The Discovery Pod

As soon as women have children, they're already at a disadvantage in their careers. This is what you call "The Motherhood Penalty," and Maturn is on a mission to solve that. Most organizations never really even thought about maternity leaves. Most of them just expected their employees to come back and pick up from where they left off. That is not how it works. Women need time to get back into the process, especially after a long transition. Join Douglas Nelson as he talks to the Founders of Maturn, Jen Murtagh & Sonja Baikogli Foley. Learn how and why they started Maturn. Discover how companies, big and small, can improve on their maternity leave process. Find out the power of Maturn today!

There are communities that don’t have safe drinking water, which leads to adverse health outcomes, and these challenges have been associated with colonialism and health outcomes associated with poverty. The Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba is dedicated to ensuring that every child treated at HSC Winnipeg Children’s Hospital has the best care and experience possible. The CEO of Children’s Hospital Foundation, Stefano Grande, shares the great successes of their campaign, as well as what was involved in moving the organization from pre-campaign to the final stages of a very successful campaign. Through their $75 million campaign, the Foundation was able serve the children and families with negative health outcomes attached to poverty and reach those communities who have limited access to healthcare. Listen to this inspiring episode as Stefano shares his insights, wisdom, and learnings throughout the conversation.

September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, known as Orange Shirt Day, in Canada. It is the day to recognize the effects of the Canadian Indian residential system and honor survivors, their families, and those who never made it home. In this special episode, Douglas Nelson speaks with none other than the founder of Orange Shirt Day and the Orange Shirt Society, Phyllis Webstad. Phyllis shares her story and healing journey as a survivor and how, in 2013, she helped raise awareness that the Federal government took notice. She then takes us into how they run their organization, attract corporate partners, and utilize merchandise sales. Looking ahead, she then shares her thoughts on what action can people and corporations take to show their solidarity. So tune in and take part in this important conversation. 

The Discovery Pod is now on Season 7! Douglas Nelson shares what the show has in store with the new Director of Communications at The Discovery Group, Alex Wilson. They give us a sneak peek at episodes featuring leaders in the social profit sector, prominent authors and professors, and tech founders who brought tremendous value to society. They also look back on the lessons from past seasons, emphasizing how The Discovery Pod has become a platform for social impact leaders to grow while changing the world.

What changes can you implement in your organization so you can make a difference? Listen as your host Douglas Nelson sits down for a conversation with Malcolm Berry on BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s philanthropic success. Since March 2021, Malcolm Berry has led the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation as president and CEO, bringing with him a proven track record of philanthropy and leadership accomplishments in pediatric health care. In this episode, he stresses the importance of a purpose, vision, making an impact, and changing the community for the better. Tune in as he brings in powerful messages that could help you take your leadership to the next level through a practical approach designed for success.

There are so many things the social profit sector can do, and corporate partnerships can help them further achieve their goals. Tune into this episode as Brad Offman discusses corporate partnerships in the social profit sector. Brad is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Spire Philanthropy, a management consultancy specializing in corporate-charitable partnerships and philanthropic advisory services. In this conversation, he explains strategies corporations need to execute that are beneficial for organizational success, emphasizing the need to choose charitable partners that help strategically achieve what they're trying to do. Brad also shares why we need to explore the relationship between the corporate and charitable sectors and the importance of identifying and onboarding new corporate partners. 

The Pacific Salmon Foundation is a nonprofit that focuses on rebuilding and improving the ecosystems for salmon. Running a massive organization with such a unique structure as this charity has is a one-in-a-kind challenge. We get taken into the ins-and-outs of the Pacific Salmon Foundation by Allison Colina, Vice President of Development, Marketing, and Communications. In this episode, she talks us through her journey from healthcare to becoming a social profit leader. She also gives insights on how the community and government policy play a part in the charity’s conservation efforts. 

The Calgary John Howard Society (CJHS) is a charity that has been reducing crime and making Calgary communities safer since 1949 by helping youth and adults make positive changes and move away from criminal behavior. They do this by addressing the root causes of crime through education, employment programs, housing, and support so individuals have alternatives to breaking the law. Joining Douglas Nelson today to share what the charity is all about is Leslie McMechan, the Executive Director at CJHS. She also gives some insight into the great work that they do. 

