The Well Endowed Podcast

Elite sport is often framed as an individualistic endeavor — a personal quest for excellence determined by an athlete’s skills, discipline and ambition. While these elements are crucial, long-term success is often shaped by an athlete’s community – by the teammates, coaches and culture that support and encourage a competitor throughout their careers. In this episode, Trudy Callaghan sits dow...

Building a business takes years of hard work, but what happens when it’s time to step away? On this episode, Noel Xavier talks with Kayla Thompson, partner at Duncan Craig LLP, about succession planning for business owners and entrepreneurs as part of ECF’s 2026 Wills Week. Tune in as they explore how to prepare for an unexpected departure, retirement, and how to protect the people who depen...

For 25 years, the Belcourt Brosseau Métis Awards (BBMA) have helped Métis Albertans pursue post-secondary education and build new possibilities for themselves, their families and their communities. But what happens when that investment continues from one generation to the next? In this episode, Andrew Paul speaks with Theresa Majeran, who has worked with the BBMAs for more than two decades and has...

Some hidden gems make it into thrift stores and eventually into homes. But what about the hidden gems in our communities who are still waiting to be recognized in the workplace? Approximately 30% of Canadians over the age of 15 live with a disability, yet many remain outside the workforce. For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, barriers to employment can mean their talents an...

What if many of the challenges communities face today could be addressed by investing in where it all begins? Research in Alberta has found fewer than 46% of children enter kindergarten ready for school in all five areas of development. Meaning many children begin school already facing barriers in cognitive, language, social-emotional, physical, and motor skills, that educators consider essential...

What can Alberta’s migratory bird population teach us about our environment? Alberta’s declining bird populations are an important indicator of growing pressures on the natural systems that sustain all life. At the heart of understanding those changes is Beaverhill Bird Observatory (BBO), one of Canada’s longest-running migration monitoring stations, where every observation contributes...

Could one of the greatest risks to your lung health be the one you can’t see, smell, or taste? Even more surprising, it might be hiding inside your homes. Canadians spend nearly 90% of their time indoors, where hidden risks such as radon, a naturally occurring gas that is colourless, odourless, and tasteless, can build up inside homes and buildings. Along with poor ventilation, mould, and ev...

How do you turn a successful business into a generous one? Bill Knight started out selling vacuum cleaners door to door, knowing, in his own words, nothing about business. Decades later, he and his family run Mosaic Home Services , a home-services company that now spans the country, with giving built into the way it operates. In this episode, Trudy Callaghan from Odvod Media sits down with Bill an...

What does it take to build a career in a field that wasn’t built with you in mind?   Women Building Futures has been helping women enter the trades and transportation since 1998 — not just with job training, but with the wraparound supports that make it possible to actually get there: childcare plans, housing support, fitness training, and a food pantry. Since the beginning, more than 3,000 women...

What does it mean to truly live independently? For AiLA — the Autism Independent Living Association — independence isn’t just about having a place to live. It’s about having the skills, confidence, and support to navigate daily life on your own terms.   In this episode, we hear about AiLA’s new cooking program: a series of hands-on workshops teaching autistic adults to prepare nu...

What happens to the artists who fall through the gap between school and a professional career? In this episode of  The Well-Endowed Podcast , we catch up with alumni of  Pro Coro Canada ‘s Emerging Artist Program — a free, professional-level training program for singers, conductors, and composers that’s been quietly building something in Edmonton for over a decade.   This episode featu...

What does it really take to protect the land beneath our feet — and the wildlife that depends on it — as our city continues to grow? In this episode of The Well Endowed Podcast , we explore how volunteers are shaping a more sustainable future right here in Edmonton, in recognition of the United Nations’ International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development . Ramy Abdel-Keriem and co-host Sc...

What happens when the odds of survival depend on something as simple — and as complex — as who’s in the system? In this episode of The Well Endowed Podcast, we explore the story of Ezra Marfo — and how one family’s search for a stem cell match has grown into a national movement to increase diversity in donor registries. Jacob Marfo, Ezra’s father and founder of the Ezra Marfo Cancer Foundation , s...

