In this episode, Sara Austin illustrates her fierce commitment to protecting the rights of children to survive and thrive. She discusses the need to unite for the sake of our children, noting there is a need for the nation to raise a nation, even in Canada. According to Sara, the formula for a healthy childhood is to show them that they can "be" themselves, that they belong, and becoming starts now. She encourages youth and all leaders to take calculated risks knowing that life has an inherent safety net around us, and that it is okay to continue to raise the bar higher, to keep going and to contribute to what lights you on fire. 

Sara Austin is a world class champion for human rights, with more than 25 years of experience advocating for the rights of women and kids in Canada and on the global stage. As the Founder and CEO of Children First Canada, she currently leads a national movement to make Canada the best place in the world for kids to grow up. 

Sara’s work has taken her into the top circles of power in the United Nations, national governments, and boardrooms around the world, leading highly successful advocacy, public awareness and philanthropic campaigns and shaped major public policy efforts. 

Her leadership has impacted the lives of millions of children. Most notably, she led a global campaign that resulted in the UN General Assembly adopting the UN Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child for a Communications Procedure (OP3). 

Sara has led the creation of the Canadian Children’s Charter – a plan by children, for children, to ensure the protection of their rights; launched the Young Canadians’ Parliament to give children a voice at the highest levels of government; and created the Raising Canada report, released annually to put a spotlight on the top 10 threats to childhood and mobilize Canadians to take action. 

In recognition of her leadership and impact, Sara has twice been awarded the Top 25 Women of Influence, and in 2017 she was the youngest person to be inducted into the Top 100 Most Powerful Women Hall of Fame. She was also a finalist in RBC’s Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards and was one of 100 inductees into the Government of Canada’s Women of Impact in Canada. 

Sara holds an MSt/LLM with Distinction in International Human Rights Law from Oxford and an Honours BA in International Development and Women’s Studies from Dalhousie University. She has completed the Governance Essentials Program for Non-Profits with the Institute of Corporate Directors, the Maytree Foundation’s Public Policy Program and the University of Alberta’s Indigenous Partnerships Program. 

In this episode, Megan Rafuse shares pivotal life and leadership moments that shaped where she is today in both business and life. With courage and a "why not" mindset, she discusses the stages, reasons and seasons she experienced and continues to navigate as a CEO bridging and building the intersection of tech and mental health, as well as a mother, a proud ADHDer, and a woman. With a strong sense of community to thrive, she authentically discusses the importance of having alignment to self, she breaks down the notion of a progression noodle, and taking imperfect actions. 

Megan Rafuse is a leading voice in mental health, a seasoned therapist, and the CEO and Co-Founder of Shift Collab, Canada’s largest clinician-led therapy practice. With over 14 years of experience, she’s built a nationally recognized brand that champions therapists, prioritizes client care, and redefines what modern mental healthcare can look like. Megan is also a sought-after speaker and trusted media contributor, known for bringing honesty, heart, and humour to conversations about leadership, ADHD, motherhood, and the realities of the messy middle. In 2023, she was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by WXN, received the Lakehead University Exceptional Alumni Award, and saw Shift Collab win Tech4SickKids' Most Philanthropic Start-Up. 

In this episode, Chantal Carter shares how her love for fashion turned into a journey towards representation to love who you are in your skin regardless of its tone. With a mission to love the self, own your story, and to empower black women with their breast health, Ms. Carter walks us through her entrepreneurship journey, inclusive of the unexpected inflection points, the need to remain curious, the importance of managing her energies, and to stay grounded in faith. Ms. Carter states 'slow is sexy' recognizing when it is okay to slow down or stop, even when it is uncomfortable, and that fits within her definition of success. 

Chantal Carter, a fashion industry veteran of 20+ years, serves as a Wardrobe Stylist, Image Consultant, and magazine Style Director. As a marketing professor and member of Centennial College's Fashion Business and Management Program Advisory Committee since 2020, she actively shapes the curriculum to align with industry trends. Recognized by Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, former MP Celina Ceasar-Chavannes, and the Brampton Board of Trade, Chantal is acknowledged for her impactful business contributions. Driven by a passion for uplifting women of color, she founded Love & Nudes—a diverse skin tone intimates line that transcends fashion, fostering a social movement celebrating diversity. Chantal advocates for accessible apparel, cosmetics, and wellness products, emphasizing representation for people of colour in health and education. Featured in media outlets such as The Toronto Star, CBC, City Line, CTV News, Buzzfeed, and Elle Magazine, Chantal continues to champion inclusivity on major media platforms.