Tension in the workplace can be counterproductive, but do you know that leaders can use healthy tension to enhance alignment in the effectiveness of their boards? In this special episode, Douglas Nelson is joined by two of his colleagues at the Discovery Group, Margaret McNeil and Karen Gilmore, in a discussion about the role of healthy tension and how that tension plays out in board relationships across the sector. This conversation is a preview of an event they are holding at the Terminal City Club in Vancouver on June 2nd, 2022. To learn more about the event, visit our website at TheDiscoveryGroup.ca.

The definition of a leader today is different from before. Douglas Nelson welcomes Roberto Erario, a Business and Leadership Coach. Roberto talks about how a leader before was someone who had a lot of knowledge. But today, a leader is someone who surrounds themselves with people who have the expertise to help them accomplish something greater than they can by themselves. One of the challenges they face is making decisions. How do you know when to gather more information and when to act? Join the conversation to find out the answer and learn more. 

Raising money, for whatever purpose, is an inspirational act anyone can and should be proud of. Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation CEO Jeff Norris has dedicated his life to enhancing hospital care and improving its fundraising strategies. Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation is a provincial and regional independent charitable foundation that raises millions of dollars annually to help fund priority healthcare needs. In this episode, Jeff sits with Douglas Nelson to share his mission as a leader in the health philanthropy sector. Listen in as Jeff takes us on a little walk through his career journey towards thriving in the social-profit sector.

Around 20% of society has a mental illness, whereas everyone has mental health. Just like your physical health, this is something you need to take care of. Join Douglas Nelson as he talks to Michael Anhorn about how he runs his organization as a leader. Michael is the CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association. Michael believes in creating an inclusive society where no one is left behind. Listen in to understand how he takes on the responsibilities of a new business leader. Learn how the not-for-profit sector operates. And know the difference between mental health and mental illness. Start taking care of your health today!

What are the elements of success for fundraisers to transition from raising money door-to-door to building programs and a culture of philanthropy? Douglas Nelson welcomes Ana-Maria Hobrough, the Vice President for Advancement at Sunnybrook Hospital Foundation. The first step is to identify your natural strength and skillset. Then figure out where you want to go with your project. It’s not about the scale but nailing the end game. Stay true to where you want to go. Bring people along and engage them in the mission. If developing a culture of philanthropy is your passion, this episode’s for you. 

One out of 100 people have schizophrenia and three out of 100 people experience psychosis. Schizophrenia is not rare. People need to be aware of it and all the other mental illnesses. Join Douglas Nelson as he talks to the CEO of the British Columbia Schizophrenia Society, Faydra Aldridge. BCSS is a community-based nonprofit organization that focuses on severe and persistent mental illness. Its main goal is to help spread awareness for mental illnesses and take care of the families that are affected by these illnesses. Learn more about mental illness and schizophrenia. Find out how advocacy and awareness work. And, discover how she runs her nonprofit. Join her mission to spread awareness today!

Do you strive to make a difference in the world? Wendy Beauschesne is the CEO of the Alberta Cancer Foundation, which aims to help cancer patients face their situation. She has been in the healthcare industry most of her career but decided to be a philanthropist when she became CEO. This decision required a lot of adjustments and worked through talking to people within the organization for continuous learning. Listen and find out how to navigate your path to change the way people work together and help change lives.

Health information is important, especially for first responders. MedicAlert is in charge of all this info. They make sure that first responders get all the health information they need. MedicAlert Foundation Canada is one of the nation’s longstanding health charities. Join Douglas Nelson as he talks to Leslie McGill, the organization’s CEO and President. Leslie's goal is to increase MedicAlert’s charitable impact, and build on a solid foundation with the first responder community. Learn how MedicAlert works and how they will continue to grow in the future.

