The Pivot with Ken Evans

True diversity and inclusion are about genuinely listening to others while unlearning negative stereotypes towards certain people groups that society presented us with. We sat down and spoke with trans advocates and educators Angel Glady and Virgin Mariana Cortes from The Milkshake Sisters to learn more about what inspired them to launch their LGBTQ2S+ training program.

When thinking about initiatives to foster a more diverse and inclusive workplace, it's promising to see that it's become more of a priority for brands and organizations. The ongoing conversation of DEI will only lead to tangible change – and we remain optimistic it will lead to more representation of diverse voices.

In this episode of The Pivot, we chat with Cam Gordon, head of communications at Twitter Canada, and founder of The Communicators Collective. We're also joined by Oindrila Hazra, a member of the collective and communications manager of Softchoice. Tune in to hear the discussion on DEI in communications, the need for diversifying who we communicate to, and how driving inclusion can empower employees. Plus, Oindrila shares her hard fought journey to landing a job in communications after immigrating to Canada from India.

Founded in 2020, The Communicators Collective is based on the need to better reflect the diversity of our country in terms of its culture, demographics, and geography in our sector. The collective is also fostering open access to tools, networking opportunities, and dialogue among communicators from all levels and background.

Representation matters. No matter what industry, having diverse voices and leaders shows there's a path to leadership for all. When it comes to mentorship, there's a ton of value in having young professionals of diverse backgrounds having a mentor who looks like them and may have shared similar experiences. And for this to happen, we need platforms that bring people together to share their experiences, especially in a time where we may feel more disconnected from our peers more than ever.

In our first episode of Season 5 of The Pivot, we're joined by Daanish Ahamed, Founder of PR Ramp, to discuss the inspiration behind PR Ramp, creating its flagship mentorship program and the importance of having diverse voices speak about their experiences to up and coming communications students.

PR Ramp, a Toronto-based public relations association helping students and recent grads jump start their career in communications. Founded in the summer of 2020, PR Ramp's flagship mentorship program connects newcomers with communication practitioners for a one-hour session over Zoom.

In the spirit of staying connected to the wider world (as we continue to stay put in our ever-shrinking 'bubbles'), Ken re-tells his story of a recent online purchase from Nigeria-based menswear line, Russell Solomon. The customer experience from the brand was both unusual and exceptional – what started out as a purchase from the website, resulted in a conversation via Instagram DMs between Ken and the team at Russell Solomon.

Today, Russell Solomon founder, Gabriel Ugochukwu, joins on us on this episode of The Pivot. Tune in to hear about the initial meeting between Gabriel and Ken, establishing the Russell Solomon aesthetic and how it has evolved overtime, and the inspiration behind the new Russell Solomon collection, AFLOAT.

In this episode, Ken is joined by his friend and Toronto-based actor Oscar Moreno.

As an actor, Oscar has juggled multiple side gigs in between auditions – something very common in the entertainment industry. Tune in to hear his stories on the realities of juggling side hustles since moving to Canada from Columbia, his acting career, auditions in the COVID era and his hopes in seeing more Latin and queer actors cast in leading roles.

Oscar appears in the film Stage Mother starring Adrian Grenier and Jackie Weaver, now available on Amazon Prime.

There's a lot to consider when going through the home buying process, one of the most significant being location. Location not only impacts price, and the scale of the investment, but also quality of life. So how can technology play a role in the decision making process when it comes to enhancing our quality of life? After all, technology has transformed the way in which real estate is build, bought and sold.

In this episode, we're joined by Vincent-Charles Hodder, co-founder and CEO of Local Logic, and head of marketing, Jillian Ruiz. Local Logic is a real estate AI company providing an innovative approach to buying and selling by applying location based data and algorithms to change the way cities are built and real estate decisions are made. Tune in to hear our discussion on Canadian real estate in the pandemic era, infrastructure and its impact on local businesses, and factors in a neighbourhood that contribute to our quality of life.

Today, marketers are being stretched like never before. Not only are they trying to sustain brand relevance in this crisis, but they are now tasked with navigating entrenched social issues that no campaign will ever do justice to.

But if we look to generation Z, and even generation alpha, there is some hope. Generation Z are confident creators and less burdened with self-conscious expression, but for this potential to blossom, they need the financial independence and liberty to truly unleash their creativity, business savviness and activism.

In this episode of The Pivot, we're joined by Sabaa Quao, Co-founder at Wealthie Works Daily, to discuss the shifting consumer mindset in the midst of the pandemic, how the digitization of money count present risks to younger generations and the need for persistent and consistent financial literacy.

Well before the COVID-19 pandemic, education technology was gaining rapid influence with educators, policy makers, students and parents. Now, in the midst of an unpredictable pandemic, the relevance of the sector has exploded globally.

The pandemic has accelerated the need for a virtual learning experience across all levels of education. In this episode, we're joined by Nick Stein, CMO of Top Hat, to discuss online education in the COVID-19 era, creating engaging educational content and how the education technology sector as a whole is keeping up with the demand of a virtual platform to enhance the learning experience overall.

As a society, we have spent considerable time lamenting the brutal impact the coronavirus has had on specific sectors - and there's a lot to lament. One key industry that has been reeling is the arts and entertainment industry. The television and movie production sectors in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal have been dormant since March. Theaters have been empty, and actors have nowhere to perform, let alone audition, and we're all the poor, emotionally and intellectually, as a result.

In this episode, we're joined by Toronto-based actor and writer Nicole Nwokolo. Tune in to hear Nicole discuss the current landscape of the film industry, along with systemic racism and navigating a career in a pandemic.

The growth of eCommerce has been immense during the pandemic. From retail to alcohol, online sales have skyrocketed to all time highs, leaving many organizations scrambling to keep up.

In this episode, Corina Pardo of Sombrero Latin Foods discusses the logistical challenges her team faced while shifting their business from supplying restaurants, to delivering their products directly to consumers through a revamped e-commerce platform.