In this episode, Dr. Samra Zafar stores her story of courage, fear, and facing choices in the context of domestic violence, gender-based oppression, and pursuing education and a new life for herself and her two daughters. She discusses how choice is your superpower, and taking courageous steps leads to bold results. Samra breaks down her three pillars of courage, and talks about the importance of solitude to listen to your own voice. Her main message is the courage you seek is within you already.

Dr. Samra Zafar is an award-winning, internationally renowned speaker, physician, author, and educator. She has been recognized among the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada, the Top 25 Most Inspirational Women in Canada, and the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants. Her book A Good Wife: Escaping the Life I Never Chose, based on her journey of escaping an abusive child marriage to pursue her freedom, sheds light on gender-based oppression and was a national bestseller and a CBC Best Book.

One of the youngest alumnae to serve as governor at the University of Toronto, she is currently on the board of the Women’s College Hospital Foundation and a celebrated ambassador for Plan International. She is also the founder and executive director of Brave Beginnings, a national charity that provides mentorship to women who have escaped abuse. Her work has impacted millions and has been extensively featured in national and global media.

Zafar’s speaking portfolio includes four successful TEDx Talks and engagements with leading organizations worldwide. Her second book, Unconditional: Break Through Past Limits to Transform Your Future, releasing on February 18, 2025, provides science-based strategies grounded in lived experience to help readers overcome limiting beliefs and create fuller, more meaningful lives.

In this episode, Jay Rosales shares his passions for blogging, fantasy sports, telling jokes and statistics. He details how, over time, he was able to combine his passions for sports, especially basketball, within the city he loves. Whether he is writing, podcasting or in the media, Jay's goal is to create an emotional connection with the listener. As such, Jay shares what worked for him within his communications and marketing career; that is, to make it memorable and to build relationships with others. To Jay, its never too late to find your passions and its important to balance work and life. In this way, Jay can take a "task" or a "job" and turn it into an engaged culture.

Jay Rosales is a Senior Manager in Digital Marketing at Scotiabank. He's been with the bank for over 9 years and is currently managing a team of 5 Developers. Jay is a 3-time recipient of Scotia's Best of the Best award, which recognizes the bank's top performers during the fiscal year. In his spare time, Jay spends has a side hustle as a Writer and Podcaster for Raptors HQ, a Toronto Raptors blog. As a credentialed media member, he can often be found at Scotiabank Arena covering a Raptors game. Jay has been married to his high school sweetheart, Rina, for over 17 years. They have two daughters - Summer (14) and Ella (11) - and a dog, Mochi, all of whom make him feel young and old at the same time!

In this episode, Rahim Thawer (he/him) discusses the lulls and lows of leadership, and his relationship to misery.  He discusses his approach, and that of his mentors, to 'confront the lack' and to challenge the notion of 'always be doing' sense of achievement. He shares his journey with writing and his aims to create new reference points while confronting shifting dynamics as a social worker with lived and marginalized experiences. His goals with producing scholarship are to bring a queer and racialized view to the field of social work, recognizing there is another view to who is in the room and how things can be done. He discusses drivers of change and systemic arguments he explored when reflecting on the painful cycles he has endured and the sustainability of them, such as those towards alcoholism. He and I discuss the valuation of the self, taking care of your future self, and the power of organizational development group and family theories to address distribution of power, group dynamics and identity.

Rahim Thawer (he/him) is a racialized, queer social worker who works as an instructor, psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, consultant, public speaker, podcast host, and writer. He calls Toronto home and currently teaches at The University of Alabama. His approaches to teaching, writing and clinical practice continually explore the intersection of mental health and systemic oppression. He has a particular interest in examining innovation in queer relationships and exploring how anti-racist, queer-affirming psychoanalytic frameworks can support social workers, training therapists, and organizational leaders. Visit LadyAtivan.com to learn how Rahim raises awareness about mental health, substance use, community building, and queer relationships. 