As a leader, your decisions affect everybody. Leadership is not about you getting where you're going. It's about bringing other people along to get where they're going. You have to bring everyone together for a common cause. But at the same time, you need to know when to take a step back and understand how things run. Join Douglas Nelson as he talks with Debra Pozega Osburn about leadership communication. Debra has served since 2016 as the VP of University Relations at the University of Saskatchewan. She provides vision, leadership, and inspiration for teams dedicated to building strong relationships. Learn how to lead with respect and compassion for others. Dive into uncertainty in today's episode!

A leader doesn’t just sit at the top but works as the center of the organization. A great example of this is Sally Ginter. Sally is the CEO of the South Okanagan Similkameen (SOS) Medical Foundation, an organization that fundraises for different interior health facilities in various communities. Sally’s complex role comes with many responsibilities: leading her organization, interacting with patients, and talking with donors. In this episode, she sits down with Douglas Nelson to discuss the value of emotional intelligence in leadership and the importance of keeping your center.

You have to identify problems first before you plan your future-forward decisions. Join your host Douglas Nelson as he sits down with the Vice President of Corporate Development at Carbin Minerals Inc., Sean Lowrie. Sean is the Director and founding CEO of The Start Network, a global network of non-governmental organizations that tackle crises through innovation, funding, early action, and localization. Sean helped the international aid system adapt to a rapidly changing world after leaving that role in 2019. Listen to Sean as he shares his experience with Start Network and how they would work with partnerships to solve big universal issues. 

As a leader, we are handed with situations where we find ourselves helpless, challenged, and overwhelmed. What do we do in those scenarios? How do we overcome adversities and deal with the unfamiliar? Ahmad Zbib is the CEO of the Canadian Rheumatology Association, the national professional association for Canadian rheumatologists. Ahmad spent most of his career at mission-based, non-profit organizations in diverse roles. He has hands-on experience in managing technology projects which brings a unique perspective and expertise. In this episode, he shares his professional journey and emphasizes that throughout his life he has worked with a lot of fundraisers so he is collaborative in nature. Listen to this episode as he shares valuable insights on the great measure of being a great leader.

There have been many changes to the world of fundraisers, with many opportunities in the field. Along with opportunities, of course, are new challenges to face. In this episode, Douglas Nelson interviews Sofia Janmohamed, President of the AFP Greater Vancouver Chapter. They discuss the state of fundraisers and charities, the impact of philanthropic work, and how to face the challenges of today’s charitable fundraisers. Tune in and learn more about Sofia's philanthropic work in this special episode.

Appearing defensive in a board meeting can break the trust between members. Learn that it's okay, to be honest, and to say "I don't know" if you really don't know. Join Douglas Nelson and learn five tactics that you can use to avoid being defensive in board CEO relations. As a leader, it's your job to step into these challenging conversations. Your board is just there to help you so that you can all move forward as one company. Stop being defensive and start being honest today!

NorQuest College continues to grow more into an institution that helps show the way on solving problems together. Douglas Nelson introduces Carolyn Campbell, the President and CEO of the institution. Carolyn explains that the deep purpose of NorQuest is to be a place where people come to transform lives and feel that they belong. Equity, diversity, and inclusion are highly-prized values. These values ensure that the students have the healthiest, happiest, and most joyful experience they can at the college. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode!

The Cultch is an arts community center showcasing artists and their work in a historic church building. In this episode, Douglas Nelson presents Heather Redfern, the Executive Director at The Cultch. The Cultch is a presenting organization that doesn’t produce its own work. Instead, it presents the work produced by other companies. Follow the story of organization as the number of seats they had in the theater couldn't support the organizational growth. Suddenly COVID hit, and they quickly had to adjust. While canceling plans for next year was a painful exercise, it was also necessary to make space for new things. Want to know what happened next? Tune in!

The Ronald McDonald House is a home away from home for families who have a child being treated at the BC Children’s Hospital. This house has created a culture of care and support for one another that even long-time families welcome the new families in. Learn that you are not in this alone. Join your host Douglas Nelson as he talks to Richard Pass on his career in fundraising and how he got the house made. Richard is now the CEO of the Ronald McDonald House and he is dedicated to serving families who are at the worst point in their lives. Learn how he led the capital campaign to build a new Ronald McDonald House and more in today’s episode.

