million-dollars to support shelters, missions, and food banks across the country.

For her work, Hannah has received an International Humanitarian Award and a Governor General’s Award. On this episode of Run It Like a Girl Hannah gives some sound advice to young people wanting to make change, she talks about why young women need to put more trust in their abilities and why not being able to do a front roll isn’t the end of the world.

Sevaun Palvetzian heads up Civic Action, an independent organization in Toronto that uses a collaborative approach to come up with solutions to some of the most pressing urban challenges. Civic Action has been around for nearly 15 years, starting as a Toronto-specific city building organization and expanding to cover the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas. CivicAction is considered to be the premier civic engagement organization in the country.

Following her achievement of a Masters in American History, Sevaun left Canada for an internship in Washington DC, where she worked with a program called Presidential Classroom. And what started as a 4-month internship, turned into a four year adventure in the American capital.

On this episode of Run It Like a Girl, Sevaun talks about her very first and most valuable mentors - her parents.  She gives some tips on how to find your voice and make sure you own your seat at the table, whether it be a kitchen table, classroom table or boardroom table. 

Making the transition from the military to civilian life can be challenging in the best of circumstances.  But for those suffering from the physical and mental scars of their service to Canada making that transition can be a mountainous challenge.

That’s where Megan McDonald and the True Patriot Love Foundation come into play. The not-for-profit fundraising organization supports currently serving members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families.

Megan is in charge of fundraising for the foundation’s major expeditions, where ill and injured veterans are paired with business and community leaders for epic adventures, including a recent trek to Mount Everest.