In this episode, Suzanne Zandbergen share her passion for social media platforms as a medium to spread positivity into community and with local businesses. She discusses how new connections and perspectives can be found with audiences using social media marketing by focusing on a Founder's story or that of the many faces of the business. To Suzanne, there is no need to be perfect to share your authentic self and to make a human connection. At its basic level, human nature is about communicating and that is what social platforms are creating. By doing what she loves and is good at, Suzanne shares in her experience of creating magical moments with other entrepreneurs at social gatherings and events, and now after a decade of being an entrepreneur herself. Suzanne send the message that if you are using social platforms for good, go check out its new features and do not fear them, stating 'you can't wreck the internet'.   

Suzanne Zandbergen is the founder of The Generator, a prominent local social media marketing agency. With over 20 years of advertising, writing, sales and social media marketing experience,  Suzanne knows how to create campaigns and social media posts that will generate an engaged audience for businesses and organizations. In 2015, she co-founded the Hamilton Fempreneurs, a network of local women entrepreneurs, which has since grown to over 7,000 members. 

In this episode, Dr. Hsien Seow discusses the power of collective action and social change to drive ripple effects in the palliative care system. He shares his experiences with palliative care from an early age, defines what it is, why and how he remains committed to the field today. Dr. Seow speaks about the role of hope during the palliative process, as well as power and knowledge dynamics intertwined within healthcare system drivers which, unfortunately, is often experienced as the lack of continuity of care by many.  We discuss what can lead to change within the complex health system, the use of a patient's "CV", and honing in on and developing leadership skills have during these times, reinforcing the patient and the family are not invisible players in the process.

Dr. Seow is the Canada Research Chair in Palliative Care and Health System Innovation and a professor in the Department of Oncology at McMaster University. He publishes health care research focused on improving the patient and family experience for those facing serious illness. He is the coauthor of Hope for the best, Plan for the rest: 7 keys for navigating a life-changing diagnosis and the cohost of the podcast, The Waiting Room Revolution.

In this episode, Co-Founders Anika Chabra & Jennifer Siripong Mandel discuss their company Root & Seed and its mission to end the loss of tradition. As a social enterprise advancing intergenerational and culturally sensitive work, both Jennifer and Anika share what digging deep means to them and how the richness of their histories and its stories, along with those of the families they engage with, led them to where they are now both personally and professionally. While honouring the past and nurturing the future, the Co-Founders remind the audience to never stop exploring the past, to evolve, listen and lead without a solution in mind. Anika and Jennifer offer insight into the ongoing development of their start-up, noting there is value in purpose, feedback, perseverance, being grounded, and celebrating successes.

Anika Chabra & Jennifer Siripong Mandel are founders of Root & Seed, a startup disrupting the culture and preservation space.  After working in advertising for two decades and together for five years, they were motivated by very different reasons to rediscover their cultural roots and came together to harness the age-old power of storytelling with intuitive technology to help people claim, honour, and document their unique family stories and traditions. Two years into their entrepreneurial journey, Root & Seed has expanded to include The Root & Seed Podcast, a mobile web app, and physical products. In addition, Root & Seed is entering the B2B consulting space, and Anika & Jennifer are advocates for inclusivity in the workplace, having often been the only women of colour in boardrooms and workspaces.

In this episode, Sana Askari unveils the many struggles she was faced with as an Afghan women, which makes  Afghan women beautifully resilient. She speaks to her journey and the risks she took and continues to take to resist the societal and gender norms to not give up and disappear. Sana discusses how education is the key to not lose a generation to darkness and how important it is to continue to amplify the voices of Afghan women so the world does not forget them. It is worth it to Sana to stand for her rights, and that for other Afghan women, and face the consequences. Sana shares how drawing became a form of self care in time when she needed - like many leaders do - to take a break from the fight and push through on your own. 

Sana Askari  was born in Ghazni Province of Afghanistan, but grew up as a refugee in Quetta, Pakistan.  She founded Esheel Stitching Circle – a social enterprise that primary employs home-restricted and vulnerable women thereby helping these women to continue sending their children to school both in Afghanistan and in refugee-settling areas in Quetta. She represented Afghanistan at the 2022 Global Summit organized by Fora: Network for Change in Canada in November 2022. Sana is one of the founders of UNESCO Youth and AI Ethics Steering Committee, and now a first year student and Dorsey Scholar recipient at McDaniel College. She is pursuing a dual major in Political Science and Business Administration.