Working between two large entities - academia and the healthcare system - is a complex role to play. In this episode, Douglas Nelson’s guest is Dr. Jodi Abbott, the President and CEO of the University Hospital Foundation. Dr. Jodi talks about how being in the middle ground can be a flexible advantage. You can move mountains that people in academia or the healthcare system couldn’t.

On that note, technology and the COVID pandemic accelerated change. The crisis pushed everyone to think if there are better ways to do things. Dr. Jodi believes that when you have a crisis, you need to understand and manage it, and also see the benefit that can come from it. Tune in!

The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is home to some of Canada’s finest in the realm of arts and culture. With nearly a hundred years of excellence in the arts, The Banff Centre is prepared to continue inspiring people towards creativity. In this episode, Douglas Nelson sits down with the President and CEO of the Banff Centre Foundation, Janice Price, for a look at the foundation and its works. Ms. Price discusses the history of the foundation and how it has adapted not only to modern times, but to the spectre of the pandemic and its effects on the arts space. Tune in and learn more about the Banff Centre today.

How can you have a good recruitment and retention program at your hospital? You need to provide your physicians and surgeons with the most modern and technologically advanced tools. Douglas Nelson introduces Stephanie Beck, the Executive Director of Peace Arch Hospital & Community Health Foundation (PAH Foundation). The Peace Arch Hospital Foundation serves the communities of White Rock and South Surrey. In this conversation, Stephanie shares systems their governance follows to deliver on all of the projects they said they would. There are always more possibilities to explore in serving your community. Check out those possibilities in this episode.

Having a leadership mindset could be developed overtime. You just have to be committed to recognizing opportunities, solving problems and delivering value to the company as a whole. The CEO of the YMCA of Greater Vancouver and the CEO of Canada West YMCA Regional Development Center, Stephen Butz joins Douglas Nelson to tell us more. In this conversation, Stephen shares how he fulfilled his role as a leader while navigating the pandemic, working with his board. He also discusses how to handle adversities and how new leaders in an organization can manage certain issues that have complex solutions. Listen to this episode to help you embrace and understand a set of principles and values that are needed for a strong organization to unfold.

Julia Staub-French is the Executive Director of Family Services of the North Shore, a nonprofit, community-based agency that has been providing support for families for over 60 years. Learn how Julia runs her business, especially during the pandemic. Discover their food delivery programs and outreaches to help people in this rough time. In this episode, she joins host Douglas Nelson to tell us all about how she is running a nonprofit business. Their vision? To create a healthy community where everyone can live full and meaningful lives. Discover her story today and find out her strategic plan and what core values she entrusts to people as a leader. 

Your brand should represent your capability of being a leader. That means you have to undergo advanced research and provide innovative solutions to people. In this episode, Douglas Nelson sits down for a conversation with the CEO of Praxis Spinal Cord Institute, Bill Barrable. Bill leads a diverse and multidisciplinary team of experts focused on creating solutions for people with spinal cord injuries. Under his collaborative leadership, the Institute has achieved significant recognition. He discusses the most promising ideas from a lab into clinical practice and the marketplace, and ultimately into the lives of people who need them. He also talks about how investment of resources can help you develop the solutions you want to create for people. Tune into this episode to learn more about research, development and making a huge difference in the world.

The challenges of the COVID pandemic has changed how social organizations operate. In this episode, we learn how the United Way of Greater Toronto has risen to the challenge to provide social services to their community. Douglas Nelson speaks with the president and CEO of United Way, Daniele Zanotti on United Way’s response to the challenges of the pandemic. He discusses United Way and the changes in how it engages not just with their donors and sponsors, but with the community as well. Tune in and be inspired by their journey to help others.

Leadership guidance is a fundamental key to effective board engagement. Douglas Nelson talks with Margaret McNeil about creating alignment in an organization. Clearly, during the pandemic, there were uncontrollable impacts on the management for board engagements. Margaret shares about significant guidelines and crafting the right solutions to develop great collaboration among a company’s members. Join Douglas Nelson and Margaret McNeil in this episode and enrich your mind with board engagement’s elements and benefits.

