ELEVATE: A DBNC Leadership Podcast

This month's ELEVATE episode talks about DBNC's new Financial Empowerment program and all it has to offer! Alena Denderys, DBNC's Financial Empowerment Facilitator, stopped by to share an overview of the program and what to expect from it in the future, as well as Alena's opinion on what Financial Empowerment means for the community. Alena is a new employee of DBNC, with a back...

Gloria O'Koye a.k.a Glowz. author and podcaster, stopped by ELEVATE to talk about her writing as well podcasting and how they were all shaped by her lived experiences. Gloria touched on the challenges in her life such as the grief that comes from losing a loved one, the dehumanization of inmates in the prison system, and the highs and lows that come with writing and self publication.   Gloria...

Bill Sinclair from The Neighbourhood Group in Toronto stopped by ELEVATE to talk about TNG and the wide variety of services that they offer.   Bill touched on TNG's growth over the last 100 years and his journey from summer student to CEO of TNG. Bill gets personal and shares his own experience being a gay man during the AIDS crisis.   Bill is a social worker and the CEO of The Neighbourhood...

Giselle Orozco from DBNC's  EarlyON's program stopped by ELEVATE to tell us a little mor about the program. EarlyON is a high-quality, free drop-in child and family program that supports early learning and development for families with children from birth to 6 years old. It offers a range of programs that support children’s early literacy and numeracy development as well as their physica...

Peter Grant is a seasoned law enforcement professional with 22 years of dedicated service to Peel Regional Police. Currently assigned to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Bureau, Peter is committed to fostering an environment of equality and understanding within both the police service and the community it serves.  Outside of his work in law enforcement, Peter is an avid sports enthusiast. Whet...

What drives McKie Richards? Flexing her creative prowess and carving out her own space to shine, of course! McKie is the owner and CEO of Canadian based production company McKie Rich Productions. She specializes in photography, videography, and graphic design.  She has facilitated entrepreneurial workshops and has helped others to start up their own thriving businesses. McKie has also been a guest...

Rachel Luke is currently the Instructional Coordinator for African, Black and Afro-Caribbean Student Success at the Peel District School Board. Prior to this, she taught English, Dramatic Arts, English as a Second Language, Black Canadian History and was a Teacher Librarian at Glenforest Secondary School for 20 years. She is always actively engaged in community work that supports Black Youth . She...

Sharon Douglas has worked in the Human Service Sector for over 25 years. She has held a variety of leadership positions and more recently as Director of Community Investment, United Way of Peel Region (UWPR) and as Consultant to United Way Greater Toronto.  She is a founding member and past Chair of the Regional Diversity Roundtable (RDR) . Sharon has consulted, delivered training, and facilitated...

Welcome to our newly refreshed podcast! Formerly known as Roots & Resilience, DBNC is proud to present ELEVATE: A DBNC Leadership Podcast. This month's episode brings to you Deb & Darlene, two women who are actively involved with DBNC's Seniors Tight-Knit Knitting Club. Deb and Darlene speak about the joys of community & connection; removing barriers for seniors; mental healt...

We often highlight inspiring leaders from the community . And as much as we love doing that, we have also wanted to show love to our own staff who work in the background, ensuring our amazing programs are running smoothly for the community. Enter Sonia, Jonathon, Wendy, and Bruce! Each of them has a unique and interesting story about their involvement with DBNC and what they are hoping for in 2024...

Rebecca Pacheco (She/Her) is the Development & Education Manager at Embrave: Agency to End Violence and the Coordinator of the Peel Committee Against Women Abuse (PCAWA). She is driven by her passion for gender equity, intersectional feminism and ending gender-based violence. She is a strong advocate for the policy and system-level change that is necessary to prevent gender-based violence and...

Lilian Liang works as a Family Support and Outreach Worker with DBNC's EarlyON team.  Lilian stopped by DBNC's Roots and Resilience podcast to discuss what Gender-Based Violence is and how to recognize the warning signs. She also touches upon why it is crucial to believe people when they come to you for help and how best to support them in their need. DBNC was proudly involved with Take...

Folashade Okomayin is a self-motivated and progress-driven professional with an extensive background in the Social Service industry. She sat with DBNC's Cristian Fox to discuss the challenges that come with accessing and securing Housing. Folashade spoke candidly about her experience navigating the Tenant/ Landlord relationship and the process for Government Housing.

Janine Ayoub recently moved from Turkey and Lebanon to Canada to start her new life. She sat with DBNC's Cristian Fox to discuss the challenges with being a newcomer and the power of resiliency. Janine spoke candidly about how she burned out due to all the difficulties she faced and how she reframed it as an opportunity to start over and chase her dreams, in her new home in Canada.

Priyanka Sheth, DBNC's Executive Director, was our guest for our June episode, where she spoke candidly and openly about intersectionality, as it relates to one's identity.  Priyanka has been with DBNC as the Executive Director since February, 2021. In her short time with the agency, she has started the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee because she is passionate about creating a...

Rosalyn from EMBRAVE stopped by Roots & Resilience to speak candidly about Gender Based Violence, with a focus on newcomer, racialized communities.    A woman of colour who was born with Transexualism, Rosalyn walks with several identities. She is a single mom of two beautiful daughters. A woman living with chronic pain. A woman loving woman femme. An activist. A Pagan. An Educator. A Caregive...

Saïda Ouchaou-Ozarowski is a Canadian filmaker who immigrated from Toronto to France in 2001. With family roots in Algeria, Saïda is interested by human migrations and the impact of colonialism on racialized groups. Her latest film, In Full Voice , produced by the NFB, debunks common prejudices about Muslim women in Canada. Population movements, multiple identities, and the status of women are at...

Sumbel, Kiran, and Mansi stopped by Roots and Resilience's to record a very special episode in honour of International Women's Day. They spoke with host, Cristian Fox, about why it is so important for more women to enter the Technology space and how they overcame challenges related to being women of colour.

Meagan Dogra, DBNC's Community Resource Coordinator, stopped by Roots and Resilience to speak about the importance of safe and dignified access to much needed necessities for our community. Touching upon stigmas surrounding food insecurity and period poverty, Meagan explains how DBNC's newest initiative, the Community Care Closet is so important and how she hopes to expand Closet operati...

Geetha Balaganthan is a 2nd generation Tamil Canadian, born and raised in Toronto. She has a medical education background and focuses on health and wellness, as well as mental health advocacy. She constantly strives for balance in a chaotic world.   She loves watching true crime documentaries, is a music junkie, gym lover ,and enjoys writing on her free time.  Geetha started her instagram page @ge...

Founder and President of ESD Global Inc., Yudit Sidikman is a thought leader, speaker, and educator on Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) with over 20 years of experience in the field. She is a fourth-degree black belt in Judo and holds an MBA with a background in psychology.    Yudit is committed to making Empowerment Self-Defense training, a proven Violence Prevention Education program, accessible w...

What is an eating disorder? What is considered disordered eating? When does eating healthy become concerning? Emily Huynh, from NEDIC, and Ivana Grabez, from DBNC, share their insights and how to better understand when it is time to get help.  CW: please be advised that this episode contains discussions about eating disorders, symptoms of disordered eating, diagnoses, and weight trajectory. 

Oluyinka Oso, author of children's book, N for Nigeria, stopped by DBNC to chat about how she maintains a balance between her work life and her creative pursuits. Tune in to hear what she said about her love of Nigeria and how she advocates for the beauty of her homeland.