The Discovery Pod

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 MedicA...

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 commun...

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, interact...

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 loca...

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,...

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 to...

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 a...

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. Th...

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 the...

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 fundraisin...

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...

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 it...

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...

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...

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 t...

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 inj...

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 Un...

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....

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 m...

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...

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 N...

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 pu...

Great communities often have great universities at the heart of them. This has been proven true time and time again, as universities lead the way for development. Douglas Nelson sits down with the University of Calgary ’s Interim Vice-President for Development and the leader for the “Energize: The Campaign for Eyes High” campaign that raised $1.41 Billion, Andrea Morris . Andrea talks about philan...

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...

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 Altrui...