How do we protect the waters that sustain our communities — and what does it take to turn a personal passion into a lifelong career? In this episode of The Well Ended Podcast , we head to the banks of the North Saskatchewan River for a conversation with Kirsten Letendre, a proud Métis scientist whose journey from Lac Ste. Anne to a career in lake management has been shaped by culture, community, a...

What does it mean to carry a refugee story across generations, and how do we keep those memories alive? In this special Lunar New Year episode of The Well Endowed Podcast, guest hosts Jessica Truong and Linda Hoang, co-founders of Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau (“We Are Together”), lead a heartfelt conversation about identity, belonging, and the Vietnamese Canadian experience in Edmonton. Marking the 50th ann...

What does meaningful support look like when hoarding disorder is approached as a mental health issue, not a personal failure? Hoarding disorder affects thousands of people in Edmonton, yet it is often misunderstood and deeply stigmatized. Rooted in anxiety, trauma, and strong emotional attachment, the disorder can impact health, safety, relationships, and overall wellbeing when left unsupported. I...

What happens when survivors of intimate partner violence can access coordinated, trauma-informed support at the moment they need it most? The Integrated Domestic Violence Response Team (IDVRT) is a pilot initiative in Edmonton designed to close critical gaps in how high-risk domestic violence cases are supported. By bringing frontline partners together into a single, integrated response, the IDVRT...

What can happen when people are invited to share their stories and listen deeply to one another? Building Bridges Through Storytelling brings people together through guided workshops rooted in ceremony and shared learning. Led by Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society in partnership with Boyle Street Community Services and Islamic Family Social Services Association , the program is supported by a...

What happens when the audience steps into the story? Theatre is often something we watch from a seat. But for Edmonton playwright Louise Casemore, it can also be something we experience from the inside. Her immersive theatre project, Other Duties as Required, explores the modern workplace and the job interview process through audience participation. Instead of observing from a distance, audiences...

How is one organization making alpine sports accessible to everyone? Many Edmontonians survive the long winter months by bundling up and enjoying snow sports. But activities that many people take for granted are harder to access for people with disabilities. Enter Canadian Adaptive Snowsports (CADS) . Now in its 50th year, the organization connects children, youth, and adults with disabilities to...

How can a student group create lasting impact in their community? Members of Delta Upsilon at the University of Alberta are taking a new approach to fraternity life by centering service, transparency, and community involvement. Their chapter has launched the Building Better Futures Fund , an endowment through Edmonton Community Foundation that will support Edmonton’s Food Bank for years to come. I...

How can collaboration turn a crisis into opportunity? When ABC Head Start Society suddenly lost most of its classroom spaces, hundreds of children and families faced the risk of losing vital early learning supports.   That’s when Terra Centre , an organization that helps young parents complete school and build stability, stepped forward — offering newly renovated space so programs could continue....

How do you find hope after loss?   When Carisa and Neville Britton lost their daughter Jessica, their world was forever changed. Through their grief, they found strength in each other — and a way to honour Jessica’s life by giving back to their community.   With support from Edmonton Community Foundation, the Brittons established the Jessica Carisa Britton Fund — an endowment that will provide com...

In this episode of The Well-Endowed Podcast, we sit down with Meena Deccan of Deccan Law , an Edmonton-based estate and succession planning lawyer, to explore what it means to protect the business you’ve built — and the people who depend on it. Meena shares how thoughtful planning can help entrepreneurs prepare for the future, ensure a smooth leadership transition, and support both loved ones and...

What if divorce didn’t have to be a battle? For many families, separation is one of the hardest experiences they’ll face. The traditional legal process can often add more stress than support, setting people up as adversaries. That’s why Edmonton lawyer Melissa Bourgeois founded One Family Law . After practicing in the traditional way for more than a decade, Melissa discovered a cooperative model i...