Happy International Youth Day! Today, we celebrate the power and potential of young people to shape a more inclusive and vibrant future. Our latest episode of the Leader Talks with Anne-Marie Pham podcast features Kevin Lawler and Rowan O’Grady from the Whiteboard Collective (WBC), who are passionately working to ensure that young people from all backgrounds have access to meaningful job opportunities.

In this special episode, Kevin and Rowan share their inspiring vision for a society where youth are not only included but empowered to thrive. WBC is a social impact career accelerator dedicated to breaking down barriers and creating sustainable employment outcomes for marginalized communities across Canada.

Tune in as they discuss innovative career programs and their collaborative efforts with corporate partners to rethink talent acquisition and foster a more equitable society. Whether you're a young professional, an advocate, or an employer, this conversation is packed with practical advice on how to make a real impact.

Join us in amplifying the voices of young changemakers today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Insight into our guests’ professional backgrounds and the important work they do at WBC.
• Unpacking WBC’s vision and their innovative career programs that make it a reality.
• Ways that WBC works with their corporate partners to promote sustainable employment.
• The mindset shift required to view diversity as an asset to your organization, not a liability.
• Challenges that employers face when admitting they have a diversity problem.
• Careers driving social impact: what goes into putting WBC’s tagline into practice.
• Inspiring examples of young candidates who have thrived through their programs.
• What an ideal partnership looks like for WBC, and how you can support their mission.
• How WBC is collaborating with CCDI’s See Different youth education initiative.
• Actionable advice for employers looking to improve their DEI outcomes.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Whiteboard Collective
• Whiteboard Collective on LinkedIn
• Whiteboard Collective on Instagram
• Kevin Lawler on LinkedIn
• Rowan O’Grady on LinkedIn
• Pinball Clemons Foundations
• CCDI ‘See Different’ Youth Education Initiative
• Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional (CCIP) Certification
• Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI)
• Leader Talks with Anne-Marie Pham

Episode 6: Show Notes

This summer, with Canada's natural beauty on full display, we acknowledge and express gratitude towards the original caretakers of this land. Today, we honour them here on the Leader Talks Podcast and reflect on our journey of learning and unlearning for progress. Committed to truth and reconciliation, we've partnered with many like-minded organizations, including the very impressive Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA).

In today's new episode, we are joined by Mohamed El Daly, Director of Outreach and Product Services at APEGA. Mohamed shares insights into the company's work and his role. We discuss APEGA's evolution, the social and business imperatives for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and the importance of cultural awareness and cultural competence in Mohamed's work. Additionally, we explore the organization's commitment to improving representation of women and using research to uplift communities. You will also get a glimpse of other regulatory bodies excelling in DEI and reconciliation. Plus, Mohamed shares helpful tips for integrating DEI into your communities!

Available at your preferred podcast platform now, or visit: https://ccdi.ca/podcast/


Key Points From This Episode:

• Welcoming Mohamed El Daly as he describes APEGA and his role at the company.
• APEGA's social and business imperatives for EDI and how these have recently evolved.
• The importance of cultural awareness and cultural competence in Mohamed's work.
• Why his role as Director of Outreach matters and how he instigates impactful change.
• Exploring APEGA's multi-year commitment to increase its representation of women.
• Why the company values research and uses it to improve workspaces and communities.
• APEGA's five-year plan, and how it aims to achieve its goals.
• Mohamed's observations of other regulatory bodies that are doing similar great work.
• Our guest's simple strategies for improving EDI in your workplace and community.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Mohamed El Daly on LinkedIn
• Mohamed El Daly on X
• APEGA
• CCDI Awards of Success
• Engineers Canada
• Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion
• Leader Talks with Anne-Marie Pham

June is the perfect month for critical reflection, as the various causes that we rally for and celebrate help us remember our commitment to fostering a more inclusive and equitable Canada. Today we are joined by one of Canada’s most prominent social entrepreneurs and foremost expert in Indigenous economic innovation and workplace inclusion strategies, Kelly Lendsay. As the Founder, President, and CEO of Indigenous Works (formerly the Aboriginal Human Resource Council), Kelly is geared toward increasing the engagement of Indigenous people in the Canadian economy. Today is all about getting to know CCDI’s long-time strategic partner, Indigenous Works a little better, and we begin with how Kelly developed his passion for all things related to Indigenous inclusion. We explore the organizational setups of Indigenous Works and Luminary - Kelly’s newest ground-breaking initiative – and our guest details the opportunities that await by joining the DreamMakers Council. To end, Kelly reminds us of the important work that still needs to be done for Indigenous inclusion in Canada, and he gives us a glimpse into the upcoming annual Inclusion Works conference.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Canada’s water shortage reminds us of the work that still needs to be done.
• Getting to know Kelly Lendsay and why he’s passionate about Indigenous inclusion.
• Indigenous Works: what the organization is all about and why this work matters.
• Kelly’s vision for the new DreamMakers Council.
• Today’s most pressing issues and emerging opportunities in Indigenous inclusion.
• What to look forward to at Inclusion Works in October ‘24.
• The ins and outs of Luminary, and how this work impacts Indigenous inclusion efforts.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Kelly Lendsay on LinkedIn
• Kelly Lendsay on X
• Indigenous Works
• Luminary: Advancing Indigenous Innovation
• Rotman-ICD Directors Education
• The Assembly of First Nations
• Edwards School of Business
• The DreamMakers Council
• Inclusion Works ‘24
• National Indigenous Economy Strategy
• Strategic Science Fund
• Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion
• Leader Talks with Anne-Marie Pham