Kelsey Hogan (BPhil'16) is an ultramarathon trail runner and mental performance consultant who has recently returned from Europe after completing the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc — a 171-kilometre race that crosses Italy, Switzerland and France. 

Originally from Newfoundland, Kelsey has called Fredericton home since she was a student at UNB. She graduated in 2016 with a bachelor of philosophy in interdisciplinary leadership and psychology from UNB’s Renaissance College, and has also completed a master of science in kinesiology in sport psychology at Dalhousie University. She is currently working toward accreditation as a mental performance consultant.  

Kelsey, in addition to training and running professionally, is exploring the factors that influence the performance and well-being of endurance athletes, teams, and coaches. Host Katie Davey (BA’17) chats with her about being an active member of the community through building good governance and providing a helping hand. 

In this episode:   

• How Kelsey found the sport of ultra running. 

• The preparation process and experience of running ultramarathons trail races. 

• Developing mental fitness for ultra pursuits. 

• Mindset and language that helps to conquer ultras in racing and in life. 

• How performance psychology gives the tools needed to perform your best in both sport and life. 

• Longevity as a key piece of planning in ultra racing and other life pursuits.  

Links and resources:   

• Kelseyhogan.com 

• Kelsey’s Instagram 

• Mont Blanc UTMB race 

• Renaissance College 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  To listen to past episodes of UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

Kjeld Mizpah “KJ” Conyers-Steede (BA’18) is director of strategy and partnerships for Inspiring Communities, a nonprofit working to build collaborative relationships for social change in Atlantic Canada. 

A UNB political science alum, KJ is a seasoned systems thinker with a strong focus on areas such as community-centric strategic planning, human-centered design, organizational culture, and governance reviews. From executive director of the New Brunswick Student Alliance to operations manager at the Spring Garden Area Business Association, to director of change management for Hockey Nova Scotia, to his recent work on projects that drive community-centric innovation, KJ has never backed away from big challenges. In fact, he excels at crafting solutions for what he refers to as the “big hairy policy challenges” and collaborating on community projects that tackle the most complex and pressing issues in society.  

Host Katie Davey (BA’17) chats KJ about a wide range of challenges and solutions for Atlantic Canadian communities. 

In this episode:   

• The journey for KJ from Bermuda to New Brunswick 

• Regional and community collaboration 

• The opportunity for rural economic development in Atlantic Canada 

• Why KJ is running for Mayor of his regional community in Nova Scotia 

• How communities need to prepare for climate change, especially in rural areas of Atlantic Canada 

• How community-centric innovation and creating ecosystems can lead to problem-solving 

• How policy development needs to be built outside of election cycles, and how it can be done by empowering people and community champions. 

• How academic research is allowing KJ to test social incubation projects.  

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  To listen to past episodes of UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

Josh LeBrun (BBA’17) is Executive Director of 12 Neighbours, the tiny-home affordable housing community in Fredericton which has seen success – and global admiration – over the past couple of years. Now complete at 96 homes, the community-focused organization has turned its attention to social enterprise, providing low-barrier, progressive employment opportunities for the people it serves.  

Josh has a passion for social enterprise, entrepreneurship and meaningful contribution. He has a background in both business and design, and co-founded his own business before turning his attention to 12 Neighbours. 

In this episode:   

• Josh’s background and how he started working with his father, Marcel LeBrun, on the 12 Neighbours enterprise. 

• The three phases of 12 Neighbours and the goal of doing good in the community. 

• What it’s like working with family. 

• The people, profit, planet model of social business. 

• The challenges of running a social enterprise at the ground level.  

• How to pay attention and market social enterprise more broadly.  

• The importance of being able to work within a team.  

Links and resources:   

• Josh’s LinkedIn 

• 12 Neighbours 

• UNB Pond-Deshpande Centre 

• UNB TME program 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  To listen to past episodes of UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

Shilo Boucher (BBA’00), is President and CEO of the YMCA of Southwest New Brunswick, one of the largest employers and community service organizations in the province. Shilo attended UNB on the Saint John campus, graduating from business administration in 1999, then worked at two large public accounting firms while obtaining her CPA before landing at the Saint John YMCA in 2006. She held roles as the chief financial officer and chief operating officer before taking on the role of president and CEO in 2011.  

Shilo has been tremendously involved in helping to grow the community of Saint John and region, having served on the Saint John Airport board of directors, president of The Resource Centre for Youth, director of FusionSJ and River Valley Recreational Center, chair of the board for Credit Counselling Services of Atlantic Canada, and the treasurer for the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Saint John. She was also recently named to the board of directors for Port Saint John.  