You can’t eliminate risks because some of them can help you reach your objectives, but you can minimize them. Douglas Nelson’s guest in this episode is Francis Liska, the CEO of OTUS Group. Francis discusses with Douglas about creating a risk-aware culture, where an organization can recognize the risk before it threatens, mitigate a risk when it arises, and recover from damages from risks that might happen. Being aware of risks is never a one man’s job. Everyone in the organization needs to understand risk management and why it’s important for everyone. Tune in to learn more about risk management in the social profit sector! 

YWCA Metro Vancouver’s mission is to help build bright futures for women and their families through advocacy and integrated services. The CEO for YWCA Metro Vancouver, Deb Bryant is right on the frontline and always has her pulse on the issues affecting the services they provide. On today’s episode, she joins Douglas Nelson to talk about how the pandemic has disproportionately affected women and children in 2020. She also shares how the organization has pivoted through it, and what they’re doing differently in response to the pandemic.

No matter what industry you are in, you still belong in the relationship business. It is through the relationships you created that help you with your goals. With the University of Victoria, they want to have a more prominent public presence. The show's guest today is Chris Horbachewski, Vice President External Relations at the University of Victoria. In this episode, Christ talks with Douglas Nelson about the key factors an institution needs to move forward with direction, particularly on building more partnerships with their donors and alumni. He has found that the key is to that is by envisioning the culture that people want to exist in the future. Let that same vision be your guiding star. Join in the conversation to gain more valuable leadership insights for external relations from Chris Horbachewski.

Foundations and all kinds of charitable institutions are all purpose-driven, collectively moving towards a single goal. But what solidifies organizations like this is the community built upon and around it. Douglas Nelson is joined by Andrea Dicks, President of Community Foundations of Canada, to share how the government required them to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. She explains how they put equity at the center of their work and how they plan ahead while taking care of the wellbeing of their communities. Andrea also bares what she does as a leader when dealing with her frustrations, discussing her team's role in alleviating such challenges.

Douglas Nelson, the Founder of The Discovery Group, lists down the essential roles of effective board members that help keep them aligned, engaged, and satisfied with their involvement in organizations. He notes that these roles make or break organizations as they ensure the success and alignment of the boards across the sector. Douglas also explains how these roles affect the whole organization and why they are important elements that make up a successful board as a not-for-profit social profit leader in Canada.  

No matter how much money you have, you won't be able to make the change you want in the world if you're unable to tap into the right communities that get impacted by the problem you wish to solve. Douglas Nelson's guest today is Kris Putnam-Walkerly, founder of Putnam Consulting Group. In this episode, Kris shares the experiences that led her to write her book Delusional Altruism, which explores the common errors many philanthropists make. She explains how many entrepreneurs apply their innovative and money-generating skills to social change yet still forget the value of engaging diverse coalitions of people in solving systems change issues. Join this conversation to discover other ways donors get things wrong and how they can make things right.

With all the facts around us in this age of information, have you ever wondered why we're still not any better at changing the world in terms of climate change, social equity, and the likes? Maybe facts are just not enough to nudge us to do the right thing. Maybe we need a different way to process this information. Denise Withers, award-winning storyteller, filmmaker, author, and leadership coach, believes in the power of storytelling to create transformation. She talks about how stories enable us to experience something new and bring together emotion and intellect so we can rationalize and understand it. Offering advice, Denise then shares some tips on how organizations can tell these stories—from focusing on purpose rather than a problem to strengthening your narrative intelligence. Join in on this episode to gain some more insights on how you can share a bigger message to all and spark change for good.

The Museum of Vancouver is Canada's largest civic museum that runs in partnership with the City of Vancouver. It stewards a collection of artifacts and belongings on behalf of the city to tell stories about Vancouver through material culture and digital content. Douglas Nelson's guest is Mauro Vescera, the CEO at the Museum of Vancouver. In this episode, Douglas and Mauro discuss handling tensions within the organization, partnering and collaborating with other organizations within the social profit sector, and the museum's response to the pandemic. Join in the conversation and discover how Mauro approaches the common challenges that social profits face within the context of art and storytelling. 

The Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) is a nonprofit charitable organization that promotes the health of the gay community through research and intervention development. Douglas Nelson’s guest for this episode is Jody Jollimore, the Executive Director at CBRC. Jody faced several challenges in taking over the organization and building it to scale, especially during the pandemic. What kept the organization strong and intact through the ups and downs? Jody says it all boils down to believing in the work. Workers at CBRC don't work for the sake of the paycheck but because it impacts them and their loved ones personally. Tune in and learn from Jody's challenges and experiences in managing and reorganizing a nonprofit research centre. 

There is a better social profit representation in the government with Niki Sharma's election as the Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development and Non-Profits. If you're working for the non-profit sector and wish to be recognized more as a partner in the community with the government, then this episode is for you. Due to the increasing recognition of social profits in its indispensable role for the communities' betterment, there are many points of improvement we need to work on. Niki believes that gathering hard data and improving communication are crucial to identify what steps should be taken next. Dive in and listen to Douglas Nelson’s interview with Niki to better grasp the various challenges that face the social profit sector and how best they should be addressed.

We have all felt the pandemic strip out human connection from all of us, but human connection has been in decline for a long time before social distancing made us painfully aware of it. If anything, COVID-19 merely intensified the loneliness pandemic that has been afflicting us for much longer. In his new book, broadcaster and philanthropist Riaz Meghji goes deep into the five habits that we can all start to build in order to improve our relationships, both personal and professional. Every Conversation Counts is a powerful work that every leader in the social profit sector needs to read, especially in these challenging times. Listen in as Riaz shares with Douglas Nelson the rationale behind the writing of the book and the gist of the message contained within it.

With the world slowed down because of the pandemic, the charity sector has been shedding light on a lot of issues, with tons of fundraising being held here and there. Though these are typically conducted with an admirable purpose, the conflict regarding disbarment quota seems to be neglected by the government. Douglas Nelson talks with Gail Picco to share her discoveries regarding this matter as the Editor-In-Chief of The Charity Report, which was launched only last 2020. Celebrating their first anniversary, she talks about the possible law amendments that could be done to address its financial structure problems and her realizations on working on charitable events first-hand. Gail also talks about her advocacy on raising proper awareness regarding supporting charities, which must not simply die out with the trends.

As technology continues to evolve according to the changing demands of users, organizations must learn to go with the flow to stay relevant and visible. And this boils down into two primary focuses: innovation and engagement. Douglas Nelson sits down with Jan Kaderly of A Line Strategy to discuss how organizations can utilize technology and the internet to cause significant shifts in their processes and operations while maintaining the ability to differentiate themselves from the rest. She also goes deep into the right way to drive engagement with a target market, particularly on why it is better to focus on a small number of people that you can truly resonate with rather than aimlessly targeting a huge population.

The Honourable Janet Austin shares her views of the challenges and opportunities the pandemic brings to the global table. Ever the stalwart champion of reinforcing childcare policy and women’s equality, her position as Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia brings these two crucial issues to even greater emphasis now more than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic offers a unique opportunity for global change as it pulls people together for collective action for the good of all. It begs the question, what do leaders need to do the most during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic? Tune in to seize golden insights!

One good thing about the pandemic is that it paved the way for giving more importance to health care services for families and communities. In this episode, Douglas Nelson interviews the CEO of Surrey Hospitals FoundationTM, Jane Adams. Jane has been named one of Canada's most influential CEOs, and she's been a great builder of organizations throughout her career. Today, she shares her leadership journey and the process of establishing the center with help from other professionals. Join Douglas and Jane to learn about her strategy and vision in managing the foundation.

Constructing a new public gallery covers considerable funding and solid credibility of the people involved in the development. Joining Douglas Nelson in this episode is the Curator and Director of The Polygon Gallery, Reid Shier. Shier explains what The Polygon Gallery is all about and the purpose of the facility. He also talks about its history and the journey in planning the new gallery in North Vancouver. In this conversation, understand the value of credibility, reputation, and establishing relationships in getting the support you need to further your organization’s goals.