Host Katie Davey (BA’17) chats with her about being an active member of the community through building good governance and providing a helping hand. 

In this episode:   

• A backgrounder on the wide range of activities of the YMCA in southern New Brunswick and Saint John. 

• How community programs are supporting employment and the economy. 

• How to do community health better 

• Growing as a leader and working with a board of directors 

• How to keep planning for the future and learning how to think strategically about future needs 

• The importance of good governance for both non-profits and corporate 

Links and resources:   

• Shilo’s LinkedIn 

• YMCA of Southwest NB 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  To listen to past episodes of UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

In this special episode as the finale to Season 3, we turn the tables on UNBeknownst host Katie Davey (BA’17). In her day job, Katie is a public policy expert and social innovator, currently serving as the Pond-Deshpande Centre’s (PDC) Executive Director at the University of New Brunswick. Previously, she was the Director of Policy & Media at the Public Policy Forum, and also served as senior advisor in the Office of the Premier of New Brunswick. Armed with a degree in political science from UNB and master’s in applied politics from Wilfrid Laurier University, Katie has the perfect mix of academic and real-world savvy to tackle socio-economic challenges through social innovation, entrepreneurship, and public policy. Selected as a top innovator by Atlantic Business Magazine in 2023, Katie is a go-to voice in political commentary and opinion writing, making waves in major publications and as a regular on CBC New Brunswick and Atlantic. She is the Founder and Principal of Femme Wonk and serves on the Board of Directors for the Human Development Council, Action Canada, and other community groups. 

In this episode:   

• Katie’s origin story and how she got her start into politics, public policy and advocacy. 

• The impact of UNB’s Pond-Deshponde Centre and what exactly social innovation and social entrepreneurship means on the ground. 

• The social innovation lab – and how that’s shifting things in New Brunswick. 

• Problem-solving through the lens of social good. 

• The growth of ventures working on social innovation and social good in New Brunswick. 

• The information/communications challenges of our current environment. 

• How New Brunswick is stacking up against other jurisdictions around the world for social innovation and growth. 

Links and resources: 

Katie’s LinkedIN 

Pond Deshpande Centre 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  To listen to UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

Nicole LeBlanc (BBA’00) is a partner with Woven Capital in Tokyo, focusing on investments in mobility, energy, and sustainability that support and accelerate Toyota’s mission to build the safest mobility in the world. Prior to that she was a partner in Denmark with 2150, an urban tech & sustainability fund focused on supporting the growth of sustainable cities. She’s held previous positions as director of investments for Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs in Toronto, and as director at BDC Capital and at the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation.  

Nicole is also a founder and investor in Sandpiper.vc, a women-led venture fund based in Atlantic Canada aiming to support women as both founders and investors. She’s a huge proponent of encouraging and supporting women in the venture capital sector, and I’m very excited to talk with her about why that’s so important, as well as why she feels so strongly in investing in technology for our collective future. 

In this episode:   

• How Nicole first started in venture capital and the opportunities around the world that led her to becoming an expert in the field 

• Her position in Toronto at Sidewalk Labs that hooked her on green cities and urban tech. 

• Why corporate companies have growth/venture capital firms.  

• How companies can implement sustainability implement solutions in their systems – and why Nicole is excited about startups providing those solutions.  

• The role of corporate venture capitalist 

• How smaller municipalities can have a great impact on lives and drive change. 

• The Copenhagen urban model. 

• How engaging everyone in communities is key to finding solutions and capital sources.  

• Why there is a low rate of women in venture capital and how more women can break into it. 

• How Atlantic Canadian communities can be successful in building smart, sustainable places to live and work, even with fewer resources.  

Links and resources:   

• Nicole’s LinkedIN 

• Woven Capital 

• Sandpiper Ventures 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  To listen to UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

Dr. Jennifer Woodland (MA’09, PhD’15) is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at UNB’s Saint John campus and an Integrated Health Initiative researcher who teaches within the Bachelor of Health program at UNB. She has a PhD in experimental psychology from UNB, with a focus in multisensory perception. Jen has over 10 years of experience in health research – as a research methodologist for Horizon Health Network and Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick. Before her academic appointment, she spent 5 years working in the private health sector as the director of Human Health Factors at Canadian Health Solutions where she led a development team toward multidisciplinary medical innovation products. Her research interests are in multidisciplinary health research on medication adherence and combining the use of evidence-based psychological principles to inform the development and improvement of health product usability. 

In this episode:   

• An explanation of experimental psychology in multisensory perception 

• How research, clinical and technology areas can work together and are critical for healthcare solutions 

• A detailed look at what integrated health and integrated health research really means 

• The Integrated Health Initiative (IHI) at UNB’s Saint John campus, and the benefits of an intentional health cluster 

• How to translate research into meaningful health policy 

• Health literacy for health adherence  

Links and resources: 

UNB Integrated Health Initiative 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  To listen to UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

Mi’gmaq entrepreneur Victoria LaBillois (BA’91, MBA’04) is the owner of Wejipeg Excavation Inc. and co-owner of Wejuseg Construction Inc, and oversaw the completion of a major wind park in Gaspesie, Quebec, where the companies trained and engaged over 100 Mi’gmaq tradespeople.  

Victoria has served both the First Nation and federal public service, working at the Band, regional, and national levels.  She is currently serving as Vice-Chair of the National Indigenous Economic Development Board, and represents the National Indigenous Economic Development Board in the development of Canada’s first National Indigenous Economic Strategy. In addition to advocating for and facilitating conversations at the highest levels around economic reconciliation, she is all about giving back to her community, serving as a mentor and coach to Indigenous women and helping youth build skills around financial literacy. In 2019 AND 2020, Victoria was honoured by the WXN as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women. 

In this episode:   

• How Victoria went from Arts graduate to owner of a construction and excavation company 

• Context around why we need to talk about economic reconciliation for Canada’s Indigenous peoples 

• What economic reconciliation practically means  

• The process of drafting a National Indigenous Economic Strategy for Canada and creating a strategy to advance economic reconciliation – and highlights from this important document that guides government, academia and corporate Canada 

• The 4 essential ingredients to economic prosperity for Indigenous peoples in Canada  

• How all of us can help further economic reconciliation 

Links and resources: 

• Victoria’s LinkedIn 

• National Indigenous Economic Strategy 

• Wejuseg 

• UNB story on Victoria 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife

To listen to UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

Social and technology entrepreneur Tosin Ajibola (MEng’20) moved from Nigeria to Canada to earn a Master of Engineering degree in Technology Management and Entrepreneurship from UNB. Out of that hands-on program, he and other newcomer classmates co-developed Welkom-U, an innovative online platform that puts newcomers, immigrants, and international students in touch with the things they need to survive and thrive. As CEO of Welkom-U, Tosin is focused on solving problems through technology AND making a social impact.  

He is a member of the Atlantic Growth Solutions team, and he serves on the board of Venn Innovation, on the board of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce and on the advisory board at Social Enterprise World Forum. He also leads the Atlantic Canada Chapter of BlackBoysCode, a non-profit organization that aims to improve the future of young black boys through Computer Science and Technology. And he’s been getting noticed: he was named a Top 30 under 30 Innovator in Atlantic Canada in 2021, a Top 25 Canadian Immigrant in 2022 & Top Youth Immigrant in Canada 2022. 

In this episode:   

• Tosin’s personal experience starting a new life in Canada and how that helped inform his startup idea 

• The challenges that newcomers to Canada face, and how Tosin and Welkom-U are working to reduce or eliminate those.  

• Why retention of immigrants is important to Canada and the Maritime region and what we can do to increase that retention. 

• How leveraging technology and entrepreneurship can be used for a larger social purpose – and how that makes all the difference in Canada.  

Links and resources:   

• Tosin’s LinkedIn 

• Welkom-U 

• Canada’s Top 25 Immigrants  

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  To listen to UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

H. Wade MacLauchlan (LLB’81) is a well-known Canadian legal expert, academic, university administrator, politician and community leader. As premier of Prince Edward Island from 2015-19, he led an expansion and diversification of PEI's economy and the growth and rejuvenation of the province's population, while contributing to historic, regional initiatives in immigration, infrastructure and economic growth. Prior to politics, MacLauchlan was the longest-serving president of the University of Prince Edward Island from 1999-2011, and dean of law at the University of New Brunswick from 1991-1996.

In this episode:   

• How MacLauchlan got into academia and then politics 

• Insights into Atlantic Canadian policy on immigration and growth 

• The housing crisis and the solutions needed now 

• How higher education and university can do the most they can in a time of growth 

• The role of universities with respect to growth and immigration 

Links and resources:   

• Wade MacLauchlan 

• Announcement of MacLauchlan as UNB Chancellor 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  To listen to UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website.